REDACTED Justification.docx

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER CARDEROCK DIVISION

9500 MACARTHUR BOULEVARD WEST BETHESDA MD 20817-5700

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JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

JUSTIFICATION

1. Contracting Activity

The Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD), Contracting & Acquisitions Department (Code 02).

2. Description of the Action Being Approved

This is a Brand Name Justification to be awarded on a lowest price, technically acceptable basis. The proposed action is for NSWCCD, to purchase an expansion of one of the classified mass storage systems. This includes eight more storage blades and the accompanying infrastructure requirements. This hardware will be integrated into the existing Pure Storage mass storage system, and therefore must comprise Pure Storage hardware and firmware. Other hardware and firmware will not work in the existing Pure Storage mass storage system.

This justification document is in accordance with FAR 13.501(a).

The total estimated value of the acquisition is approximately $

3. Description of Supplies/Services

The proposed acquisition is for the purchase of, but not limited to, the following items:

· Pure Storage FlashBlade 422TB – 8x52.8RB

· FB-422TB-8x52.8RB Evergreen Silver Subscription, NBD Delivery, 24/7 Support

· FlashBlade Multi-chassis Accessory Kit with 3M fiber cables

· FlashBlade Non-Return 52TB

· FlashBlade Installation Service

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition

10 U.S.C. §2304(c)(1), “The property or services needed by the agency are available from only one responsible source or only from a limited number of responsible sources and no other type of property or services will satisfy the needs of the agency.” (FAR 13.106-1(b)(2))

While only one source is capable of manufacturing the required supplies, that source has authorized sellers who may also compete for the contract.

5. Rationale Justifying Use of Cited Statutory Authority

These expansion storage nodes will be fully integrated into the existing mass storage system, and therefore must be hardware and software compatible with it. Pure Storage, the original equipment manufacturer, is the sole producer of the required hardware and underlying software. Any effort to change to a different manufacturer’s mass storage system would not be cost-effective and would negatively impact the Division’s fleet support operations.

If a different brand of storage system were chosen, the entire mass storage system would have to be replaced with hardware from the alternate vendor, which would require an expenditure of about $ . No other hardware is compatible with the current Pure Storage hardware, and attempts to integrate non-certified hardware will invalidate the warranty. Changing to an alternate vendor’s hardware J&A

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would require a Capital Investment Program (CIP) purchase, and would not be possible before approximately FY25 (and possibly later) due to the financial demands on the limited budget of that program. A CIP purchase would incur a % acquisition fee, a % support fee, and significant labor costs during the full CIP lifecycle. During this extended delay, the existing hardware would quickly remain insufficient for the needs of over 100 engineers, imposing delays and additional costs, and the possibility of a work stoppage, on the programs that SEATech supports. These include the . Outside training would be required for the Administrators, followed by an unknown amount of on-the-job training, imposing further delays and additional costs.

6. Description of Efforts Made to Solicit Offers from as Many Offerors as Practicable

Pure Storage is the sole manufacturer of FlashBlade storage systems. However, they are not the sole distributor and have a limited number of authorized resellers of Pure Storage products. Pure Storage provided a list of their approved partners which includes: StorageHawk, World Wide Technology, n2Grate Government Technology Solutions, DH Tech, SHI International Corp, Sirius Federal, LLC., and Insight Enterprises.

Although PureStorage has authorized resellers, only Pure Storage-employedtechnicians may install, integrate, and support the hardware.

7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Costs

In accordance with FAR 15.402, the Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO) shall ensure that all supplies and services provided under this contract are procured at a fair and reasonable price. The PCO shall determine that the proposed order represents the best value (as defined in FAR 2.101) to meet the Government’s needs. In addition to the PCO, experienced technical analysts will review the contractor’s proposal. The PCO will use price analysis as the basis for negotiating a fair and reasonable price.

8. Actions to Remove Barriers to Competition

NSWCCD will likely have reason to solicit similar supplies/services in the future. If other vendors are identified by Pure Storage as authorized resellers of Pure Storage systems, these vendors may be considered in future solicitations. If barriers to compatibility among non-Pure Storage hardware/firmware manufacturers can be eliminated at little or no additional cost, non-Pure Storage systems may be considered for acquisition in future solicitation.

The circumstances surrounding the need to obtain the required supplies/services without providing full and open competition will be reviewed annually by the PCO.

CERTIFICATIONS AND APPROVAL TECHNICAL/REQUIREMENTS CERTIFICATION (FAR 6.303-2(c)) I certify that the facts and representations under my cognizance, which are included in this justification and its supporting data, except as noted herein, are complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief.

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