Notice of Intent to Sole Source - Global Insight.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE

HEADQUARTERS AIR FORCE DISTRICT OF

WASHINGTON

20 February 2024

FROM: AIR FORCE DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON (AFDW)/PKS

1500 W PERIMETER RD

JOINT BASE ANDREWS AFB, MD 20762

TO: ALL GOVERNMENT VENDORS

SUBJECT: Notice of Intent to Sole Source – In accordance with (IAW) FAR 13.501, Rationale for IHS Global Inc. as a Sole Source for Global Insight Subscription Services Contract

1. AFDW/PKS intends to award a Sole Source contract to IHS Global Inc., for Global Insight subscription services (S&P Global Market Intelligence – Pricing & Purchasing Global, World Economic Service, Enterprise License, World Economic Service – Global Link Model, U.S. State & Metro Area Construction – State & Metro Focus, China Regional Service) under the authority 10 U.S.C. 3572, set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 13.501, solicit from one source if the Contracting Officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available. The services will have a period of performance from 29 April 2024 through 28 April 2029, and will include a 6-month extension IAW FAR 52.217-8.

2. The Secretary of the Air Force (SECAF) Financial Management Cost and Economics Business Management Division (SAF/FMCE) requires Subscription as a Service (SaaS) via an electronic subscription to acquire access to extensive historical, long range forecast data and industry specific inflation indices in order to continue producing and providing valuable economic analyses for SECAF, Senior Department of the Air Force (DAF) leader decision-makers, as well as, by request support to the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). SAF/FMCE analyses have a significant impact on the DAF budget as well as on high dollar, high profile investment decisions.

As defined within AFI 65-501, economic analysis is a systematic approach to the problem of deciding how to use scarce resources to achieve a given objective. Proper use of the economic analysis approach yields an impartial comparison of competing alternatives to achieve the objective by weighing the costs, benefits, and uncertainties (including risks) for each alternative. In accordance with AFI 65-501 the Air Force must perform an economic analysis when deciding whether to commit resources through the use of an objective and systematic process. AFI 65-501 designates the Secretary of the Air Force (SECAF) Financial Management Cost & Economics (SAF/FMC) as the office of primary responsibility for Air force economic analysis. In order to fulfill this mission and access the indicators needed to perform accurate analysis, access to a current, historical online database provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence (S&P GMI) is required as it provides a valuable tool that for Government decision-makers on costs and benefits.

The S&P GMI Platform & optional service modules allow for electronic access to historical data of the information needed to conduct a thorough historical analysis or forecast. The Enterprise License provides unique value to the Government as it allows the SAF/FMCE analyst access to retrieve, share, and post data internal within DAF effectively providing an exportable data analysis on a web-based platform.

S&P GMI offers a multitude of unique search and retrieval capabilities for SAF/FMCE cost analysts that do not exist to that scale within other commercially available websites of economic forecast subscription tools. Based on these facts, supplementing all the features available within S&P GMI to other commercially available programs currently offered would result in a substantial cost to the Government.

Specifically, Purchase & Pricing Global is a foundational service that provides S&P GMI forecasts proving 20+ years of continuity utilized by both the cost and contracting field teams to support negotiations when finding price fair and reasonable. An enterprise license allows the authorized

SAF/FMCE S&P GMI user/Analyst to a share the pertinent data and information with the Government acquisition team. The World Economic Service - Global Link Model (GLM) affords the Government the ability to generate and model its own changes into the economy to see what the effects would be on the DAF ability to budget and acquire the technology, weapons, and personnel needed to meet the mission.

Moreover, the GLM module enables SAF/FMC to examine economic effects and address SECAF's State of the DAF in 2050 directive.

In accordance with DOD Financial Management Regulation (FMR) Volume 2b, economic analysis is required for all new construction or renovation projects over $2M. U.S. State & Metro Area Construction module furnishes accumulation data through detailed information by region which highlight trend analysis in construction costs and can project trend length, further enabling buying power decisions and negotiations. The mobility of a website user-interface provides the Government with accessibility in a remote environment. Additionally, web accessibility does not require software downloads nor internal agency IT review for approval. These features meet the Government's requirement as they contribute to the DAF's agility. Based on current market research, no significant developments have occurred within the marketplace amongst suppliers, trends, technologies since 2019 market research was performed.

SAF/FMCE have researched vendors with the potential to provide the necessary services. Market research has concluded that S&P GMI is the only product fulfills SAF/FMCE's requirement. The risk of not obtaining the required products and services from the potential vendor, impacts SAF/FMCE's analyses on the AF budget on high dollar, and crucial investment decisions. S&P GMI has been identified as the only firm capable of providing all services described in Section 1 above, without experiencing substantial duplication of cost that could not be expected to be recovered through competition and unacceptable delays in fulfilling its requirements. Without continued access to this service, the mission of SAF/FMCE will be compromised in achieving analytical work to provide timely and crucial data to the Air Force's senior leader decision makers. To ensure that the Government does not incur additional cost or mission failure, it has been determined to be in their best interest to procure the unique services offered from the Single Source, S&P GMI, as described in Section 1. Under the authority of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 13.501, and in consideration of the agency's minimum needs there is a reasonable basis to conclude that the requirement can only be satisfied due to the unique services available from only one source or only one supplier with unique capabilities, S&P GMI.

3. This notice of intent to sole source is not a request for competitive proposals, if any interested party believes that they can meet the above requirement, they may submit a capability statement to the point of contact listed in this Special Notice no later than close of business 6 March 2024. All information furnished must be in writing and must contain sufficient detail to allow the Government to be able to determine if the interested party can meet the requirements described herein. The Government will not reimburse any party for any information or proposals received in response to this announcement. A determination by the Government to compete this proposed contract, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. For information regarding this action, please contact Amanda Fay Henderson, Contracting Officer, at amanda.henderson.2@us.af.mil.

AMANDA FAY HENDERSON, Civ, USAF Contracting Officer

PRIDE … TEAMWORK … SUCCESS

mailto:amanda.henderson.2@us.af.mil.

FROM: AIR FORCE DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON (AFDW)/PKS 1500 W PERIMETER RD