Loren Data's SAM Daily™

SAMDAILY.US - ISSUE OF OCTOBER 27, 2021 SAM #7270
SPECIAL NOTICE

R -- Redacted Justification and Approval (J&A)

Notice Date

10/25/2021 12:23:10 PM
 

Notice Type

Justification
 

NAICS

541330 — Engineering Services
 

Contracting Office

W6QK ACC-APG ADELPHI ADELPHI MD 20783-1197 USA
 

ZIP Code

20783-1197
 

Solicitation Number

w911qx21c0039
 

Archive Date

11/10/2021
 

Point of Contact

Douglas Dennard, Phone: 3013943371, Alex Gilliam, Phone: 3013941203
 

E-Mail Address

douglas.c.dennard.civ@mail.mil, alex.p.gilliam.ctr@mail.mil
(douglas.c.dennard.civ@mail.mil, alex.p.gilliam.ctr@mail.mil)
 

Award Number

W911QX21C0039
 

Award Date

09/27/2021
 

Description

Control No: JA-21-Adel-427 Contractor: EWA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI) Supply/Service: AEWL RATE Maintenance/Engineering Services JUSTIFICATION REVIEW DOCUMENT FAR PART 6 JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION Programs/Equipment: Maintenance and Engineering Services for the United States (U.S.) Army Research Laboratory's (ARL) Advanced Electronic Warfare Laboratory (AEWL) Radar and Target Emulator (RATE) System. Authority: 1 O U.S.C. 2304(c)(1) as implemented by FAR Part 6.302-1 -- Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. Amount: Prepared by: Contracting Officer: CCR/Technical: Requirements: Joseph Dellinger Contracting Officer CCAP-SCA Email: joseph.m.dellinger2.civ@mail.mil DSN: 290-0769 Date: 20 July 2021 Reviews: I have reviewed this justification and find it adequate to support other than full and open competition. Pro ram Mana er: x- Program Manager Signed by: 7/27/2021 1 Control No: JA-21-Adel-427 Contractor: EWA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI) Supply/Service: AEWL RATE Maintenance/Engineering Services FAR Part 6 Justification and Approval for Other than Full and Open Competition 1. Contracting Activity: Adelphi Contracting Division, Army Contracting CommandAberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG), 2800 Powder Mill Road, Adelphi, Maryland 20783-1138. 2. Description of Action: The Electronic Warfare Branch (FCDD-RLS-EW) within the Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate (SEDD) requests a new Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) type contract with EWA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI), Inc., 13873 Park Center Road, Suite 500S, Herndon, Virginia 20171 , United States. The Government projects award for September 2021 and fiscal year 2021 /2022 Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) funds will be used. _X_ An acquisition plan is not required because this procurement either does not meet the threshold at Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement 207 .103( d)(i), or is an R&D acquisition and does not meet the definition of services in 10 U.S.C. 2330(c)(2). 3. Description of Supplies/Services: The Government requires Electronic Warfare (EW) scenario support, system enhancements support, software and hardware maintenance, network support, and engineering support services in order to ensure the necessary sustainment, enhancement, upgrades, and expansion of the Advanced Electronic Warfare Laboratory (AEWL), located at the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in Adelphi, Ma~WL pr~ under Other Transaction Authority (OTA) number- was a- prototype effort funded by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). EWA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI) developed a system, Radar and Target Emulator(RATE), assembled the hardware, developed all of the software to incorporate RATE into the AEWL and was previously servicing RATE under OTA number NSC-16-0300. The overall objective of the AEWL RATE initiative is to develop a prototype laboratory that will allow the Government to evaluate the technical feasibility of utilizing the AEWL concept as a replicable framework that may be instantiated at Government Research and Development (R&D) facilities across the nation. The AEWL shall be a laboratory facility containing a variety of radio frequency (RF) equipment and accompanying software configured in a manner that enables ARL to evaluate emerging electronic warfare (EW) subsystem and system prototypes. This particular configuration of specialized hardware and software does not currently exist anywhere in the Government. ARL currently hosts the first instantiation of this type of AEWL RATE in the U.S., and is assessing its capability to evaluate a variety of emerging EW prototypes currently under development. If the AEWL RATE proves successful in evaluating the prototypes described above, repl ication and/or improvement of the AEWL RATE concept will be possible for other Government organizations to share a common framework, language, and hardware/software configuration for testing and evaluating emerging EW subsystem 2 Control No: JA-21-Adel-427 Contractor: EWA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI) Supply/Service: AEWL RATE Maintenance/Engineering Services and system prototypes. Success of the AEWL RA TE will also allow the Government to supply the armed forces with appropriate technology that is capable of operating successfully for known lifetimes in the face of both specific adversary threat systems, as well as future, yet to be developed, conceptualized and extrapolated systems and environments. The required maintenance and engineering services are necessary to provide system maintenance, software updates, code modifications, and bug fixes for AEWL RATE software, as well as hardware troubleshooting and minor software enhancements. In addition, engineering support and scenario building, such as development of new digital signal processing (DSP) blocks, will be required as needed by the Government. In order to allow connectivity between EWA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI) and the AEWL, a Defense Security Service (DSS) closed area at ARL, the Government will provide a computer and a Tactical Local Area Network Encryption, otherwise known as a TACLANE-Micro Encryptor, to EWA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI) via Government Furnished Property (GFP). Period of Performance: Total Value: 4. Authority I e : .C. 2304(c)(1) as implemented by FAR Part 6.302-1 -- Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. 