Redacted_JandA.pdf

UNCLASSIFIED

CLASS JUSTIFICATION

FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

PURSUANT TO FAR 6.303

UNCLASSIFIED

CONTRACT NUMBERS: HM047616D0006 (WISC), HM047616D0009 (NEW RIVER),

HM047616D0010 (AGILE SUPPORT ALLIANCE(ASA)), HM047617D0001 (KNOWLEDGE LINK),

HM047617D0002 (ST. MICHAEL'S), AND HM047617D0004 (S2).

1. IDENTIFICATION OF THE AGENCY AND THE CONTRACTING ACTIVITY.

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency / Office of Contract Services (OCS), 7500 GEOINT Drive, Springfield, VA 22150.

2. NATURE AND/OR DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTION BEING APPROVED.

(U) This justification seeks approval to extend the associated active task orders with the class of six (6) Indefinite Quantity/Indefinite Delivery (IDIQ) contracts, herein collectively identified as EMERALD. The requirements are for NAICS 541611, Administrative Management and General Services. The six (6) contracts are held by . The current Period of Performance (PoP) for the aforementioned IDIQ contracts and task orders will expire on 15 December 2025. The requested extension will extend the PoP for, 12 months 16 Dec 2025 to 15 Dec 2026, to ensure there are no gaps in-services for EMERALD, while the pending protests relating to the follow-on IDIQ contract, CLOVER, are resolved, and new task orders are competed and awarded.

(U) EMERALD is a 100% small business set-aside Multiple Award, IDIQ contracts that were competitively awarded, on 23 September 2016 for a base year plus four (4) twelve-month option periods. Prior contract modifications, which were supported by J&As, extended the PoP to 15 December 2025. The EMERALD contractors provide Total Lifecycle Acquisition, Strategic Financial and Business Management Support Services.

(U) As a result of the Small Business Administration (SBA) changes, Pre-award and Post-award protests, there were several interruptions that affected the solicitation, source selection, and award process.

(U) The receipt of proposals in response to the solicitation was delayed due to several bid protests at various stages. The CLOVER RFP was originally released on December 10, 2021 with a proposal due date of January 25, 2022. The RFP release resulted in approximately 600+ questions from industry. Due to the significant amount of questions, the RFP was amended, which included the Q&As. Following this amendment, two agency level protests and a GAO-level protest were filed (standard GAO 100-day resolution period). After taking corrective action, the RFP was further amended and posted on March 09, 2022 with a new proposal due date of March 23, 2022.

(U) Following an administrative compliance check, NGA notified several offerors that their proposals would not be considered. Some of those offerors filed protests, which resulted in another RFP amendment with a due date of March 29, 2022. Subsequently, after receipt of additional protests and an intent-to-file notice, the government took corrective action by issuing another amendment, posted on October 21, 2022 with a due date of November 4, 2022.

FAR 6.3 Class Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition

(U) In May 2023, NGA completed its source selection and awarded five IDIQ contracts. The Agency then received multiple GAO post-award protests. In response, the Agency filed Notices of Corrective Actions and the protests were formally dismissed. The corrective action was to include re-evaluating all proposals still remaining in the competition. However, one of the protesters challenged the corrective action by filing a protest at the Court of Federal Claims (COFC). That protest was not decided until of those RFP amendments was then protested at COFC in January 2025. COFC issued its decision on that protest in April 2025.

(U) The Agency ultimately completed its corrective action by re-evaluating proposals and making new contract awards on 9 September 2025. After concluding debriefings, on 22 September 2025, one agency-level protest and one GAO protest were received. Performance of the CLOVER contracts has

(U) This J&A extension period will allow for continued support services to NGA's EMERALD mission requirements until the GAO has issued its decision on the pending protest, and allows time for new task orders under CLOVER to be competed and awarded.

The current six (6) contracts are held by the contractors are the only vendors able to provide continued services under EMERALD without unacceptable delays to existing mission requirements and near-term surges in mission requirements for procurement or development of replacement capabilities.

3. DESCRIPTION OF THE SUPPLIES OR SERVICES REQUIRED TO MEET THE AGENCY S NEEDS (INCLUDING

THE ESTIMATED VALUE).

a. DESCRIPTION:

The purpose of this sole-critical services supporting the program management of new products, organizations, processes and procedures, life-cycle acquisition, financial management, and program management service activities. The EMERALD program currently provides 355 contractors in support of 27-task orders. The support that will be provided under the requested extension will be identical to the support services currently being provided. EMERALD services are projected to expire 15 December 2025. NGA will seek to continue obtaining services under CLOVER once it is awarded. In addition, due to the size and complexity of the program, a transition period is necessary to ensure a smooth contractor conversion from EMERALD to CLOVER, in order to ensure continuity in services and avoid mission failure.

