Justification RFO FAR Part 12_Redacted.pdf

RFO FAR Part 12 Justification and Approval

1. Requiring Activity: 278th Cyber Operations Squadron (278th COS)

2. Contracting Activity: 179th Cyberspace Wing

3. Description of Action: The Government intends to award a sole-source, firm-fixed-price commercial contract to Epiq Design Solutions, LLC (CAGE: 5J4S9) for the procurement of one (1) Epiq X40 Software Defined Radio and its associated Platform Development Kit.

4. Description of Supplies/Services: This requirement is for the procurement of the following brand-name commercial products:

Epiq Solutions Matchstiq X40 Enclosed Software Defined Radio (SDR) with 4R1T 18GHz Mezzanine

Epiq Solutions Platform Development Kit (PDK), including carrier board, Linux OS, and ZU11 FPGA source code.

Epiq Solutions X40 Fan & Heatsink Unit Epiq Solutions Matchstiq X40 Power Brick/GPIO Cable Kit

5. Authority Cited: RFO FAR 12.102(a)

6. Reason for Authority Cited: The decision to solicit from a single source is based on the fact that only one supplier, the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Epiq Design Solutions, LLC, can provide the required hardware that meets the Government's minimum needs without causing unacceptable mission delays and a substantial duplication of costs.

Background: The 278th COS requires an immediate, out-of-the-box evaluation platform to begin prototyping, testing, and fielding SWaP-optimized (Size, Weight, and Power) electronic warfare payloads. These payloads must be integrated into highly constrained tactical environments, such as small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) and man-packable equipment.

Unique Technical Requirements: The Epiq X40 is the only known COTS SDR that can meet the simultaneous mandatory requirements of an 18 GHz frequency tuning range, 450 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth, and a 4R1T channel configuration, all strictly confined within a miniaturized M.2 card form factor. This specific form factor is an absolute necessity for integration into the squadron's intended tactical platforms.

Proprietary Integrated Ecosystem: The required Epiq PDK is inextricably linked to the hardware, providing a complete evaluation environment with a pre-configured Linux OS and the specific AMD ZU11 FPGA source code. Procuring an alternative would require extensive reverse-engineering and custom board fabrication, resulting in unacceptable mission delays.

7. Market Research: Extensive market research confirms Epiq Solutions is the only responsible source.

Sources Sought Synopsis (ID: W50S8R26Q0023): A public notice was posted to SAM.gov. Zero (0) authorized resellers responded.

Evaluation of Alternative Technical Proposal: One alternative technical proposal was received from a systems integrator. The Government evaluated this proposal and determined it to be insufficient because it did not offer a Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) solution ready for immediate deployment. The vendor explicitly stated that engineering their proposed alternative would require approximately twelve (12) months of custom research, hardware modification, and software integration. This 12-month development timeline directly conflicts with the 278th COS's urgent requirement to immediately begin prototyping, testing, and fielding EW payloads to address emerging operational capability gaps.

Dismissal of Alternative Technical Claims: In their submission, this alternative vendor claimed the specified brand-name hardware fails to meet the Government's physical M.2 form factor requirement. The Government evaluated this claim against OEM technical datasheets and determined it to be factually inaccurate. While the brand-name Platform Development Kit (PDK) utilizes a larger enclosure for desktop evaluation, the core RF transceiver itself utilizes the strictly required M.2/mezzanine architecture, which is specifically designed to be extracted and integrated into sUAS platforms. Additional technical critiques raised in the proposal (such as thermal cooling and signal noise levels) pertained to secondary engineering factors that were not identified as minimum salient characteristics for this procurement.

Historical Precedent: Database research uncovered a recent, nearly identical sole-source award from NIWC Pacific (Navy) for the same hardware (Contract:

N6600126P6034, awarded 22 Jan 2026), which was awarded directly to Epiq Solutions. Further research identified a similar sole-source pattern from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for related Epiq hardware (Contract:

FA875123P0016).

Direct OEM Communication: Direct communication with Epiq Solutions confirmed their customary sales strategy is direct-to-government. They do not utilize an authorized reseller or distributor network for this product class, and the item is not available on any Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs) or GSA schedules.

8. Actions to Increase Competition: The Government will continue to monitor the commercial marketplace for emerging SDRs that may meet these unique requirements for future needs. Prior to any follow-on procurement, a new market research analysis will be conducted to determine if other COTS solutions have matured enough to provide a viable competitive alternative to the Epiq ecosystem.

Contracting Officer