Tab 1 - MIT-LL 2025 JA_SIGNED 25 SEP 2024_Redacted.pdf

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

CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION

August 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 3 of 8August 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 3 of 8

I. Agency and Contracting Activity.

This individual Justification & Approval (J&A) requests the authority for Other Than Full and Open Competition to support requirements, described herein. The contracting activity is the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), Strategic

Services Division (AFLCMC/AZS), Hanscom Air Force Base, MA.

II. Nature and/or description of the action being approved.

This individual J&A for Other Than Full and Open Competition is to issue and administer a contract with the Massachusetts

Institute of Technology (MIT), to operate Lincoln Laboratory (LL), hereby referred to as MIT-LL, a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC).

Additionally, this J&A serves as a determination that awarding a single award Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, in excess of $100M is in the best interest of the Government. In accordance with (IAW) DAFFARS 5316.504 (c)(1)(ii)

(D)(1), “the Senior Contracting Official (SCO) has the authority to make the written determination required by FAR 16.504(c)

(1)(ii)(D)(1). When a J&A is required, a separate written determination is not required if the J&A addresses one of the circumstances at FAR 16.504(c)(1)(ii)(D)(1)(i)-(iv).” Specifically, the MIT-LL FFRDC contract will be a single source IDIQ that will exceed $100M, due to task orders that are so integrally related that only MIT-LL can reasonably perform the work (see FAR

16.504(c)(1)(ii)(D)(1)(i)).

Multiple awards are not in the best interest of the Government per the 2019 Comprehensive Review, which validated that only MIT-LL can meet the Sponsor's need. This contract action is founded on the conclusions of the 2019 Comprehensive

Review. AFLCMC, Strategic Services (AZS), anticipates that the 2024 Comprehensive Review will be approved in Fall of 2024

Customer surveys to date clearly indicate the continued need for the MIT-LL FFDC. Therefore, AZS is confident the 2024

Comprehensive Review will re-validate the continued need through similar conclusions found in the 2019 Comprehensive

Review. This expectation on the outcome of the 2024 Comprehensive Review was also confirmed by OUSD R&E, as the program sponsor. This conclusion has been continuously validated since 1951 when the MIT-LL FFRDC was founded.

The 2019 Comprehensive Review Panel determined that MIT-LL is unique because it blends four distinct capabilities, all of which are necessary to provide operationally useful, cost-effective, low-risk solutions that can be produced at scale, if necessary. The capabilities include:

1. an in depth understanding of a wide variety of military operations;

2. rapid, objective, and high-quality systems analyses;

3. rapid prototyping and associated experimentation; and

4. the transition of applicable technology and lessons learned to industry.

An IDIQ contract structure is ideal for this acquisition as it will provide the flexibility needed for Department of the Air Force

(DAF), Department of Defense (DoD), and federal agency mission partners, reduce acquisition lead times, avoid the cost of issuing numerous contracts, and reduce the administrative burden. The Primary Sponsor, OUSD (R&E), allows federal agencies to utilize the MIT-LL FFRDC contract for individual research projects as long as the work is aligned with the core work statement and is approved by the Joint Advisory Committee (JAC). The JAC provides the overall policy and program guidance to the management of MIT-LL. As of FY24, over 1,400 projects representing 35 federal agencies have been executed on the current MIT-LL FFRDC IDIQ. This number is expected to grow over the ten-year contract ordering period.

However, the exact number of JAC approved sub-programs cannot be precisely predicted at the time of contract award. An

IDIQ allows the Administrative Agent, AFLCMC/AZS, the optimal ability to manage these potential 1,000+ programs in the best interests of the Primary Sponsor.

The current contract (FA8702-15-D-0001) with MIT-LL is a cost reimbursable, no fee, single award IDIQ contract that will expire for ordering on 31 Mar 2025. Performance on orders executed prior to 31 Mar 2025 may continue thru 28 Feb 2030.

This contract will be a new cost reimbursable, no fee, single award IDIQ contract with numerous resulting Task Orders. The initial ordering period of the IDIQ is for five (5) years, commencing on 01 Apr 2025 through 31 Mar 2030, with an option for an additional five (5) year ordering period from 01 Apr 2030 through 31 Mar 2035. Performance on orders executed prior to

31 Mar 2035 may continue through 29 Feb 2040. Exercise of the option is subject to the needs of the agency and the renewal of the MIT-LL Sponsoring Agreement. Pursuant to DFARS 217.204(e)(iii), PEO/CM approved performance beyond the 10-year ordering period at the Acquisition Strategy Panel. Extended performance is vital to ensuring long-term continuity,