J&A 26-4243 Summary

This is a Justification and Approval (J&A) document for a sole-source contract award to Horizon Performance LLC for services supporting the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Marine Raider Training Center (MRTC). The contract is valued at $12 million and covers the period from September 16, 2026, through March 16, 2032, including a one-year base period plus four one-year option periods with a six-month extension. The work includes full-time equivalent human resource support, specialized consulting, and licensing for the GideonSoft proprietary software platform, which tracks performance metrics across MARFORSOC's recruitment, assessment, and training processes.

The J&A justifies sole-source procurement under 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1) and 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1) on the basis that only Horizon Performance possesses the requisite capabilities. Key justifications include: GideonSoft's proprietary nature and exclusive SIE network certification, making transition to alternative vendors prohibitively expensive and risky; the system's integration with nearly two decades of historical longitudinal data critical for MARFORSOC decision-making; and the specialized embedded expertise of operational psychologists and cognitive performance specialists. The government attempted to increase competition through a Sources Sought Notice on October 20, 2025, which generated 22 responses, but market research revealed that alternative vendors lacked sufficient depth in MARFORSOC's operational culture and could not meet the mission-critical requirements. The contract includes Firm-Fixed-Price Line Items for FTE labor, software licensing, and travel, with the solicitation released under H9225726QE002.