National Obesity Prevention and Healthy Lifestyle Ad Campaigns

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition Justification 1. Contracting Agency and Activity. Program Office Health and Human Services - Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs 200 Independence Ave, SW Room 647D Washington, DC 20201 Contracting Office US Department of the Interior - National Business Center Acquisition Services Directorate 381 Elden St, Ste 4000 Herndon, VA 20170 2. Nature of Action Being Approved. This action seeks to establish a firm fixed price purchase order with The Advertising Council (AdCouncil) to provide advertising and marketing support for the project entitled "National Obesity Prevention and Healthy Lifestyle Campaign". The purchase order will include a base year and one twelve month option period. 3. Description of Supplies or Services. The vendor will support the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by providing services to include advertising support, planning, and dissemination of public service announcements specifically directed at obesity prevention utilizing multiple distribution means. 4. Estimated Dollar Value. Base Period: $2,487,339.00 Option Period: $2,576,478.00 Total: $5,063,817.00 5. Statutory Authority. FAR 6.302-1 - Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. 6. Rationale Supporting Use of Citation in No. 5. HHS has a continuing requirement for advertising support for public service advisories relating to the campaign entitled "National Obesity Prevention and Healthy Lifestyle Campaign." This campaign was started under a previous award issued by HHS to the AdCouncil under award number HHSP23320084250EC. This award was made using ARRA funds which have since expired, yet there is a continuing need by HHS to complete this campaign which was not completed under the HHS award. As the AdCouncil is two years into the effort, they have corporate knowledge from the initial work performed. Additionally, they have materials from the previous effort which may still be used on the new contract. The AdCouncil has unique advantages that other advertising companies can not match. The AdCouncil is a not-for-profit and the largest provider of public service announcements in the US. As the largest provider, the AdCouncil has access to over 33,000 different distribution sources and locations across the US. The majority of commercial advertising agencies do not have this full outreach. Using the AdCouncil provides a significant economic savings to HHS as well. These savings are in the estimated amount of nearly $30 million. These savings are achieved because the AdCouncil receives all of its advertising time in media sources such as television and radio for free. Additionally, nearly all commercial advertising groups that work with the AdCouncil on advertising campaigns donate, on average, more than 2,000 hours of labor per campaign. 7. Other Information. Provide any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition, such as: N/A 8. Efforts to Identify Additional Sources. There are commercial sources for advertising and marketing support in the marketplace, including the GSA Schedule, but they do not have the outreach that the AdCouncil has. Additionally, the AdCouncil does not have a GSA Schedule. When inquiring about competing the requirement on an open market basis, the AdCouncil identified that it probably would not compete as it would be competing against the same companies that it relies upon to donate time and resources to the AdCouncil in all of their campaign efforts. 9. Future Plans to Permit Competition. At this time, this requirement will not be competed if a continuing need exists after the two years of support is provided. A new determination will be made at that time upon the best method to obtain the services if there is a valid bona-fide-need. 10. Market Survey. Describe the market search, including: Market research has included GSA's eLibrary and discussion with the AdCouncil regarding their not-for-profit activities and the methods used. 11. Recommendation and Certification It is determined to be in the best interest of the Department of the Interior to award a purchase order to The Advertising Council to provide advertising support to HHS.