Notice of Intent to Sole Source to Torch Research, LLC

The Department of the Navy, Naval Information Warfare Center, Pacific (NIWC Pacific)
hereby publicizes its intention to solicit, negotiate, and award a sole-source, cost plus
fixed fee contract with Torch Research, LLC (Torch), of Leawood, Kansas. This action will
provide Universal Naval AI CORe eNvironment (UNACORN) Data Engineering Pipeline
support for U.S. Naval Forces Europe (NAVEUR). The contractor will support the
identification of the critical data sets for execution of Maritime Intelligence Surveillance
Reconnaissance-Targeting Weapons and Tactics Instructors (MISR-T) workflows and
support the acquisition of these data sets to be processed through in the UNACORN
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Pipeline. The contractor shall support the maintenance of the
appropriate architectures to deploy the UNACORN Naval data as well as the appropriate
AI/Machine Learning (ML) algorithms and applications for use in accomplishing the
MISR-T workflows that leverage fluid environments of cloud compute and storage,
hardware, and cloud edge devices and be transferrable between these environments.
Torch leadership team (formerly B23) was involved in the first DoD cloud computing data
engineering workload back in 2010 by architecting a logistics system for the US Marine
Corps System Command (MARCORSYSCOM). Torch team (formerly B23) was responsible
for the deployment and received its Authority to Operate ("ATO") for the first C2S
workload to analyze mission data for the sponsoring agency. The contractor is currently
performing the research and development of this work for the UNACORN project under
N66001-22-C-0063. Executing a full and open competition would yield no viable alternate
sources and would cause the program office and sponsor to incur a substantial
duplication of cost, and significant schedule delays in fulfilling the requirements.

Authority for other than full and open competition under 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1), as
implemented by FAR 6.302-1: Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or
Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. According to FAR 6.302-1(a), full and open
competition need not be provided for when the supplies or services required by the
agency are available from only one or a limited number of responsible sources, and no
other type of supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

Be advised that the aforementioned information is anticipatory in nature and is not
binding. This notice is not a request for competitive proposals; however, any firm
believing that they can fulfill the requirement of providing this service may be considered
by the agency. Interested parties shall identify their interest and capabilities in response
to this synopsis, and must clearly show the firm's ability to be responsive. Information
received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to
conduct a competitive procurement. Any capabilities, comments, questions, or concerns
regarding this notice may be submitted IN WRITING via e-mail to
dan.a.nardi.civ@us.navy.mil. A determination by the Government to compete the
proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of
the Government.

The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 541330,
and the size standard is $47 million. The anticipated period of performance will be three
(3) years (to include one (1) year base period and two (2) one (1) year option periods.
Questions and/or responses are due by 15 October at 0800 PST.