P03 Sole Source JA Indian Nations Redacted.pdf

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

1. Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Office of Procurement, Acquisition, and Logistics Technology Acquisition Center 23 Christopher Way

Eatontown, NJ 07724

2. This requirement will be accomplished via new purchase order.

Purchase Order will be: Firm Fixed Price

Type of Funds: OIT 0167

3. Description of Supplies or Services.

The VA Office of Information Technology (OIT), Development Security Operations, Solution Delivery, Telecommunications Provisioning Office Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) has the overall business and management responsibilities for all telephone services. The Contractor shall provide LEC voice communication services at the VAMC Sheridan, Wyoming in accordance with Section 5.2 of the Performance Work Statement (PWS). Communication services include but are not limited to: Metro Ethernet . The VA must be listed and retained as the customer of record and the contractor must own the services/infrastructure being provided.

Estimated total cost (including option(s)):

4. Authority Cited.

FAR 13.106-1(b)(1): For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold.

Contracting officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available.

5. Reason for Authority Cited.

The proposed source for this action is Indian Nations Fiberoptics, Inc., 124 W. Vineta Street, Sulphur, Oklahoma, a small business. The VA location will be without communication services and this presents a life safety issue for staff and the Veterans that are being seen at this facility. This is a follow-on contract. Awarding this contract to any other vendor will require the new vendor to install the necessary infrastructure to the facility and will take approximately six (6) months if not longer to get completed. The VA has a need to maintain phone numbers currently issued and not all vendors will be able to assume the current phone numbers. There would be a budget issue to maintain two (2) different contracts, the facility would need to publish new numbers and as such

Contract – LEC Services, Fort Sill, Ok leave both sets of services active for a minimum of 3-6 months. New business cards would need to be made for staff, advertising costs, etc.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition.

There is only one responsible source for this item. Efforts made to locate additional sources are described under the “Market Research” paragraph of this document. There is no competition anticipated for this acquisition. Procurement data does not include any unnecessary requirements that may inhibit competition.

7. Actions to Increase Competition.

In order to remove or overcome barriers to competition in future acquisitions for this requirement, VA will continue to conduct additional market research so that other solutions can be considered.

8. Market Research.

Market research was conducted by OIT in January thru March 2022. The market research consisted of the following: OIT contacted all six (6) vendors on the National Local Exchange Carrier Next Generation (NLEC NG) contract via email to ascertain their capability of providing LEC service to the CBOC located in Fort Sill. Ok. All six (6) vendors responded stating that they cannot provide the required services.

In addition, the Contract Specialist (CS) conducted market research by issuing a Request for Information (RFI) /Sources Sought on Contract Opportunities on September 12, 2022. The announcement closed on September 15, 2022, with no responses received.

9. Interested Sources.

No other source has expressed written interest in supplying this item.

10. Technical and Requirements Certification. I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in the justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Preparer

Date:

Title: _Lead, IT/Telecommunications Specialist_

9/21/22

Contract – LEC Services, Fort Sill, Ok

11. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Price. I hereby determine that the anticipated price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable based on a comparison of proposed prices with the independent Government cost estimates.

Name: Date: _____________________ Title: Procuring Contracting Officer

12. Procuring Contracting Officer Certification. I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Name: Date: _____________________ Title: Procuring Contracting Officer

09/22/2022

09/22/2022