YPG JA 2026_10.pdf_Redacted1.pdf

Control Number: MICC 2026-10

2025 through 12 November 2025. No other contractor other than TRAX can assume this 30-day extension of performance of the current contract by 15 January 2026 without interrupting ongoing and near-term planned testing.

a. Background:

1) The current contract, W9124R-18-C-0001, was awarded on 30 May 2018 to TRAX for a four-year period of performance (base plus three option years). The MTSS contract supports approximately and directly supports fielding of the latest technology improvements for the Army’s critical warfighting equipment. The primary mission of YPG is to conduct integrated OT/DT systems testing and evaluation in natural environments. Testing in the natural environments often exposes performance deficiencies that artificial simulation methods fail to expose.

2) On 5 August 2025, the Army awarded a contract to TRAX following a competitive bidding process. Southwest Range Service, LLC subsequently filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) under docket no. B-423843.1 on 20 August 2025, disputing the award. The Procuring Contracting Officer issued a stop-work order to TRAX on 22 August 2025. A decision from the GAO was anticipated by 28 November 2025 and a 3.5-month extension from 1 October 2025 through 14 January 2026 was executed to accommodate the protest review process. On 1 October 2025, Government employees were furloughed due to Congress not passing Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations. The furlough lasted for 43 days which resulted in a delay in GAO rendering a decision on the protest. TRAX, the incumbent, is the only source possessing the trained personnel assets, management team, institutional knowledge, equipment management, and other resources to continue the ongoing and upcoming test requirements at three different test centers for the proposed 30-day extension period. Delays in extending the contract would result in serious injury to the Government, financial and other, if not executed. The MTSS contract supports the planning, preparation, or conduct of approximately that will be significantly impacted during this 30-day period by any lapse in contract support.

Calculating the costs of testing delays is not feasible. These tests directly support fielding of the latest technology improvements for the Army’s critical war-fighting equipment.

b. Alternatives:

1) Suspension of Contract Support. The MTSS requirements are ongoing and critical to mission accomplishment. Suspension of contract support will cause critical disruption to the ATEC’s mission and costly impacts to DoD OT/DT schedules.

Therefore, this alternative is not viable.

2) Use of In-House resources. ATEC lacks sufficient manpower, technical expertise, and resources to perform the required MTSS functions. The United States Army does not contemplate acquiring adequately trained personnel within the Government in the future. Attempting to initiate actions to increase the Government workforce to accomplish this mission would take years and result in mission failure during the time required to adequately recruit and staff a trained workforce. Therefore, this alternative is not viable.

3) Conduct a competitive acquisition for a bridge contract. A competitive bridge contract with a would require a minimum of one-year to solicit, evaluate, negotiate, award a new contract, phase-in a new contractor, transfer and account for the large inventory of Government Furnished Property (GFP), verify data, obtain security clearances and allow for familiarization with ongoing tests. With less than one month until the expiration of the current contract, there is insufficient time to accomplish a competitive award. Any contractor other than the incumbent does not have sufficient equipment or trained manpower readily available on short notice to seamlessly assume the performance of these ongoing tests and services. Over 23,000 lines of GFP valued at over and spread over 3,000 square miles of the YPG test range would have to be inventoried and properly transferred. Further, this action is an interim measure to continue performance pending GAO’s decision on the post award protest of the competitively awarded follow-on contract. Therefore, this alternative is not viable.

c. Impact if justification is not approved: Disapproval of the J&A will result in a lapse in service and ATEC’s failure to execute its OT/DT testing mission in accordance with the approved testing schedule and create barriers to efficient processes and the risk of impacting the outcomes and data collected from various test missions. As discussed above, attempting to compete this requirement would result in a contract award long after a decision is expected from GAO on the received protest.

7. Efforts to Obtain Competition: The Contracting Officer will publish the notices required by FAR 5.201, Synopses of Proposed Contract Actions, and any bids or proposals received shall be considered.

a. Effective competition: Because this is a sole source action, effective competition is not applicable.

b. Subcontracting competition: Subcontracting goal achievement is an evaluated element for award fee and TRAX has met established goals. TRAX’s established purchasing procedures include stringent guidelines for competing subcontracts. Any requirements that they deem to be sole source are justified and approved by the Government prior to issuance of the subcontract. A review of TRAX’s subcontract files is included in the monthly contract surveillance reports. The Government will request a revised subcontracting plan covering the extension period and will coordinate review of this document with the Small Business Professional and Procurement Center Representative as required by FAR 19.705-4(d)(7), reviewing the subcontracting plan.

