Notice of Award and Posting of Sole Source Justification

This contract is a sole-source bridge task order issued under the GSA Federal Supply Schedule contract No. 47QTCB21D0153 to Clark Baty Associates Inc., a small business participating in the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program, to ensure uninterrupted provision of critical Information Assurance and cybersecurity services to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s classified NSIR systems. The award was made under GSAR 538.7104-3(b)(ii) and authorized by FAR 6.302-1 and FAR 19.808-1, citing the unique and compelling urgency created by ongoing delays in the competitive follow-on acquisition due to Q-clearance processing constraints and the contractor’s irreplaceable institutional knowledge of the NRC’s classified environment. Transitioning to any other contractor during this bridge period would introduce unacceptable risks including operational disruption, duplication of effort, increased costs, and potential compliance failures. The contractor, currently performing the requirement, holds all necessary Q-clearances and complies with DoD 8140.01, DoD 8570.01M, NIST, CNSS, and FISMA standards, making them the only source capable of maintaining continuous, secure system accreditation without interruption. The contract has a fixed-price structure with an estimated total value of $600,000 and a performance period spanning six months from June 17, 2026, to December 16, 2026, with a single three-month option period extending through March 16, 2027. Performance occurs primarily at the NRC’s facility in Rockville, Maryland, though contractor personnel are based in Washington, DC. No line-item pricing, CLINs, or detailed deliverables are itemized, but the scope centers on continuous IA analysis, vulnerability management, system accreditation support, and compliance monitoring. The contracting officer is Pallavi Cherukuri, with Richard Petrucelli serving as the Contracting Officer’s Representative, and the acquisition is funded under Requisition NSIR-26-0032. The contract deliberately omits standard FAR Part 52 clauses or detailed inspection protocols, relying instead on the overarching authority of the sole-source justification and the inherent necessity of continuity given the classified nature of the work. The award leverages the 8(a) program’s small business set-aside rules with a formal justification filed and approved under FAR 19