C01.11_Sole_Source_Justification_Redacted.pdf

ERDC Control No. 18-0056

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

(FAR Subpart 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items)

1. Agency/Contracting Activity: Engineer Research and Development Center – Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (ERDC – CRREL)

2. Description of Action:

Nature: New Requirement Follow-On Requirement Mod to Existing Purchase Order/Contract Number

Pricing: Firm-Fixed Price Time and Materials

Funds: OMA Other Funds: RDT&E_________

3. Description of Supplies/Services:

ERDC-CRREL’s Terrestrial and Cryospheric Sciences Branch (TCSB) has a requirement to link the weather database components from the Army Terrestrial-Environmental Modeling and Intelligence System (ARTEMIS), known as the Geospatial Weather Services (GWX) tool, with Map Based Planning Services (MPBS). The Army wants the GWX tool within MBPS to enable automated subscription-based weather feeds of MBPS user-requested weather scenarios. This will allow the Army to demonstrate the potential offered by including weather influences on mission planning to MBPS users (i.e., weather impacts on both sensor performance and mobility decision making). Success at the end of the project will be based on the ability to demonstrate a specific use case supporting decision making for ingress routing, including the weather effects of mobility and sensor performance, for mission planners.

4. Authority:

Action using Simplified Acquisition Procedures under authority granted by 41 U.S.C. 1901

FAR 13.501(a)(1)(i): Contracting officers must conduct sole source acquisitions, as defined in FAR 2.101 (including brand name), under Subpart 13.5 only if the need to do so is justified in writing and approved at the levels specified in paragraph (a)(2) of this section.

FAR 13.501(a)(2)(i) - For a proposed contract exceeding $150,000, but not exceeding $650,000, the contracting officer’s certification that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of the contracting officer’s knowledge and belief will serve as approval, unless a higher approval level is established in accordance with agency procedures.

5. Reason for Authority Cited: Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc. (AER) has been identified as the only vendor with the requisite experience in software development and testing required for the integration of the Geospatial Weather Services (GWX) Environmental Data Cube Support System (EDCSS) into the Army’s Map Based Planning Services (MBPS).

AER is the developer of the EDCSS, and as such is the only source with the expertise and capability to complete the required development, testing, and integration work necessary to provide a seamless integration of EDCSS to MBPS in the timeline required.

6. Actions to Increase Competition: A notice indicating the Government’s intent to sole source this requirement was posted to the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website on 22 December 2017; Prior to the notice closing on 2 January 2018, one (1) response was received that provided a capability statement. The technical expert reviewed the capability statement and determined that it does not appear to reference any experience with the application described in the announcement (EDCSS), which is the basis for our decision to sole source to AER at this point.

7. Market Research: Market research conducted by CRREL technical representatives and the contracts office identified Atmospheric and Environment Research, Inc. (AER), as the original developer of the Environmental Data Cube Support System (EDCSS), as the only source capable of fulfilling the Government’s requirement. Based on AER’s intricate knowledge of and experience with developing these software suites, the Government has determined that AER is the only reasonably available source to fulfill the requirement in the timeframe required. The software integration services to be procured are commercial in nature. See commerciality determination in contract file.

8. Procurement History:

Previous Purchase Orders(s) or Contract(s): Yes No

Purchase order or contract number:

AER has been the primary developer of EDCSS, has enhanced functionality and linked EDCSS with various other systems and software under contracts W913E5-10-C-0006, W913E5-12-C- 0009, W913E5-14-C-0010, W913E5-15-P-0036, W913E5-17-C-0004, and W913E5-17-C-0006.

Was action competed? Yes No If action was not competed, state the cited authority, summarize rationale:

9. Additional information to support the justification: N/A

10. Technical/Requirements Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which is included in the abbreviated J&A is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Submitted By:

Position Title:

Email Address:

Signature:

11. Fair and Reasonable Price Determination: As Contracting Officer, I hereby determine that the anticipated cost to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable.

Basis for the determination: price analysis techniques.

12. Contracting Officer’s Approval:

I hereby certify that this Justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. Based on the foregoing, I approve this sole source justification subject to availability of funds, and provided that the services herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition

Signature:______________ Typed Name: Ashley Jenkins Title: Contracting Officer

JENKINS.ASHLEY.M

.1283675552

Digitally signed by

JENKINS.ASHLEY.M.1283675552

DN: c=US, o=U.S. Government, ou=DoD, ou=PKI, ou=USA, cn=JENKINS.ASHLEY.M.1283675552 Date: 2018.01.16 15:22:41 -06'00'