The approved plan revision will be incorporated and made a material part of the contract as required by FAR 19.705-5(a)(5), Awards involving subcontracting plans, prior to award of the modification. A copy of the award document will be provided to the Area Director for the Small Business Administration (SBA) Area Office where the contract will be performed as required by FAR 19.705-6(a) Post award responsibilities of the contracting officer, and a copy of the final negotiated subcontracting plan will be provided to the SBA Procurement Center Representative (PCF) as required by FAR 19.705-6(c).

8. Actions to Increase Competition:

a. This is an interim action to allow continued performance with the incumbent contractor during the time necessary to address the response to the GAO protest received on 20 August 2025.

b. The protested acquisition was solicited as a competitive full and open action.

Four vendors responded to the solicitation with proposals. The Government’s market research and solicitation efforts to increase competition included:

1) The issuance of three Requests for Information (RFI) (one to solicit comments on the performance requirements, one soliciting input on small business subcontracting, and one seeking industry’s response to 19 questions related to the acquisition.

2) Contacted GSA to identify potential interest.

3) Conducted an Industry Day (16 attendees); reviewed Government databases (like GSA) for information on same/similar contracts and their contractors.

4) Conducted an internet search which identified 6 potential vendors.

9. Market Research: Given the circumstances of the GAO protest and the need to extend the current contract, a waiver to the requirement to post a sources sought or request for information under these circumstances was approved on 05 February 2021 by Mr. Clay Cole, Senior Contracting Official, in accordance with DFARS Procedures, Guidance and Information 206.302-1(d).

10. Interested Sources: No other vendor expressed interest in the bridge other than

TRAX.

11. Other Facts: Procurement history. The MTSS requirement has historically been awarded to large businesses under full and open competitive procedures with a CPAF contract type.

a. Solicitation W9124R-13-R-0001, received four proposals and award W9124R-14- C-0004was made to Jacobs Technology, Inc. (Jacobs) on 10 September 2014. TRAX filed a protest with the GAO (Docket B-410441.1) on 23 September 2014 disputing the award. A suspension of work notice was issued to Jacobs the same day. Over the next four year, the Army took corrective action in response to the protest with re-evaluations, re-awards, receiving 13 supplemental protests and two appeals to the Court of Federal Claims (CoFC).

b. During this time contract W9124R-09-C-0003, which was awarded as a five-year contract (a one-year base period plus two, two-year option periods) was extended an additional four years and four months using 19 J&As. Five of the J&As used the authority 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(2) and 14 of the J&As used the authority 10 U.S.C.

2304(c)(1).

c. On 30 May 2018, contract, W9124R-18-C-0001, was awarded to TRAX. On 19 June 2018, Jacobs filed another supplemental GAO protest (Docket B-410441.15) disputing the award. A Stop-Work order pursuant to FAR 52.233-3 Alt I, Protest after Award, was issued to TRAX on 20 June 2018 directing them to stop all performance on the contract immediately. The bridge contract, W9124R-18-C-1002, was issued to TRAX to continue performance to allow GAO to render a decision on the protest. The final protest was denied and a modification on contract W9124R-18-C-0001 was issued on 16 October 2018 for TRAX to resume performance. FAR 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services, was issued on 23 August 2022 to provide additional time for the competitive award. On 17 March 2023, a two-year extension contract modification consisting of two 1-year option periods (01 April 2023 through 31 March 2025) was awarded under J&A

no. MICC 2022-47 due to the requiring activity’s inability to develop the documentation needed to support a consolidated range contract which resulted in their decision on 04 August 2022 to abandon that strategy. On 27 March 2025, a six-month contract extension (1 April 2025 through 30 September 2025), authorized under J&A MICC 2025-3, was issued to allow time for a thorough proposal evaluation and vendor transition for a follow-on action. The extension comprising a 3-month base and three 1-month options addresses delays caused by uncertainty regarding the scope and timeline of future requirements. The extension expired 30 September 2025 and another J&A MICC 2025-125 was issued for a 6-month extension was issued on 25 September 2025 with a period of performance of 1 October 2025 – 14 January 2026 to allow further time for the protest to be completed. The procurement history is detailed in the following Table 1 - Procurement History.

CUI//SP-PROCURE//FEDCON

Approval

Based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the procurement of Mission Test Support Services on other than full and open competition basis pursuant to the authority of Title 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1) as implemented in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302- 1(a)(2) only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The estimated value of the contract modification for a one-month extension from 15 January 2026 to 14 February 2026. The approval is subject to availability of funds, and provided that the supplies or services herein described have otherwise been authorized for this acquisition.

Alternate Advocate for Competition U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, TX