SSJ_ASTO_MSS_RFO_Redacted.pdf

2. Description of Supplies and/or Services:

ASTO MSS provides outcome-based mission support across eight performance objectives:

operational continuity; administrative, data, and digital modernization; IDP advancement;

governance and lifecycle accountability; financial stewardship; enterprise adoption and NIH capability building; security, privacy, accessibility, and responsible artificial intelligence (AI) compliance support; and continuous improvement and transition. The bridge continues these essential services only for the period needed to establish and transition to the competitive successor.

The estimated ceiling value is $7,143,291.50 for the initial performance period and $15,927,370.96 including the option period. These Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) ceiling amounts include both baseline and optional labor anticipated within each period, plus estimated ODCs and travel. Optional labor is not a guaranteed minimum and will be used only when authorized within the awarded scope and funding. The proposed period of performance is September 16, 2026, through March 15, 2027, with one six-month option through September 15, 2027.

3. Authority Cited and Rationale:

Authority for this Federal Supply Schedule action is 40 U.S.C. 501, as implemented by Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation (RFO FAR) 8.401(b). RFO FAR 8.401(b) directs agencies placing orders under the FSS to follow the ordering procedures established by GSA. GSA has implemented those procedures through its current GSAR deviation, Subpart 538.71, Federal Supply Schedule Ordering Procedures. Under GSAR deviation 538.7104-3(b)(1)(i), an order exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold may be placed on a sole-source basis when the Government's need is of such unusual urgency that following the otherwise applicable procedures would result in unacceptable delays in fulfilling that need.

NIH's need meets this exception. On May 7, 2026, the NIH Chief Information Officer (CIO) documented NIH's ongoing reorganization, modernization, and centralization of commodity IT. The memorandum states that migration of existing technology and implementation of the supporting acquisition strategy require significant lead time, recommends an interim 12-month sole-source action to prevent disruption of mission-critical services, and anticipates transition of the IDP to the Center for Information Technology (CIT) when it enters Operations and Maintenance (O&M) status during the bridge period. The memorandum is the acquisition-record-specific support for the IT-centralization timing underlying this bridge.

Conducting a separate competition and contractor transition solely for this temporary bridge would require solicitation, evaluation, award, onboarding, access provisioning, knowledge transfer, and operational transition immediately before NIH conducts the larger competition. That duplicative interim process would create unacceptable delay and a material risk of service interruption. GDIT is the incumbent and can continue performance without an interim contractor transition.

Consequences of a lapse in service include loss of continuity for governance, lifecycle accountability, and operational visibility relied upon by OM and DDM leadership; disruption to IDP advancement and transition planning toward CIT/O&M; disruption to enterprise administrative and data-modernization activities during NIH IT centralization; and risk to ongoing security, privacy, accessibility, responsible-AI, and related

The six-month base period is the minimum initial period judged necessary to preserve continuity while NIH continues implementing information technology (IT) centralization, evaluates the future organizational placement of ASTO MSS workstreams, and advances the competitive successor acquisition. During the base period, individual workstreams may be completed, transferred to the Center for Information Technology (CIT) or other NIH organizations, or otherwise supported through centralized capabilities as those arrangements mature. Accordingly, NIH cannot presently determine that the full 12 months of bridge support will be required. Prior to expiration of the six-month base period, NIH will assess the status of IT centralization, transition of applicable workstreams, remaining ASTO MSS requirements, and progress of the competitive successor acquisition. Current planning milestones for the competitive successor acquisition are to finalize the successor scope and acquisition strategy by December 2026; complete the solicitation package and required acquisition approvals by January 2027; issue the competitive solicitation under the NIH NCI IT BPA in February 2027; receive responses in March 2027; conduct technical and price evaluation during April through June 2027; target award of the competitive successor in July 2027;

and complete transition to the successor no later than August 31, 2027.

