GT2019B ACADEMI TRAINING CENTER FOR RET

Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition (Domestic Contracting) 1. The Office of Mobile Security Deployments (DS/T/MSD) recommends that the Department of State Acquisitions Management use other than full and open competition for the facilities rental needed to support specialized tactical training scheduled June 16- 29, 2019. The vendor: Academi Training Center {dba ACADEMI: DUNS 012418161), PO Box 1029, 850 Puddio Ridge Road, Moyock, North Carolina 27958-8679. The estimated cost is $. 2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved The acquisition and pricing are based on existing Contract Number GS07F0149K. This justification is for acquisition of facilities at Academi Training Center to accommodate specialized tactical training June 16 - 29, 2019 3. A description of the supplies or services required to meet the Department's needs. In order to support the Bureau's mission of providing a safe and secure environment for the conduct of U.S. foreign policy, MSD performs three primary missions: Integrated Mobile Training Team (IMTT) missions provide security training and exercises for overseas posts, Security Support Team (SST) missions provide enhanced security for overseas posts, and Tactical Support Team (TST) missions provide a counter-assault capability for domestic and overseas protective security details. MSD agents are required to receive intensive tactical security training to accomplish SST and TST missions. Part of this preparedness raining includes armament team training. MSD conducts training in a wide variety of tactical measures designed to allow them to perform appropriately in any environment. Part of the MSD curriculum involves training in Room Entry Tactics (RET). The first part of RET training is done using Ultimate Training Munitions (UTM) type, non-lethal training rounds that permit our agents to conduct RET but in a less strict environment than that required for live fire exercises. The second part, the more advanced training, involves RET live fire exercises. To accomplish this, special equipped facilities that permit special ammunition for "live-fire shooting" are utilized. In addition, during the RET training MSD personnel are trained in the use of breaching techniques to include ballistic and mechanical breaching. The RET training supports and is a vital component in accomplishing all three MSD mission sets as agents will have to instruct supporting units overseas in RET and be able to employ these tactics in operational environments. MSD requires a Live Fire Flat Range with cleanup, Role Players for Force on Force training, and a Live Fire Shoot House {LFSH) capable of supporting all facets of RET to include, 5.56mm live fire, 9mm live fire, use of Diversionary Devices, ballistic breaching, mechanical breaching, center fed rooms, comer fed rooms, hallways, "X" intersections, "T" intersections, "L" intersections, stairwells, multiple entrances/exits, various room sizes/ configurations, and at least two levels with catwalks over each level. It is necessary that the LFSH rooms be re-configurable for furniture location and has on-site support staff capable of repairing breached doors on request from the instructors. Academi Training Center facilities meet and exceed these requirements. 4. An identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition. The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is authority FAR 8.405 -6 (1), only one source is capable of responding due to the unique or specialized nature of the work. 5. A demonstration that the proposed contractor's unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition require s used of the authority cited. The facilities at Academi Training Center, located in Moyock, NC, allow us to train with UTMs and live fire. Their facilities can accommodate the full array of RET training requirement in one centrally located facility while allowing the Department of State to utilize Dos instructors. In addition, the variety of and the various outdoor shooting ranges gives us more flexibility in our training and allows us to train our agents to a higher level than possible at any other training facility. MSD is justifying the use of Academi Training Center facility as one of the only two sites that had availability and the specialized facilities that suited the MSD training mission. This training facility meets the needs of this office's training program while saving approximately $ in training facility costs. 6. A description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as is practicable. To the best of our knowledge, Academi Training Center is one of the closest facilities that can accommodate our MSD agent specific live-fire training requirements. Academi Training Center and Panthera Training Center (PTC) are the only two facilities that will allow the Department of State to utilize facilities (ranges, shoot houses) without hiring the company's instructors. Due to current budget constraint s and direction from OS management, our office has made every attempt to accommodate training requirements within our Bureau. While DS/T/MSD can provide its own instructors, we do not have the facilities required to accommodate the training; the Interim Training Facility has no facility for live fire. MSD is also under guidance that we can only use eleven specific approved facilities when our instructors are providing training. Of the eleven only four have at least one LFSH facility. Of the four, Mid-South Self Defense Shooting in Mississippi and O'Gara Training Facilities in Montrose, VA and Alton, VA fail to meet all the requirements in paragraph three above. Of the two remaining, PTC and Academi Training Center, it comes down to cost differences between the two. 7. A determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable. The Contracting Office has determined that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable. Academi Training Center and Linxx/PTC are the only two facilities that will allow the Department of State to utilize facilities (ranges/shoot houses) without hiring the company's instructors. Academi Training Center facilities will cost the government approximately $ and PTC will cost the government approximately $, based on pricing established under the Linxx Global Solutions Contract# SAQMMA11D0089. Using Academi Training Center will save the government approximately $ over the next available vendor while adding more flexibility to the training, as PTC only has one LFSH and Academi Training Center offers several training venues to support live -fire training. 8. A description of the market survey conducted and the results or a statement of the reasons a market survey was not conducted. A market survey was conducted within the constraints outlined above via internet searches, telephone calls, receiving a quote from Academi Training Center and reviewing existing contract data with PTC. MSD is under guidance that we can only use eleven specific approved facilities when our instructors are doing the training, of the eleven only four have at least one LFSH facility. Of the four, Mid-South Self Defense Shooting in Mississippi and O'Gara Training Facilities in Montrose, VA and Alton, VA fail to meet all the requirements in paragraph three above. Of the two remaining, PTC and Academi Training Center, it comes down to cost differences between the two. 9. Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition. As prescribed above, there are only two facilities in the region which allow this office to conduct live-fire shoot house training, utilizing our instructor cadre and subject matter experts. The deciding factor to seek a training event at Academi Training Center was first and foremost based on cost savings to the Government. Second to that is the facility itself; with multiple live-fire shoot houses, Academi Training Center offers a diverse and ideal facility at which to conduct our initial agent training in a very technical and critical life-safety skillset. 10. A listing of sources, if any, that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition. None 11. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services required. This Justification and Approval (J&A) for other than full and open competition will be published on FedBizOpps in accordance with FAR Section 6.305 within 14 days of award or within 30 days if the J&A is for unusual and compelling urgency.