Notice of Intent to Negotiate and Award a Short-Term Contract Extension to Contract No. NRC-33-08-389

NRC intends to negotiate and award an extension to Contract No. NRC-33-08-389 ("the current contract") with FedConsulting, Inc. (FCI) for continuation of highly important Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Support Services. The short-term extension will allow NRC to maintain continuity of those support services while NRC conducts the evaluation of a very large number of proposals received under Solicitation No. NRC-HQ-12-R-33-0165 ("the solicitation"; see https://www.fbo.gov/spg/NRC/OA/DCPM/NRC-HQ-12-R-33-0165/listing.html) for the replacement contract and selects the awardee of that new contract. A very large number of proposals received in response to the solicitation are currently under evaluation by NRC; however, because of a number of factors that have significantly complicated the evaluation of those proposals, award cannot be made before the current contract expires on September 30, 2013. The period of performance for the contract extension will be three (3) months, starting on October 1, 2013, through December 31, 2013, plus one three-month option to extend the term of the contract if that should become necessary. FCI has the necessary knowledge, experience, and staff to maintain services currently being performed under the contract while the source selection process under the solicitation is completed. FCI is the only source that can seamlessly perform those requirements while NRC completes its evaluation and award process for the follow-on acquisition. It is not feasible to award a new contract to provide the required support between now and award of the follow-on contract for the following reasons: - A new contractor would require several months to be able to comply with NRC Security standards. - It would not be cost effective for the NRC to negotiate and award the short-term contract with any source besides FCI. If NRC were to do so, NRC would incur thousands of dollars in transition costs and those costs may very well have to be incurred yet again after the award of the follow-on contract. That duplication of costs could not be recovered by NRC through competition or any other means. The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition for this contract extension is 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1, which provides for limiting competition in those situations where only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. No source other than the incumbent can satisfy this short-term need given the transition period that would be required, and conducting a follow-on acquisition for this need would result in unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency's requirements.