Justification and Approval (J&A) for Other Than Full and Open Competition

This is a Justification and Approval (J&A) document for a sole-source contract award by the United States Air Force, AFLCMC/LPAK, under the Component Improvement Program (CIP). The acquisition is valued under $750,000 and is authorized under 10 USC 3204(a)(1) for a single responsible source when only one supplier can satisfy agency requirements. The contract will be awarded to Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC) for RDT&E engineering technical support services related to the T400 engine program, with performance expected from January 2026 through October 2026, plus one optional 12-month period ending October 2027.

The justification establishes that PWC is the only viable source due to its exclusive ownership of proprietary technical data and intellectual property related to T400 engine design, manufacture, and redesign. PWC, as the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), possesses specialized knowledge of the entire engine component design and has declined to sell technical data to competitors. The document confirms that market research was conducted and concluded PWC is the sole source capable of meeting USAF needs. No other sources expressed written interest in the acquisition. The government explored purchasing technical data from PWC to enable full competition but PWC refused to sell, making sole-source procurement the only practical acquisition method. Fair and reasonable pricing will be ensured through commercial procedures requiring PWC to submit comparable commercial invoices and pricing lists.