5. Reason for Authority Cited: Due to the inherent knowledge gained during the creation of the Advanced Electronic Warfare Laboratory under Other Transaction Authority (OTA) , EWA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI) is the only entity who could reasonably perform sustainment, enhancement, upgrades, and expansion of the AEWL RATE system. The AEWL has been in development since 2016, and has been fully operational since 2019. EWA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI) serves as project manager, developer, and architect for the AEWL RATE hardware and software. In addition, EWA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI) is the author of all AEWL RATE control/management software for cal ibration/test/evaluation routines and scenarios, as well as the lead designer for multiple AEWL subsystems, and acts as the primary manager and interface with all AEWL subcontractors. Therefore, no other company could reasonably replace EWA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI) due to (EWA GSI) proprietary knowledge with the AEWL RATE subsystems and architecture. Any related services or improvement requirements would require EWA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI) to provide the initial architect's insight and knowledge to effectively execute the above-mentioned requirements. If the Government were to attempt to procure these services from a Contractor other than EWA Government Systems, Inc. (EWA GSI), mission critical EW experiments and operations would be detrimentally hindered, potentially suspending operations until the vendor awarded the contract for this effort can appropriately understand and discuss the highly classified and proprietary aspects of the AEWL RATE system. Outside sources would still need to rely on EWA Government Systems, Inc. (EWA GSI) to perform any necessary maintenance requirements to establish operating satisfaction by the Government. The required services are necessary for the AEWL RA TE system to 3 Control No: JA-21-Adel-427 Contractor: EWA Government Systems, Inc. (EWA GSI) Supply/Service: AEWL RATE Maintenance/Engineering Services continue to operate; therefore, delaying these requirements would suspend operations within the laboratory indefinitely. In addition, through OTA number in funding has been provided by OSD for the AEWL prototype. By not procuring these services from EWA, a high potential of risk would be involved due to the total value of the laboratory, as explained above, and the intimate knowledge required to sustain, enhance, upgrade, and expand the AEWL RA TE system and ensure its successful instantiation in order to make it possible for other Government organizations to either replicate or improve upon the AEWL RATE concept in the future. As a prototype concept, the success of the AEWL RATE rel ies heavily upon its ability to receive the required services by a vendor capable of providing them appropriately and efficiently. If these services are not received, the laboratory will be required to shut down indefinitely until an alternate Contractor had the time to understand the AEWL RATE infrastructure, create new control/management software, calibration/test/evaluation routines, and scenarios to effectively enhance/upgrade the AEWL RATE, as EWA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI) is the lead designer of AEWL RA TE. Therefore, it has been determined that EWA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI) is the only capable source of providing the required EW scenario support, system enhancements support, software and hardware maintenance, network support, and engineering support services due to the specific proprietary knowledge and understanding of the AEWL RATE system that no other Contractor could have because (EWA GSI) supported ARL in the creation of the AEWL RATE sub-system. As described at FAR 6.302-1 (a)(2), when the supplies or services required by the agency are available only from one (1) responsible source, or for Department of Defense (DoD), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Coast Guard, from only one (1) or a limited number of responsible sources, and no other types of supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, full and open competition need not be provided for. 6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: The Contracting Officer publ ished notices required by FAR 5.201 for any potential bids or proposals received to be considered. A SynopsisRequest For Information (RFI) (Sole Source using 6.302-1) was posted for 15 calendar days, from 15 July 2021 to 30 July 2021 . At the time the Synopsis closed, there were no other responses or bids from other vendors. Due to the proprietary knowledge EWA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI) has with the AEWL RATE, a sole source acquisition strategy is reasonable for this effort, as there is no expectation of effective competition for the required services. 