JOFOC_AG-6395-P-16-0227.pdf

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

In accordance with the authority granted under FAR Part 13.5, this request for a noncompetitive acquisition is hereby submitted for consideration for acquisition approval.

IDENTIFICATION OF THE AGENCY AND THE CONTRACTING

ACTIVITY:

Requesting Agency:

USDA/APHIS/WS-National Wildlife Center 4101 LaPorte Ave Fort Collins, CO 80521 Attn: Kurt VerCauteren Ph 970-266-6093 Email: Kurt.C.Vercauteren@aphis.usda.gov

Contracting Activity:

USDA, APHIS, MRPBS, ASD

Minneapolis Procurement Branch Butler Square, Fifth Floor 100 North 6th Street Minneapolis, MN 55403

NATURE AND/OR DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTION BEING

APPROVED:

We are proposing the purchase of 28 Vectronic Vertex Plus-2 collars (with VHF, Bi-directional Iridium, wireless UHF communication, mortality logger, and drop-off options) and a drop-off release transmitter.

A DESCRIPTION OF THE SUPPLIES, EQUIPMENT, OR SERVICES

REQUIRED TO MEET AGENCY NEEDS (INCLUDING THE ESTIMATED

VALUE OF THE ACQUISITION INCLUSIVE OF OPTIONS):

The 28 Vectronic Vertex Plus-2 collars (with VHF, Bi-directional Iridium, wireless UHF communication, mortality logger, and drop-off options) with a single drop-off release transmitter will enable WS to answer valuable questions related to feral swine damage and ecology.

IDENTIFICATION OF THE STATUATORY AUTHORITY PERMITTING

NONCOMPETITIVE ACQUISITIONS:

Authority 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1) FAR Part 6.302-1 The property or services needed by the executive agency are available from only one responsible source and no other type of property or services will satisfy the needs of the executive agency

The USDA/APHIS/WS-National Wildlife Center in Ft. Collins, CO currently own multiple collars (25) and base stations (40) of this same make and model and have access to feral swine already wearing same-model collars (30+) in several areas across the US. The ability to collect information on interactions among collared animals and visitation to sensitive sites such as nest of Endangered Species or entrances to domestic swine production facilities is invaluable and supports the purchase of devices capable and compatible of interaction with existing equipment.

Wildlife Biologist, Michael Lavelle, contacted Telonics, Lotek, Telemetry Solutions, and ATS for a prospective competitive alternative. The results were that the other products either do not offer a proximity detection/between-collar-communication option or theirs essentially do not speak the same language as what WS already has at this point. Any pursuit of comparable products at this time would result in substantial duplication of cost to the Government due to non compatibility of components with methods currently in use.

A DEMONSTRATION THAT THE PROPOSED CONTRACTOR’S UNIQUE

QUALIFICATIONS OR THE NATURE OF THE ACQUISITION REQUIRES

USE OF THE AUTHORITY CITED:

WS contacted 4 prominent companies on (3-8-2016) that specialize in production of similar devices to determine if others produced devices capable of communicating with our existing devices. Unfortunately, the ability to communicate with devices from other companies is not yet an option.

A DESCRIPTION OF EFFORTS MADE TO ENSURE THAT OFFERS ARE

SOLICITED FROM AS MANY POTENTIAL SOURCES AS IS

PRACTICABLE, INCLUDING WHETHER A NOTICE WAS, OR WILL BE,

PUBLICIZED AS REQUIRED BY FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION

(FAR) SUBPART 5.2, AND IF NOT, WHICH EXCEPTION UNDER FAR 5.202

APPLIES:

Contracting Officer published Fedbizopps Special Notice PR-16-792949 on 03/25/2016 and closed on 04/04/2016

No response

A DETERMINATION BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER THAT THE

ANTICIPATED COST TO THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE FAIR AND

REASONABLE, AND THE BASIS FORTHAT DETERMINATION:

According to Chris Kochanny at Vectronic Aerospace; the vendor does not supply telemetry products to the General Public, only State and Federal Research Agencies.

They do not have a public published price list. The quote we were given contains multiple discounts but cannot be verified because we don’t have an actual price list available for comparisons. However; price reasonableness was accomplished by comparison of prices for some of the same items, when and where both the validity of the comparison and the reasonableness of the price(s) could be established.

C/O could not get pricing for all the items on the current quote but the largest dollar item is currently discounted by nearly 19.5% over the previous WS purchase.

A STATEMENT OF THE ACTIONS, IF ANY. THE AGENCY MAY TAKE

TO REMOVE OR OVERCOME ANY BARRIERS TO COMPETITION

BEFORE ANY SUBSEQUENT ACQUISITION FOR THE SUPPLIES,

EQUIPMENT, OR SERVICES REQUIRED:

The Agency will remove any barriers to competition in the future by a public announcement via the Federal Business Opportunities website identifying the Government’s intent. The notification will include information how interested parties may submit capability information for review and consideration.