These milestones demonstrate NIH's continued progress toward the competitive follow-on but do not establish that the option will necessarily be required. The six-month option provides additional time, if needed, to maintain continuity for any residual mission-critical work while NIH completes the successor acquisition, transition activities, or other IT-centralization-related transfers. The option will be exercised only if needed, and only to the extent necessary, based on the status of IT centralization, remaining ASTO MSS workstreams, progress of the competitive successor acquisition, and any required transition activities. If applicable work is completed or transitioned to other organizational support arrangements during the base period, NIH may allow the bridge to expire without exercising the option. In all events, the bridge will not extend beyond September 15, 2027.

The basis for this exception is unusual urgency and continuity during a defined bridge period. NIH is not determining that other NCI IT BPA holders are incapable of performing the enduring requirement. Market research confirms that qualified sources and competitive vehicles exist for the larger acquisition.

4. Market Research:

Market research considered the NIH NCI IT BPA, NITAAC GWACs, GSA MAS, a new stand-alone competition, incumbent performance and historical pricing, comparable NIH/HHS IT requirements, the IGCE, internal NIH stakeholder consultations, and the May 7, 2026, CIO memorandum. The research identified qualified sources and vehicles capable of supporting competition for the enduring requirement.

Additional market research or an interim competition would not eliminate the immediate continuity risk because the schedule impact arises from the time required to solicit, evaluate, award, onboard, and transition a temporary contractor before the larger acquisition is ready. The market is suitable for competition; the current bridge timeframe is not.

5. Procurement history:

ASTO MSS is a follow-on to mission support performed under the Business Information Management Support (BIMS) effort, Contract/Order 75N98021F00001-HHSN316201200050W, currently performed by GDIT under the NITAAC Chief Information Officer - Solutions and Partners 3 (CIO-SP3) Governmentwide Acquisition Contract for the period March 16, 2021, through September 15, 2026. The current acquisition-plan record identifies a $13 million ceiling. The original BIMS task order was issued on a one-source basis under the multiple-award CIO-SP3 GWAC. The requirement supports NIH OM, DDM, and ASTO functions, including advancement of the IDP.

The May 7, 2026, NIH CIO memorandum documents that the technology migration and acquisition strategy require significant lead time and expressly recommends an interim 12-month sole-source action to prevent disruption of mission-critical services.

NIH is developing a larger competitive acquisition now. The bridge is intended only to preserve continuity while the future acquisition scope, organizational alignment, solicitation package, and transition approach are finalized and competed under the NIH

NCI IT BPA.

6. Actions to Foster Competition for Future, Similar Requirements:

NIH will take the following actions during the bridge period:

- Finalize the larger ASTO MSS scope and acquisition strategy, including the effect of NIH IT centralization and the IDP transition.

- Complete the solicitation package, IGCE, evaluation approach, and required acquisition approvals.

- Release the competitive requirement under the NIH NCI IT BPA using the applicable competitive BPA ordering procedures, subject to final follow-on adjudication.

- Evaluate responses, award the competitive successor, and execute an orderly transition from the bridge as soon as practicable.

- Avoid any additional noncompetitive extension absent a separately supported and approved basis.

7. Additional Information or Other Facts:

NIH IT centralization, the anticipated IDP transition to CIT, and related enterprise initiatives are still being implemented and may affect the final acquisition structure. The bridge provides a controlled period for NIH to finalize the enduring requirement and acquisition strategy without interrupting current mission support.

Executive Order 14275, Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement (April 15, 2025), provides policy context for streamlined Federal acquisition. Executive Order 14271, Ensuring Commercial, Cost-Effective Solutions in Federal Contracts (April 16, 2025), reinforces use of price order. These contract-type approvals are separate from, and do not provide the authority for, the sole-source bridge. The sole-source authority is RFO FAR 8.401(b), which directs use of GSA's FSS ordering procedures, together with RFO GSAR 538.7104-3(b)(1)(i), unusual urgency.

10. Contracting Officer (CO) Certification and Approval: I hereby certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge. [Always required; CO approval authority is limited to $900 thousand.]

Justin M. Borden Contracting Officer Signature & Date:

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11. NIH OALM/OLAO/SSIT Jeremy White Division Director: I reviewed this justification and find that it adequately supports a sole source acquisition.

Jeremy White SSIT Division Director Signature & Date:

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