Exception to Fair Opportunity-Exceeding the SAT

The Department of Commerce, through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Acquisition and Grants Office in Norfolk, Virginia, issued a contract modification on June 3, 2019, to CyberData Technologies, Inc. This action pertains to Task Order ST133W17NC0776 under Contract HHSN316201200076W and was executed on a sole-source basis in accordance with FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(B), as CyberData is uniquely qualified to provide the specialized services required. The modification ensures continued support of the National Weather Service’s National Centers for Environmental Prediction, specifically the NCEP Central Operations Weather and Climate Computing Infrastructure Services. This support is maintained during a statutory stay related to a protest of the competed award, with the modification extending services through August 7, 2019. The contract modification is classified under NAICS code 541512, indicating it involves computer systems design services. The contract specialist overseeing the modification is Heather Saunders, who operates from the NOAA office in Norfolk. This modification was necessary to maintain uninterrupted operations of the critical computing infrastructure supporting national weather and climate data processing during the period when the protest delayed performance of the newly competed award. The justification for this sole-source award, citing the uniqueness and highly specialized nature of the services, was officially approved and publicly posted as part of the award announcement.