7. Actions to Increase Competition: The Government will continually monitor the market to increase competition by attending conferences/exhibitions, examining trade journals, conducting Internet research, and holding open discussions with industry experts. To date, no vendor has been identified that can meet the Government's minimum requirement for EW scenario support, system enhancements support, software and hardware maintenance, network support, and engineering support services of the prototype AEWL RATE that would not req uire significant retraining of personnel and not 4 Control No: JA-21-Adel-427 Contractor: EWA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI) Supply/Service: AEWL RATE Maintenance/Engineering Services result in disruption of current mission/program goals. Before future acquisitions, the market will be surveyed to determine whether another vendor has emerged that could meet the Army's requirements, thus justifying the need for Full and Open Competition. If the Government becomes aware of other sources with the capability to meet the Government's requirements, then a determination will be made for suitable competition. If and when another source is discovered, the Government will technically evaluate the response, and if the new source is deemed capable, the Government will seek a competitive procurement. 8. Market Research: Market research was conducted from October 2020 to February 2021 via querying Government-wide databases of contracts and other procurement instruments intended for use by multiple agencies available at https://www.contractdirectory.gov/contractdirectory/ and other Government and commercial databases that provide information relevant to agency acquisitions, searching on the General Supply Schedule (GSA) website at https:/ /www.gsaadvantage.gov/advantage/main/start page.do, contacting knowledgeable people and subject matter experts within Government and industry, reviewing other market research efforts conducted for similar or identical items, and obtaining source lists of similar items from other contracting activities or agencies, trade associations or other sources. To date, no other companies have been identified as capable of providing the required services, as EWA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI) is the only entity capable of reasonably performing the services required of the AEWL. As the AEWL is a proprietary, prototype laboratory, it is in the Government's best interest to sole source th is effort to EWA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI) due to their inherent knowledge of the AEWL RATE. 9. Interested Sources: A sole source pre-solicitation synopsis providing notification of the Government's intent to issue a sole source contract to EWA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI) was posted to sam.gov for 15 calendar days, on 15 July 2021 with a closing date of 30 July 2021.This Synopsis posting resulted in no responses. Based on the aforementioned, EWA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI) continues to be the only responsible source capable of providing the req uired network, software, hardware maintenance, and engineering services in support of the AEWL RATE 10. Other Facts: a. Procurement History No procurement history exists as this is a first time buy supporting a prototype laboratory. 5 Control No: JA-21-Adel-427 Contractor: EWA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI) Supply/Service: AEWL RATE Maintenance/Engineering Services 11. Technical Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. Signer's Title- 7/27/2021 x- Technical Certifier (Tech) Siqned by: 12. Requirements Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. Signer's Title: 7/28/2021 X Req u irements Certif ier Siqned b 13. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated cost or price to the Government for th is contract action will be fair and reasonable. This determination will be made using the following: _X_ Cost analysis _ Price analysis Should cost X IGE Audit: Other: As a part of this basis, certified cost or pricing data: _ Will be required. _L Will not be required and the following exception applies (FAR 15.403): _ Prices that will be agreed upon are based on adequate price competition. _ Prices that will be agreed upon are based on prices set by law or regulation. 6 Control No: JA-21 -Adel-427 Contractor: Electronics Warfare Associates (EWA) Government Systems, Inc. Supply/Service: AEWL RATE Maintenance/Engineering Services _ A commercial item is being acquired. _ A waiver has been granted by the head of the contracting activity (HCA) in accordance with DFARS PGI 215.403-1. The contract action is a modification to a contract or subcontract for commercial item(s). X The estimated cost of the contract action is less than the threshold for certified cost or pricing data. 7/ 27/ 2021 X Joseph Dellinger Contracting Officer (KO) Signed by: DELLINGERJOSEPH.M.1456820650 14. Contracting Officer Certification: I certify that this justif ication is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. 7/ 27/ 2021 X Joseph Dellinger Cont racting Officer (KO) Signed by: DELLINGERJOSEPH.M.1456820650 7 Control No: JA-21-Adel-427 Contractor: WA Government Systems, Inc (EWA GSI) Supply/Service: AEWL RA TE Maintenance/Engineering Services Approval Based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the procurement of Maintenance and Engineering Services for the United States (U.S.) Army Research Laboratory's (ARL) Advanced Electronic Warfare Laboratory (AEWL) Radar and Target Emulator (RATE) System, for an estimate of and for one (1) year on an other than full and open competition basis pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1 ), subject to availability of funds, and provided that the services or supplies herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition. 7/27/2021 X Joseph Dellinger Contracting Officer Signed by: DELLINGERJOSEPH.M.1456820650 (End of J&A) 8
 

Web Link

SAM.gov Permalink
(https://beta.sam.gov/opp/d2e0298fbd214b2ead9ea77b3d6d1630/view)
 

Place of Performance

Address: Adelphi, MD 20783, USA

Zip Code: 20783

Country: USA
 

Record

SN06163490-F 20211027/211025230109 (samdaily.us)
 

Source

SAM.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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