Sole Source Contract API Redacted- 5-4-2021.pdf

Template for Single Source or Brand Name Justification under SAT, May 2021

Single Source/Brand Name Justification United States Department of Agriculture

FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) – Simplified Acquisitions

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting office.

Procuring Office: USDA, AMS 100 Riverside Parkway Suite 101 Fredericksburg, VA 22406

Agency: USDA, AMS, FTPP

Kansas City, Missouri 64141

2. Description of supply or service required to meet the agency’s needs.

The Application Programming Interface (API) feed will automate USDA'S processes, saving time and prevent human error with the current manual process of utilizing the DTN data feed. Before accessing Content Services in DTN, an active account with one or more license keys are required. These credentials will be provided for each authorized package. This operation provides the ability to retrieve a list of options available for an option prefix (root and maturity). The data is returned grouped by strike price. DTN IQ Feed data subscription’s is required for the automation. The DTN and API subscription shall include:

• DTN’s API will allow USDA to build their proprietary interface with DTN market data for price discovery and determining posted county prices and loan deficiency payments

• Internet based agricultural commodity futures quotes from Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT);

Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGE); Delayed Future Quotes; Delayed New York Mercantile Exchange; Delayed COMEX Exchange Fee, Historical Cash Grain Bids.

• A daily Excel 2010 file of cash grain spot prices for a minimum of 2,000 grain elevators (grain storage facilities) throughout the U.S. to be emailed to KCCO email account (ug.mokansasc2- DTNPrices) by 6:00 pm CST (Monday through Friday). Cash grain spot prices collected are for those commodities traded at each elevator, such as corn, sorghum, soybeans, wheat (various classes), barley, oats, oilseeds and pulses. This file should include the following information for each location: elevator ID, city, state, zip code, date of bid, commodity ID, and commodity bid (Spot=Current). The subject line of the email shall read: USDA Grain Daily. The attached Excel 2010 file name shall be USDA.

• Daily (Monday through Friday / 6:00 am CST) agricultural market news via email, including at a minimum how the market is expected to begin (open) with related agricultural news, periodic agricultural news updates throughout the day, and market prices at the end of the day’s trade (closes) with related agricultural news (market summary)..

3. The rationale or circumstances for limiting competition.

The API System provides real-time market pricing data and forecasts via the DTN system. AMS has used DTN without API for over six years. The original contract was advertised as a combined snopsis/solicitation in the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) on June 1, 2015. Only one vendor responded to the request for quotation (RFQ), Telvent DTN (now known only as DTN).

The API feature is originated within the DTN platform and provides an interface. AMS uses the information received via the DTN system for economic analysis, to establish posted county prices (PCPs) that are used to calculate Marketing Assistance Loan Rates and repayment rates, and to evaluate bids received for domestic and international food assistance programs.

The requested funding for API is based on the per subscription fee that is charged per month broken down by content and CBOT exchange data for internal use per the 1 year agreement with options.

4. A description of the market research conducted and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

Market research was conducted:

• Capital IQ is $13,000 per user per year with a minimum of 3 users and drops to as low as $7,500 per user per year for larger numbers of users.

• FactSet subscription is $12,000 per year.

• The cost of Thomson Reuter’s Eikon is $22,000 per year, but a tripped down version can cost as little as $3,600 per year.

• Bloomberg terminal cost was approximately $24,000 a year for a single terminal subscription.

Price drops to $20,000 per terminail per year for 2 or more terminals.

• DTN IQFEED: Fee-based Service from $92+ per user for just core access. Exchange fees extra for real-time data.

5. Estimated price, including all options, if applicable.

DTN’s API will allow USDA to build their proprietary interface with DTN market data for price discovery and determining posted county prices and loan deficiency payments.

1. $11,880 Total Annual Fee

2. $990 Total Monthly Fee. Monthly breakdown:

• DTN Content Services API = $735/month or $8,820 annually

• CBOT Exchange delayed data for internal use = $255/month or $3,060 annu Base Year: $11,880 Option Year I: $13,068 Option Year II: $14,375 Option Year III: $15,813 Option Year IV: $17,395

6. Recommended source(s).

DTN

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9110 West Dodge Road Omaha, Nebraska 68114 Contact: Marcie Ellenberger Phone: 402-255-8424 Email: Marcie.Ellenberger@dtn.com

Certifications

Supporting data that is the responsibility of technical or requirements personnel and which form the basis for this justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge.

Pamela McKenzie Assistant to the Director USDA, AMS, Fair Trade Practices Program mailto:Marcie.Ellenberger@dtn.com

The information contained in this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief and in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 13.106-1(b)(1), I hereby determine the circumstances described above deem only one source, or limited sources, reasonably available and competition is precluded for the reasons indicated in this document.

Insert Name of Contracting Officer Contracting Officer

Notes and Guidance. Delete these Notes prior to finalizing document for signature

For acquisitions greater than the micro-purchase threshold but less than the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT) the Contracting Officer may solicit from one source only if the Contracting Officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand name, etc.). Contracting Officers must document the rationale for soliciting from a single source, including brand name in accordance with FAR 13.106- 1(b)(1)(i) and FAR 13.106-3(b)(3)(i).

Program personnel are advised to work with contracting personnel early on in order to promote and provide for full and open competition to the maximum extent practicable. In circumstances permitting other than full and open competition, program personnel shall provide necessary information to contracting personnel to support and document the circumstances limiting competition through the use of this form

Advance planning. Contracting without providing for full and open competition shall not be justified on the basis of (1) a lack of advance planning by the requiring activity or (2) concerns related to the amount of funds available to the agency or activity for the acquisition of supplies or services.

Brand Name. Items peculiar to one manufacturer can be a particular brand name, product, or feature of a product, peculiar to one manufacturer. A brand name item, whether available on one or more schedule contracts, is an item peculiar to one manufacturer. Brand name specifications shall not be used unless the particular brand name, product or feature is essential to the Government’s requirements and market research indicates other companies’ similar products, or products lacking the particular feature, do not meet, or cannot be modified to meet the Agency’s needs.

Posting. When an acquisition contains brand name specifications, the Contracting Officer shall include the justification required by FAR 13.103-1(b) with the solicitation when synopsizing in the GPE (actions exceeding $25,000) or displaying in a public place (actions exceeding $15,000 but not expected to exceed $25,000), as required by FAR 5.102(1)(6).

Screening. Before posting the justification, in accordance with FAR 6.305(e) and 24.202, the Contracting Officer is responsible to redact any information that is exempt from disclosure under Freedom of Information Act or information proprietary to the contractor.

Signatures. After review and completion by the Program Office and Contracting Officer, the Word document shall be converted to an Adobe PDF file and routed for electronic signatures. Signature blocks shall include dates.