A02_-_17_July_Posting_Redacted_J&A.pdf

Control No: JA-19-Edg-233 Contractor: Global Systems Engineering, LLC (GSE)

Program: Cooperative Biological Engagement Support (CBES)

Version – September 2018 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

JUSTIFICATION REVIEW DOCUMENT

FAR PART 6 JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR OTHER THAN

FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Program/Equipment: The purpose of this acquisition is to provide Cooperative Biological Engagement Support (CBES) services for the Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC), Chemical Biological Center (CBC), Physical Sciences Division (PSD), and Nuclear Biological Chemical Battlefield Integration Branch

(NBCBIB).

Authority: 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(5) as implemented by FAR Part 6.302-5 -- Authorized or Required by Statute. (Refer to FAR Part 6.302-5(b) for specific US Code authorities for purchasing from mandatory sources identified in FAR Part 8 or 19)

Estimated Value: $3,991,369

Prepared by:

Contracting Officer:

Technical:

Requirements:

Program: Cooperative Biological Engagement Support (CBES)

Version – September 2018 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Reviews: I have reviewed this justification and find it adequate to support other than full and open competition.

Program Manager:

Signature:

Legal Counsel:

Signature:

Program: Cooperative Biological Engagement Support (CBES)

Version – September 2018 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

FAR Part 6 Justification and Approval for Other than Full and Open Competition

1. Contracting Activity: US Army Contracting Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground, Edgewood Contracting Division (ACC-APG ECD) 8456 Brigade Street Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 201010-5401

2. Description of Action: The CCDC CBC PSD NBCBIB requests a firm-fixed-price (FFP) contract with Global Systems Engineering LLC (GSE) 85 S Bragg Street, Alexandria, VA 22312 for CBES services. The Government projects award for 1 July 2019. Fiscal year (FY) 2019/2020, Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) funds will be used.

The nature of this Cooperative Biological Engagement Support (CBES) services contract is: (1) to support the creation and the continued development of Threat Reduction Networks; (2) to support research, collection, assimilation and documentation of the latest policy and guidance from all relevant stakeholders and gather relevant data from identified partner countries; and (3) to provide support to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency Science-Technology (DTRA) team

An acquisition plan is not required because this procurement does not meet the threshold at Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement 207.103(d)(i)(B).

3. Description of Supplies/Services:

The ACC-APG ECD on behalf of the CCDC CBC intends to procure through sole source the services of a Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) contractor for CBES. The resultant contract will be a Firm Fixed Price contract. The Period of Performance (PoP) is anticipated to be 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020 with an estimated value of $3,991,369.00.

The NBC BIB is the technical lead for several bio-surveillance programs that include the Integrated Collaborative Biological Engagement and the Transatlantic Collaborative Biological Resiliency Demonstration (TacBRD). Each of these efforts involves bio-surveillance in varying domains (civil, military, international) or directly address cross-domain communications.

This procurement will provide the following: (1) support the creation and continued development of Threat Reduction Networks (TRN); (2) support the research, collection, assimilation, and documentation of the latest policy and guidance from all relevant stakeholders (government, industry and foreign partners) and gather relevant data from identified partner countries; and (3) support the DTRA Science-Technology team. The service elements are: (a) implement strategies for biosafety, biosecurity, bio-surveillance, and cooperative research capacity building throughout collaborative engagements in all Areas of Operation (AOR); (b) provide support in the form of planning, design, logistics, execution, assessment, and improvement of in-county threat reduction networks and their related activities that mitigate area-specific priority pathogens of security concern;

(c) develop and implement processes to monitor, evaluate, and improve TRN schemes

Program: Cooperative Biological Engagement Support (CBES)

Version – September 2018 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY for better network connectivity, transition opportunities with country engagement teams, and self-sustainability;(d) advise on locations and venues that meet objectives for TRN meeting/training activities; (e) create, maintain and prepare planning schedules and documents for TRN activity execution; (f) drafting event materials such as fact sheets, participant guides, presentations, preparation read-ahead materials, and final reports.

In addition, the procurement will allow for the tasks of Emergent Country Engagements, Continuing Engagement Support, and Country Activity Implementation and Logistics.