The Agency adequately planned for this process; however, due to the unanticipated number of protests and subsequent corrective actions to the follow-on source selection process for CLOVER, an extension is necessary. Thus, due to these unforeseen circumstances and to avoid a significant gap in critical services, the existing EMERALD active task orders must be extended for 12 additional months from their current expiration date to complete the source selection and turnover actions. The EMERALD Task Orders new period of performance are detailed as follows:

The statutory authority permitting other than full an open competition is 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1) as implemented by FAR 6.302-1, "Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements."

5. DEMONSTRATION THAT THE PROPOSED CONTRACTOR S UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS OR THE NATURE

OF THE ACQUISITION REQUIRES USE OF THE AUTHORITY CITED.

This action is justified pursuant to FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii), this is a follow-on contract for the continued provision of highly specialized services and it is likely that award to any other source would result in substantial duplication of cost or unacceptable delays.

The purpose of this extension is to continue support services currently being provided by the existing contractor workforce. Although not all of the services provided herein are highly specialized and market research has indicated other contractors could perform similar services with adequate transition time, circumstances do not allow for a transition period for the limited time duration that the extension would cover.

Current IDIQ holders have amassed technical experts with unique knowledge of supporting NGA under the task orders identified in Section 3 herein. Extending the PoP in accordance with the direction as stated herein will allow for continuity in operations and avoid significant gaps in service while activities for the follow-on contract, CLOVER, is being competed.

Awarding to different contractors would likely result in a substantial duplication of costs that is not expected to be recovered through competition and would also result in unacceptable delays in fulfilling the Agenc . Having a different contractor perform the same work that the EMERALD contractors have been performing would result in a duplication of costs. Conducting two competitions in tandem (the CLOVER IDIQ and task order competition and a separate competition to cover the time period necessary for this extension) would require not only one, but two transition periods and be highly disruptive to mission causing discord in continuity of operations. The costs associated with an overlapping transition period cannot be recovered through competition of the eventual CLOVER IDIQ/task orders as the award of CLOVER requirements will cover multiple years.

6. DESCRIPTION OF EFFORTS MADE TO ENSURE THAT OFFERS ARE SOLICITED FROM AS MANY

POTENTIAL SOURCES AS IS PRACTICABLE.

NGA has awarded the follow-on IDIQ contracts, called CLOVER. However, NGA cannot compete CLOVER task orders until the GAO issues its decision on the post-award protest, which will occur by 12 February 2026. Assuming judgment is entered in the A competing new task orders under the CLOVER IDIQ contracts once the GAO issues its decision.

7. CONTRACTING OFFICER DETERMINATION THAT THE ANTICIPATED COST TO THE GOVERNMENT WILL

BE FAIR AND REASONABLE.

Before award of any contract action, the Contracting Officer will determine if the price is fair and reasonable by conducting price analysis in accordance with FAR 15.404-1(b). The EMERALD IDIQ contracts and subsequent task orders were procured competitively and the rates established in the contract were determined fair and reasonable based on price analysis.

8. DESCRIPTION OF THE MARKET RESEARCH CONDUCTED AND THE RESULTS OR A STATEMENT OF THE

REASON MARKET RESEARCH WAS NOT CONDUCTED.

No additional market research was conducted for an additional 12-month extension. Generally, other sources are likely capable of performing the requirements associated with EMERALD. However, for reasons cited in paragraph 5 herein, awarding to different contractors would likely result in a substantial duplication of costs that is not expected to be recovered through competition and would also result in unacceptable delays in same work that the EMERALD contractors have been performing would result in a duplication of costs.

Conducting two competitions in tandem (the CLOVER IDIQ and task order competition and a separate competition to cover the time period necessary for this extension) would require not only one, but two transition periods and be highly disruptive to mission causing discord in continuity of operations.

9. ANY OTHER FACTS SUPPORTING THE USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION.

All of the vendors (WISC, New River, ASA-JV, Kno ) have an overall Satisfactory rating as of the last Performance Assessment Report for the services provided under their respective EMERALD task order contracts.

10. LISTING OF SOURCES, IF ANY, THAT EXPRESSED, IN WRITING, AN INTEREST IN THE ACQUISITION.

While it is possible for other companies to provide the required technical services, as discussed above, this would result in an unacceptable delay in the provision of services and result in substantial duplication of costs since NGA is currently in the post-award protest phase for the competitive follow-on contract encompassing EMERALD IDIQ and task order requirements. The incumbent contactors already have the organization and personnel in place to provide these services without any transition required.

11. 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 OR SERVICES

REQUIRED.

NGA competed the follow-on IDIQ contracts, CLOVER, and will compete task orders issued under CLOVER under the fair opportunity procedures.