Outreach and Stakeholder Workshop Planning

This contract action was accomplished using other than competitive procedures because there is only one responsible source as this is a follow-on contract, and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements (FAR 6.302-1). See posted J&A for further information.

1. Contracting Agency: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, Contracting Office (CECT-LRB)
2. Contracting Activity: This action is to justify a sole source procurement of outreach and workshop planning services from the Buffalo-Niagara Riverkeeper.
3. Description of Action: Request approval to solicit and award a new firm-fixed price contract. Funding type is GI, Section 729 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, as amended. Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper will reach out to stakeholder and community groups with an interest in the Buffalo River Watershed and conduct a problem identification workshop.
4. Description of Services: The Contract is to provide technical and administrative support to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, to (1) Indentify stakeholder and community groups with an interest in the Buffalo River Watershed Study, (2) Plan and conduct a workshop to identify problems and opportunities within the Buffalo River Watershed to serve as a basis for a full Feasibility Study. The total amount of the contract is estimated to be $20,000.
5. Authority Cited: 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c)(1) as implemented by FAR 6.302-1. Only one responsible source and no other services will satisfy agency requirements.
6. Reason for Authority Cited: FAR 6.302-1 states that services may be deemed to be available only from the one source in the case of follow-on contracts for the continued provision of highly specialized services when it is likely that award to any other source would result in substantial duplication of cost to the Government. A duplication of cost would result from a Contractor having to develop a comprehensive and all entailing stakeholder list for the region that has already been built by the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper over many years. Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper has developed a comprehensive network with stakeholders and community groups with interests in water resources in the Buffalo-Niagara Region. In addition, the Riverkeeper has extensive historical knowledge of the Buffalo River Watershed and broad experience in public workshop planning within the region. This sole source contract is considered the most effective method to accomplish the mission of the Buffalo District and stakeholders in the region.
7. Efforts to Obtain Competition: A Special Notice was advertised on FedBizOpps.gov specifying the Governments intentions in regards to this procurement and to gauge others' interest for this procurement. One interested parties responded as an interested vendor on FBO.gov. Their qualifications were submitted and reviewed. After a review, they showed no historical experience in the Buffalo-Niagara region. They also did not present the technical experiences in water resources work the contract would require.
8. Action to Increase Competition: The Buffalo District advertises on FedBizOpps.gov and works closely with contractors to make contracting opportunities known to all interested sources, along with a focus on socio-economic programs.
9. Market Survey: Research has shown that there are very few sources that can perform this type of work. However, for the reasons listed on Line 6, services are deemed available only from the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper.
10. Interested Sources: To date, no other sources with the necessary technical/ historical experiences in the Buffalo-Niagara region have expressed an interest except for the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper.