JA_CECT-NWO-25-15_DFRC_Calan Feeding System_Redacted.pdf

Control Number: CECT-NWO-25-15

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

1. Contracting Activity: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Omaha District, 1616 Capitol Ave, Omaha, NE 68102

2. Description of Action: CALAN FEEDING INTAKE SYSTEM

The overall requirement is to design and construct the Dairy Forage Research Center for the US Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS) in Prairie Du Sac, WI. The contract will be award as a Firm Fixed Price (FFP), Design- Bid-Build (DBB) construction project utilizing funds from USDA/ARS (Source appropriation 60-0101-9-745 Order 02- Modification 02).

This Justification and Approval (J&A) is requested to specify the make of feeding system to be used in the construction project. The Calan Feeding Intake System is a highly specialized and innovative system designed for precise measurement and control of individual animal feed intake within a common trial pen. The unique and combined capabilities of this system are specific to and only available from the Callan Gate manufacturer. The estimated cost of the for Calan Feeding Intake System represents approximately of the total estimated construction project value of

3. Description of Supplies/Services:

As part of the construction effort, the Calan Feeding Intake System will be installed to support the facility’s operation. The Government will not procure these items directly, but will require the construction contractor to supply and install the following:

ITEM PROPOSED MAKE ESTIMATED AMOUNT

Calan Feeding Intake System American Calan Inc.

To meet USDA’s project goals of studying a cows’ diet, related performance and nutrient use efficiency, an accurate measurement of intake and output is required.

Calan Feeding Intake System measures the food intake of animals on different diets and is essential to this project. It is found at research organizations around the globe and has been fundamental to hundreds of research projects. Currently there’s no equal product in the market.

The unique capabilities are:

1. Individual Animal Control: Each animal is equipped with an electronic key that interacts with a designated gate. This allows researchers to control and monitor the feed intake of each animal individually without restricting their movement.

2. Accurate Data Collection: The system provides precise and accurate data on feed intake, which is crucial for research studies. This level of accuracy is unmatched by other systems.

3. Efficient Use of Resources: By allowing animals to remain in a group setting, the Calan Feeding System reduces the number of animals required for trials, conserves space, minimizes feed waste, and lowers the workload involved in conducting studies.

4. Versatility: The system can handle any type of feed material, from concentrate to forage rations, making it suitable for a wide range of research applications.

5. Minimal Behavioral Impact: Since animals are not individually penned, their natural behavior is less likely to be altered, leading to more reliable research outcomes.

These unique features make the Calan Feeding System the only one capable of delivering the precise, accurate data required for advanced nutritional research in livestock.

4. Authority Cited:

The statutory authority permitting acquisition of the requirement by other than full and open competition is 10 United States Code (U.S.C) 3204(a)(1), as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1(c), brand-name descriptions. This justification applies only to the brand name and proprietary specifications describing Calan Feeding System, as specified in USACE construction specifications and drawing sheets.

5. Reason for Authority Cited:

This J&A applies the Only One Responsible Source authority using the application of FAR 6.302-1(b)(1)(ii) and FAR 6.302-1(c)(1). FAR 6.302(b)(1)(ii) indicates that use of FAR 6.302-1 is appropriate "For DoD, NASA, and the Coast Guard, unique supplies or services available from only one or a limited number of sources or from only one or a limited number of suppliers with unique capabilities. FAR 6.302-1(c)(1) indicates that use of FAR 6.302-1 is appropriate for “An acquisition or portion of an acquisition that uses a brand-name description or other purchase description to specify a particular brand-name, product, or feature of a product, peculiar to one manufacturer.”

a. Background: The overall requirement is to design and construct the DFRC for the

USDA/ARS in Prairie Du Sac, WI. The DFRC is located on an approximately 75-acre site on the recently acquired Badger Army Ammunition Plant (BAAP) in

Prairie Du Sac, Wisconsin. The Center includes 18 buildings and support structures interconnected by manure collection, transport, and digester system;

the approximate combined area of construction is 642,000 Gross Square Foot (GSF). Construction of approximately 254,003 Building Gross Square Foot (BGSF) of new production, research, operations, and maintenance facilities and supporting infrastructure. Most of the center's construction will be comprised of pre-framed, pre-engineered metal buildings supported on concrete spread footings with the exception of the Lab and Administration Building which will have a laminated wood building structure supported on spread footings with preformed metal panel exterior enclosure.

The feeding gate system is required for the common trail pens, which are used because isolating the animals in individual pens impacts their behavior and does not provide as accurate data. To obtain the data required for the research, a gate feeding system for dairy cattle that allows researchers to prescribe, control, and document the feed intake of individual animals within a common trial pen is required. The Calan Feeding System was identified as having the required technology.

b. Alternatives: The Government has not identified any alternative feeding systems that can provide the data in a common trial pen environment.

c. Impact: The used of the Calan Feeding System plays a critical role in the required research. Without the technology, researchers would be forced to isolate the cattle in individual pens to monitor the intake. The isolation has been shown to impact the behaviors of the cattle making the data less viable. Additionally, the design of the DFRC is based on using common trial pens with the feeding system, so a re-design would be required to incorporate the stalls. This would increase time and cost of the project while negatively impacting the research.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: The Contracting Officer published the notices required by FAR 5.201 and PGI 206.302-1(d), as described below, and any bids or proposals received shall be considered.

a. The solicitation for the DFRC project was issued competitively. The brand name requirement for Calan Feeding Systems is stipulated in the solicitation’s technical requirements section. While the brand-name requirement was not recognized prior to the initial posting of the solicitation, the Calan Feeding Systems are a small component of the overall large construction project representing less than one quarter of a percent of the estimated value.

Upon discovery of the brand-name requirement during the submission of questions, the Government posted a sources sought / request for information.

The posting notified potential contractors of the Government’s options to either update the current specification to remove the brand-name requirement or to continue with solicitation that specify brand-name for the Calan Feeding Systems equipment to be included in the DFRC at Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin.

The posting received two responses; however, both just contained general interest in the overall DFRC project. The responses did not address any concerns or other information regarding a controlled feeding system. The lack of responses combined with the Product Delivery Team’s research did not identify any alternatives to the Calan Feeding System.

b. While the use of specified makes of items cannot be considered competitive regardless of the number of suppliers available, it is anticipated that multiple vendors will be available to provide and install Calan Feeding Systems at the subcontracting level and this sole source will not affect the overall competition for the construction requirements.

7. Actions to Increase Competition: Future acquisitions will continue to issue sources sought and research websites to identify other brand names which are compatible with the current research requirements.

The controlled feeding system is a small component of each of the larger construction projects referenced. The majority of construction requirement, in both effort and total dollars for this project will not be subject to limits to competition.

Effective competition will be achieved in multiple ways, including full and open competition and small business set asides. This J&A will be added to the solicitation posting. Beyond the brand-name requirement of the referenced product; sourcing and subcontracting of the referenced item will not be dictated by the Government.

The solicitation will alert prime contractors to engage subcontractors that are certified in installing Calan Feeding System.

8. Market Research: On 16 February 2025, a Sources Sought was posted on Sam.gov for the feeding system that allows research to prescribe, control and document the feeding intake of individual animals within a common trail pen for this requirement. Responses to the posting were due 3 March 2025. The Government received two responses; however, the submissions just contained general interest in the overall DFRC project. The responses did not address any concerns or other information regarding a controlled feeding system.

9. Other Facts: None