Specific examples include collecting data, cross walking U.S. guidance and partner country capabilities, conducting a gap analysis, supporting an integrated product team for the purposes of researching, identifying and integrating relevant information, developing a framework for enabling exchanges of information across various domains, coordinating with various agencies such as the Defense Health Agency (DHA), and providing Interim Contractor Support (ICS) for on-going, planned, and emergent activities. This ICS work is to be performed broadly and examples include making travel arrangements, negotiating with venue locations, and coordinating with activity and/or engagement leads.

This requirement supports the continued DTRA Cooperative Biological Engagement efforts that the CBC has supported since 2014.

The contract will be a Firm Fixed Price effort awarded on a sole source basis to GSE with a one year period of performance from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020. The total estimated dollar value of this effort is $3,991,369.00. The Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) was developed based on procurement history. The same or similar requirements have been successfully performed under contracts and

The effort will primarily consist of approximately 75% international work. Travel locations are listed in the table below. The table below details the travel for this effort based on program history; however, exact locations are dependent upon worldwide events.

Program: Cooperative Biological Engagement Support (CBES)

Version – September 2018 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Based on this requirement, the main focus of work is the collaboration with international partners requiring the contractor to support Outside Continental United States (OCONUS) activities; therefore, it is essential that the contractor has the ability to facilitate and conduct OCONUS international engagements. A thorough understanding of biodefense, global disease surveillance systems for early pathogen detection and response, data management, data sources, and the networking of those sources at varying levels of sophistication are crucial requirements for this effort. To date, CCDC CBC, in support of DTRA, is the only Government agency currently seeking to contract this type of service.

4. Authority Cited: The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(5) as implemented by FAR Part 6.302-5 – Authorized or Required by Statue.

5. Reason for Authority Cited: As described in FAR 6.302-5, full and open competition need not be provided for when a statute expressly authorizes or requires that the acquisition be made through another agency or from a specified source, or the agency’s need is for a brand name commercial item for authorized resale.

FAR 6.302-5(b)(5) permits the Government to procure supplies and services from HUBZone contractors via sole source awards in accordance with FAR 19.1306. As discussed below, FAR 19.1306 requires a finding of the following:

a. The Contracting Officer (KO) does not have a reasonable expectation that offers would be received from two or more HUBZone small business concerns.

b. The anticipated price of the contract will not exceed the $4 million threshold for the North American Industry Classification System (NAICs) code for this procurement, which is 541715 - Chemical research and development laboratories or services (except biotechnology research and development);

c. The KO has verified that this work is not currently being performed by an 8a participant under the provisions of subpart 19.8 or has been accepted as a requirement by SBA under subpart 19.8;

d. The acquisition is greater than the simplified acquisition threshold;

e. In accordance with FAR 9.104-1, the HUBZone small business concern is determined to be a responsible contractor. A copy of the contractor’s Small Business Association HUBZone Certificate is attached to this document.

f. Award can be made at a fair and reasonable price.

Unique Qualifications of Contractor and Data: GSE has been identified to be the only capable HUBZone that can meet this requirement. It has been determined that the use of the authority cited in section 4 of this document permits the Government to procure this requirement from HUBZone contractors via a sole source award in accordance with FAR

19.1306 and FAR 6.302-5.

Program: Cooperative Biological Engagement Support (CBES)

Version – September 2018 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition:

a. Effective Competition: As a result of market research (identified in Section 8), the KO does not have a reasonable expectation that offers would be received from two or more HUBZone small business concerns.

b. Subcontracting Competition: Subcontracting Competition: While subcontracting is not required by a small business concern, FAR clause 52.244-5 -- Competition in Subcontracting, will be included in the solicitation and contract to direct the contractor to select subcontractors (including suppliers) on a competitive basis to the maximum practical extent consistent with the objectives and requirements of the contract, thereby assuring that the contractor obtains as much competition as possible in its subcontracting.

7. Actions to Increase Competition:

In order to maximize the Government’s potential to compete this requirement in the future, the Government will pursue: 1) performing queries using the Small Business Administration (SBA) Small Dynamic Business search website; and 2) posting Sources Sought notices directed at other sources, such as small businesses that are potentially capable of performing this requirement. Due to the complex nature of the requirement, and the need for continuity of support, at this time, no opportunities to separate the requirements exist to increase competition.

Additionally, this is an expanding and recurring requirement. Before any follow on action is contemplated, other acquisition strategies will be explored.

