Exception to fair opportunity memo - N5523625F2010/N0002422D4451

The Special Notice is a formal Exception to Fair Opportunity (ETFO) document published by the Department of the Navy Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) for a sole-source delivery order under contract N00024-22-D-4451. The notice pertains to a maintenance availability for the USS TRIPOLI (LHA-7), scheduled from January 6 to March 21, 2025. Continental Maritime of San Diego (CMSD) has been identified as the sole contractor for this project due to their unique knowledge and partial completion of previous critical ship alterations. The delivery order is valued at $4,774,729.04 and covers extensive repair work encompassing 74 repair items and over 33,000 man-hours. The special notice is being published to provide public visibility of the exception to standard fair opportunity procurement procedures, as required by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 16.505(b)(2).

The primary objective of this Special Notice is to justify awarding a sole-source delivery order to CMSD based on urgency and technical expertise. The contractor's prior familiarity with specific ship alterations, including aircraft elevator system grease line modifications and start air piping manifolds, is expected to reduce schedule risk by 7-10 days compared to onboarding a new contractor. The work package includes comprehensive repairs involving 5 diesel generators, 27 fuel tanks, and various critical system modifications. These repairs are deemed essential for the ship's upcoming deployment and transfer to support Pacific theater operations, with no additional maintenance opportunities available before deployment. The notice does not specify additional eligibility criteria beyond CMSD's existing contractual relationship and specialized knowledge, and the document was posted on January 14, 2025, with the same date serving as the due date for any potential responses or objections.