Westlaw_Sole Source Justification_ADD.pdf

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Sole Source Justification

FAR 13.5 IAW 41 U.S.C 1901

1. CONTRACTING ACTIVITY

US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) Office of Acquisitions 1100 New York Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20527

2. NATURE AND/OR DESCRIPTION OF ACTION BEING APPROVED

This justification supports a sole source award to Thomson Reuters – Westlaw for subscription-based legal research services to replace the current LexisNexis contract. The requirement is for a twelve-month base period with four one-year option periods.

3. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES REQUIRED TO MEET THE AGENCY’S NEEDS

(Including Estimated Value)

The agency requires an online legal research platform that provides:

• Comprehensive federal and state case law, statutes, and regulations.

• Proprietary case validation (KeyCite) and topic-based indexing (West Key Number

System).

• Exclusive secondary sources, treatises, and practice guides critical to the agency’s practice areas.

• Native integration with the agency’s document management, drafting, and litigation support systems.

• Ability to migrate existing research histories, annotations, and notes.

New POP: 10/01/2025 – 11/30/2030

The estimated value, including the option years, is $871,248.00

4. STATUTORY AUTHORITY PERMITTING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN

COMPETITION

FAR 6.302-1 ONLY ONE RESPONSIBLE SOURCE AND NO OTHER SUPPLIES OR

SERVICES WILL SATISFY AGENCY REQURIEMENTS

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a. Authority: 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1)

b. Application: (1) There is a reasonable basis to conclude that the agency’s minimum needs can only be satisfied by (i) Unique…services available from only one source with unique capabilities.

5. DEMONSTRATION OF CONTRACTOR’S UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS

1. Proprietary Tools Essential to Mission Needs – KeyCite and the West Key Number System are exclusive to Westlaw and cannot be replicated by Lexis or other vendors. They form the foundation of internal and partner agency legal research workflows.

2. Exclusive Authoritative Content – Westlaw licenses critical treatises and practice guides unavailable in Lexis. These resources are mandatory for certain agency functions.

3. Integration with Agency Systems – Westlaw supports native interoperability with existing knowledge management and drafting platforms; Lexis would require custom builds and ongoing maintenance.

4. Alignment with External Entities – Partner agencies, courts, and contract counsel predominantly use Westlaw, ensuring consistent citations and collaborative efficiency.

5. Risk Mitigation – Delaying the transition would risk data loss, inefficiency, and the need for a more disruptive change later.

6. EFFORTS MADE TO SOLICIT AS MANY POTENTIAL SOURCES AS

PRACTICABLE

Market research was conducted, including demonstrations and side-by-side evaluations of Westlaw, Lexis, and other similar vendors. While the varied platforms provide core legal content, only Westlaw offers the combined proprietary tools, exclusive materials, and required integration. No other vendor was found capable of meeting all requirements.

7. DETERMINATION THAT ANTICIPATED COST TO THE GOVERNMENT IS FAIR

& REASONABLE

The Contracting Officer has reviewed pricing through NASA SEWP, GSA Schedule benchmarks, and recent comparable procurements. The proposed subscription pricing is found to be fair and reasonable based on these market data.

8. STATEMENT OF ACTIONS TO OVERCOME BARRIERS TO COMPETITION

Before any future renewal, the agency will reassess available legal research vendors, including any enhancements to Lexis or new market entrants, to determine if competition can be reintroduced without loss of operational capability.

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9. CONTRACTING OFFICER STATEMENT THAT JUSTIFICATION IS ACCURATE

AND COMPLETE

I hereby certify that this document is accurate and complete to the bet of my knowledge and belief.

10. DETERMINATION BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER THAT ANTICIPATED

COST TO THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE FAIR AND REASONABLE

A review of preliminary budgeting quotes indicates that the cost is consistent w/ the commercial marketplace and historical prices paid. Signature of this document by the Contracting Officer constitutes his/her determination that the cost will be fair and reasonable to the Government.

11. TECHNICAL OR REQUIREMENTS PERSONNEL CERTIFICATION

I hereby certify that the requirement does not exceed the Government’s minimum needs or schedule requirements, the services procured are essential to the Government’s requirements, and market research has indicated that other companies’ similar services and capabilities are lacking the unique combination of education, experience, and skill needed to fulfill the agency’s needs.

Contracting Officer Signature

Competition Advocate Signature

Technical Representative Signature