Sole_Source_Ceiba_redacted_1.pdf

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition (FAR 6.3)

PR 40661053

Contract: 140G0319D0007 Ceiling increase

1. Contracting Agency and Activity. The Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center., Sacramento Acquisition Branch, plans to contract by means other than full and open competition. This document sets forth the justification and approval for use of one of the exceptions to full and open competition allowed under the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) of 1984.

2. Nature of Action Being Approved. Ceiling increase for an existing IDIQ contract, 140G0319D0007 with Ceiba Adventures, Inc. This is for the period of 6 August 2024 through 30 November 2024. The contract includes FAR clause 52.217-8, which allows for an option(s) up to six months. Additionally, this will be the bridge to the new, competitive IDIQ contract beginning 1 December 2024.

3. Description of Supplies or Services. This is a service contract. The contractor provides highly skilled individuals to operate boats in Grand Canyon, Glen Canyon and Lake Mead National Recreation Area. These operators are required to have a specialized skill set of operating boats in large rapids, uprunning rapids, driving at night while electrofishing and packing supplies and food for trips varying in length from 5- 23 days. Additionally, this increase is within scope of the original award.

4. Estimated Dollar Value.

5. Statutory Authority. The proposed action may be awarded without full and open competition under 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1) as implemented in FAR 6.302-1 Only one responsible source.

6. Rationale Supporting Use of Citation in No. 5. GCMRC requires the services on contractor(s) to provide experienced boat operators and technicians to conduct river trips on the Colorado River in Glen and Grand Canyons so that the GCMRC may conduct research and monitoring in accordance with its mission which is to accomplish monitoring and research on the effects of the operation of Glen Canyon Dam. GCMRC conducts approximately 30-40 river trips per year down the river for research and monitoring purposes. The mission of GCMRC would be severely impaired if a contract for boat operators could not be awarded. Contractor(s) must have experienced personnel to safely navigate the technical whitewater in Grand Canyon and must be compliant with all Grand Canyon National Park Service rules and regulations while operating watercraft in Grand Canyon National Park.

The primary season in which boat operators plan their schedules and when the are in high demand is from March-October. In past years the boat operators’ contract would expire in April.

Due to an extension, this recent contract ends on August 4, 2024. This creates a difficult and awkward situation as the boat operators are unsure if they would have confirmed work or if the new contractor would not honor the previous contractors schedule of boat operators. This causes the boat operators to schedule with other river outfitters and leaves the new contractor and GCMRC in a position of not being able to staff our river trips from August through the end of the busy fall river season.

To avoid this conflict and ensure that GCMRC has confirmed staffing through the contractor for river trips throughout the season, it is imperative that the turnover of the contract does not happen in the middle of the river season.

With this sole source justification, Ceiba, Inc. will retain the responsibilities to staff our river trips through the entire season. Then the new contractor will have at least 6 weeks before our first trip requires staffing giving the new contractor ample time to secure qualified boat operators.

7. Other Information. Ceiba has been provided the schedule for our full river season and has pre-emptively staffed all of our trips through November 30, 2024.

8. The Efforts to Identify Additional Sources Including the Market Research Conducted.

Market Research compares to commercial outfitters and does not correlate to our boat operator service contract.

9. Future Plans to Permit Competition. This is a unique situation that will not arise again as the 5-year contract will not cross over trips between contracts. All future requirements will be competed at the maximum extent practicable.

10. Recommendation and Certification from Program Office. Based on the above, I recommend this acquisition be conducted on the basis of other than full and open competition. I certify that technical data which form a basis for this justification that are the responsibility of technical or requirements personnel are complete and accurate.

Logistics Operations Coordinator Date

11. Certifications from the Contracting Officer:

a. The contracting officer will include a determination that the price to the Government is fair and reasonable by comparing current market values for similar services.

b. All of the requirements of the Competition in Contracting Act, (41 U.S.C. 253), as implemented in the Federal and Interior Acquisition Regulations, have been considered in preparing this justification. This justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.