SATPC0037248 Tab 06 RDSS..pdf

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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

NASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER

RECOMMENDATION AND DETERMINATION TO SOLICIT FROM ONE SOURCE

OR BRAND NAME

PICK ONE

Sole Source:

☒I recommend that NASA, NASA Shared Services Center negotiate with ESI North America only for ESI VA-One Renewal (VAO-ALL-BAS) & (VAO-ALL-TOK). The total estimated cost of this effort is and the estimated period of performance or lead-time for delivery is 01/31/2025 – 01/30/2026.

OR

Brand Name Justification:

☐I recommend that NASA, NASA Shared Services Center negotiate only with vendors who can provide the subject brand name from Manufacture Name for Product being purchased . The total estimated cost of this effort is $Dollar Amount and the estimated period of performance or lead-time for delivery is Date .

This recommendation is for the acquisition of supplies or services determined to be reasonably available from only one source/only one manufacture. Competition is impractical for the following reasons (please answer the questions below):

1. What are the reasons for soliciting only the suggested source/suggested brand name? Please provide the unique characteristics of the items or services along with the supporting rationale and the market research performed to substantiate your reason for the suggested source/brand name.

The item is for annual maintenance on special purpose acoustic software, VA One, used by researchers in the Applied Acoustics Branch to analyze acoustical systems, including aircraft interiors, aircraft noise and sonic booms in urban environments, and noise experienced by payloads and personnel in launch vehicles. The Structural Acoustics Branch has invested considerable time and energy developing expertise in the VA-One Software and model development within the VA-One model framework. No other commercial product provides the comprehensive analysis capability of the VA-One Software. ESI North America Inc. has exclusive rights to the VA-One prediction code and as such has exclusive rights to the source code upon which all subsequent upgrades will be based. ESI North America Inc., being the exclusive supplier of the code, is the only available supplier of user support information relating to model implementation and error resolution. The NASA Langley Research Center’s Structural and Thermal Systems Branch requires renewal of the annual maintenance contract for the VA One vibroacoustics simulation software. The VA One software is the accepted method for developing the abort and launch loads for launch vehicles and spacecraft. ESI is the developer for the VA One proprietary software. No other companies develop or provide maintenance for the VA One software.

2. What is the impact to the government if another vendor/brand is used? Include any dollar, schedule, or compatibility impacts if possible.

If an alternate product or products were selected, researchers would be required to spend substantial time to learn the new interface and capabilities of the alternate products and convert existing VA One models to the format required by the alternate product. This learning process and model conversion process would likely consume several months of researcher time, thus costing the Government a significant fraction of the cost of a full-time employee. Alternate software does not have the full suite of analysis capabilities of the requested software, so multiple alternate products would need to be selected to provide capabilities equivalent to those of the VA One software. Researchers in the Applied Acoustics Branch have devoted years learning the unique interface and analysis capabilities of VA One software so they

Page 2 V2.0 3-15-2017 can efficiently conduct acoustical analyses. They have developed complex models of aircraft systems in the proprietary VA One model format.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

Date