A02_-_JUSTIFICATION_AND_APPROVAL_FOR_COMBINED_SOLICITATION SYNOPSIS.docx

JA-Ten-16-279

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (FAR) 6.302-1(a)

1. Agency/Contracting Activity: U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center (ATC)/ Army Contract Command – Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG), Tenant Division

2. Description of Action:

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

Pricing: X Firm-Fixed Price Time & Materials Cost

Funds: Operations and Maintenance, Army (OMA) X Other Funds: 2040 (2 Year Funding) Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) for the Army

Fiscal Year of Funds: 2016/2017

Name of Proposed Contractor(s): Chavant, Inc. (Cage Code: 5VZ08) Address: 5043 Industrial Road Farmingdale, NJ, 07727-3651 Phone: 1-800-CHAVANT

3. Description of Supplies:

a. The material listed on the purchase request GFEBS# 10823346/ Purchase Request (PR) 0010823346 are brand name specific for reasons indicated below. There are no substitutes for the Roma Plastilina #1 Green/Grey clay. Chavant, Inc. is considered to be a small business and has several authorized distributors of the required clay.

b. ATC requires the brand-name of the Roma Plastilina #1 Green/Grey clay to execute ballistic impact testing of mission critical body armor components. The required Roma Plastilina #1 Green/Grey clay is a wax based, non-drying modeling clay. ATC needs to purchase four hundred and eighty (480) cases of Roma Plastilina #1 Green/Grey clay (Manufacturer Item# 550A) for one year. Clay will be delivered in 40 case increments per month for twelve months. Receipt of material must not exceed thirty (30) days from the date of manufacture. There are two, one-year options for this procurement for a potential total contract life of three years. Each option year requires 40 cases of the Roma Plastilina #1 Green/Grey clay to be delivered each month for one year for a total of 480 cases per year.

c. Chavant, Inc. is the sole manufacturer of this type of clay which they have been producing since 1892. Chavant, Inc. has over thirty formulas for the clay which are closely held trade secrets. The Roma Plastilina #1 Green/Grey clay is a critical component to the Secretary of Army mandated testing of body armor. After research studies and observation, this specific type of clay is the only one approved for use in body armor testing. This clay serves as the designated backing material for ballistic testing. The current U.S. Army Test Operating Procedure (TOP) and the Internal Operating Procedure (IOP) clearly state that Roma Plastilina # 1 Green/Grey clay as the only ballistic backing material to be employed. The required Roma Plastilina #1 Green/Grey clay is a material that will retain its shape and chemical identity when subjected to high temperatures and is used in applications that require extreme resistance to heat, such as furnace linings.

4. Authority: FAR 6.302-1(a) is the Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services will satisfy Agency Requirements.

5. Reasons for Authority Cited:

a. Roma Plastilina #1 Green/Grey clay is the only brand name that is compatible in all aspects with the existing test components presently at the Light Armor Range Complex (LARC) located at the U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center (ATC). Without the Roma Plastilina #1 Green/Grey clay, ATC will be unable to perform all analysis in support of body armor testing in accordance with the Secretary of Army mandate.

b. This acquisition meets the criteria of brand name justification in that the supplies required by ATC are available from only one manufacturer and no other type of supplies will satisfy ATC’s requirements. There are multiple authorized distributors of Chavant, Inc. A solicitation will be posted as 100% small business set aside for the brand-name only of Roma Plastilina #1 Green/Grey clay in order to achieve small business goals while still promoting competition.

6. Actions to Increase Competition: There are multiple authorized distributors and third party vendors of this specific clay type (Roma Plastilina #1 Green/Grey), therefore this action will be set aside 100% for small businesses which are authorized distributors of Chavant, Inc. Having a competitive market will drive down cost and receive the best price and cost savings to the Government.

7. Market Research: Conducted an online market research for commercial companies that can supply Roma Plastilina #1 Green/Grey clay. Chavant, Inc. is the sole manufacturer of this type of clay and has authorized distributors such as Defense Condition One (Small Business), Sculpture House (Small Business), and Environ Molds (Small Business).

8. Procurement History:

Previous Contract(s) which have all been solicited as 100% Small Business set-aside:

1) W91ZLK-11-P-0320, Award Date: 09 June 2011 to Sculpture House, Inc.

2) W91ZLK-12-P-0496, Award Date: 10 July 2012 to Sculpture House, Inc.

3) W91ZLK-14-P-0100, Award Date: 10 February 2014 to Sculpture House, Inc.

4) W91ZLK-15-P-0233, Award Date: 21 May 2015 to DPA Innovations, Inc.

5) W91CRB-14-D-0005, Award Date: 29 April 2015