Department of the Air Force: Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition

This is a Department of the Air Force justification document for awarding a sole-source bridge contract extension to Criterion Corporation for Base Operations Support (BOS) services at Pittsburgh Air Reserve Station (PARS) in Pennsylvania.

Contract and Services Overview

Pittsburgh ARS proposes a five-month extension (July 1 – November 30, 2026) to the existing BOS bridge contract (FA671223C0004) under firm-fixed-price, labor hour, and cost reimbursement contract line items (CLINs). The BOS services are classified as mission-essential and include materiel management, ground transportation and vehicle management, traffic management operations, real property maintenance, and fuels management. The extension is valued at a specified amount (redacted) with appropriated funding from FY2026 Air Force Reserve Command Operations & Maintenance. The current contractor, Criterion Corporation, has performed PARS BOS services for seven years with additional experience at multiple Air Force locations. Four preceding justifications and approvals have supported prior bridge extensions and modifications to this contract.

Justification and Timeline

The justification for sole-source award is predicated on 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1), establishing that only one responsible source can satisfy agency requirements. A new competitive long-term RFP was synopsized on March 19, 2025, with proposals received and source selection underway. Award of the competitive contract is estimated for August 2026. The bridge extension is necessary to provide continuity during the extended evaluation period, allow adequate time for proposal discussions and final proposal revisions, finalize technical ratings, and accommodate any post-award protests. The Government projects serious mission impact if BOS services cease, including shutdown of airlift operations and loss of critical support services for environmental management, facilities maintenance, and HVAC sustainment. Notice of the bridge action will be published in Contract Opportunities no later than June 15, 2026.