8. Market Research:

Various market research activities were conducted by CCDC CBC between August 2018 and April 2019 in order to determine if any other certified HUBZone sources could provide the capability that meets the Government’s requirement. The CBC and ACC- APG ECD, in accordance with FAR Part 10, conducted market research by performing the following:

a. A Sources Sought was posted to the Government Point of Entry (GPE), www.fbo.gov, on 20 August 2018. The purpose of the Sources Sought was to identify any other certified HUBZone small businesses that have the technical capability to satisfy the requirements. Nine vendors responded and were evaluated. A total of four vendors, including GSE, were considered to be potentially technically capable of meeting the requirements identified in the sources sought. Only one of the capable sources, GSE, was identified as a certified HUBZone small business.

b. A Synopsis/Intent to Sole Source was posted to the GPE, www.fbo.gov, from 15 April 2019 through 30 April 2019. No other certified HUBZone sources were identified as a result of this posting.

http://www.fbo.gov/ http://www.fbo.gov/ http://www.fbo.gov/

Program: Cooperative Biological Engagement Support (CBES)

Version – September 2018 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

c. The Government utilized the SBA Small Dynamic Business search website http://dsbs.sba.gov/dsbs/search/dsp_searchhubzone.cfm on 28 March 2019 to identify other HUBZone businesses who may be capable of performing the work.

This tool was utilized using various program terms such as “biological and/or bio-surveillance". The search result produced 25 HUBZone companies. The Government reviewed the profile of each company listed to confirm whether any of those businesses were capable of performing this work - specifically the international component of the effort. To date, none of the businesses identified are capable of performing the work in the international capacity as prescribed by the PWS. Also, several of the companies stated they either built supplies or provided services that do not fit within the bio-surveillance mission.

d. Screened Mandatory Sources in accordance with FAR Part 8. Required service was not found on either Ability One’s or Unicor’s websites. Required services were not available through any Federal Supply Schedules. Required services were not found on the Preferred Sources list on Strategic Sourcing Initiatives.

e. Utilized Internet tools, performed web searches, and obtained source lists of similar services from other contracting activities or agencies, trade associations, or other sources.

f. Reviewed existing Government contracts (e.g., http://www.contractdirectory.gov, General Service Administration (GSA) Schedules 00CORP, 66, 871, 899, etc.).

Based on efforts to obtain competition from other certified HUBZone sources and the results of the Market Research Report, the KO does not have a reasonable expectation that offers would be received from two or more certified HUBZone small businesses. It has been determined that it is in the best interest of the Government to satisfy this requirement through the use of a sole source award to a certified HUBZone Small Business.

9. Interested Sources: The notice required by FAR 5.201 was published on 15 April 2019. To date, no other certified HUBZone sources have written to express interest in the acquisition.

http://dsbs.sba.gov/dsbs/search/dsp_searchhubzone.cfm http://dsbs.sba.gov/dsbs/search/dsp_searchhubzone.cfm http://www.contractdirectory.gov/

Program: Cooperative Biological Engagement Support (CBES)

Version – September 2018 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Program: Cooperative Biological Engagement Support (CBES)

Version – September 2018 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Other Facts:

a. Procurement History:

Program: Cooperative Biological Engagement Support (CBES)

Version – September 2018 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

11. Technical Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Date:

12. Requirements Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

13. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated cost or price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable.

The basis for this determination will be made using the following: cost/price analysis to discern whether the cost proposed are current, allowable and allocable in comparison to previously completed similar efforts. A validated Independent Government Cost Estimate was prepared and made available on 28 February 2019.

In accordance with FAR 15.403-4(a)(1), certified cost or pricing data will be required.

Typed Name: Date:

Title: Contracting Officer Signature:

14. Contracting Officer Certification: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Typed Name: Date:

Title: Contracting Officer Signature:

Approval

Based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the procurement of CBES services

(1) to support the creation and the continued development of Threat Reduction Networks; (2) to support research, collection, assimilation and documentation of the latest policy and guidance from all relevant stakeholders and gathering relevant data from identified partner countries; and (3) to provide support to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency Science-Technology team on an other than full and open competition basis pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S.C.2304(c)(5), as implemented by FAR Part 6.302-5(b)(5) – Authorized or Required by Statute, subject to availability of funds, and provided that the services or property herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

Date:

Title: Command Advocate for Competition Signature:

Computer Scientist