NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE Aeronautical Mobile Application (AMA) Follow-On Contract

NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE Description Under the authority of FAR 6.302-1, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) intends to issue a sole source contract to Hilton Software to continue support of the Aeronautical Mobile Application (AMA) software capabilities and services requirements. Purpose: The overall purpose of the AMA Program is to support NGA's requirement to provide and deliver aeronautical data and products for Safety of Navigation (SoN). AMA hosts time-sensitive critical aeronautical data in the cloud, enabling users to download it quickly, reliably, and securely. The data provides NGA's customers with the ability to utilize NGA-produced, customer hosted, aeronautical data and information, Flight Information Publications (FLIP) products, as well as emerging requirements and worldwide data, in the mobile environment. Established in 2011, AMA meets NGA customer demands of digital access to aeronautical products and data on a mobile platform in order to advance towards a paperless operating environment, while providing increased capabilities over NGA's current legacy paper products. Scope: To meet the purpose of this contract, the Contractor must perform the following work. Provide and maintain the capabilities of the AMA application software. Update the software in accordance with the backlog at the Government's direction. Maintain Software Whitelist Assurance Process (SWAP) compliance and remediate vulnerabilities to meet NGA's requirements for Authority to Operate (ATO). Whitelisting of AMA products on all necessary DoD and non-DoD systems. Migrate the software operations from the current Amazon Web Services (AWS) GovCloud and GitLab accounts to the NGA-approved enterprise environment and collaborate with and support a security and infrastructure contractor for securing an ATO for the program. Maintain and update the software to meet the Government's mission needs. Migration of AMA system including cloud storage, applications, all the codes, all data storage holdings including backups and archives, and application development from the Contactor's managed environment to NGA Cloud in multiple phases. Collaborate with and support the Security and Infrastructure Contractor managing the security and cloud infrastructure to support the cloud environment. Provide software maintenance, software enhancements, software development, testing, deployment, and operations and sustainment during the life of the contract. The AMA contract will be established as a hybrid contract consisting of a Firm-Fixed-Price and Time and Materials CLINs with a period of performance of one (1) base period of twelve (12) months, and two (2) option periods for twelve (12) months each. The anticipated base period of performance is 20 March 2024 through 19 March 2025. As stated in FAR 6.302-1 - Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Also, FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii)(A), - Award to any other source would result in substantial duplication of cost to the government that is not expected to be recovered through competition and/or unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency's requirements. Pursuant to FAR 6.302-1, market research identified only one vendor, Hilton Software, capable of meeting the Government's AS9100D certification requirement in addition to simultaneous IOS, Android, and Windows sustainment. AS9100D is a quality management system certification specific for aeronautical data. Due to the critical role that the AMA software plays with regards to the SoN, NGA views the AS9100D certification as an essential requirement to reduce the possibility of data or product errors that could cause the loss of life or an aircraft. Additionally, Hilton Software is utilizing proprietary code and processes that enable electronic geo-referencing of over 13 different NGA products for use on iOS, Android, and Windows tablets in a 2-3 day turn-around period every 28 days (AIRAC Cycle). If NGA were to use a new vendor, their data services process, and knowledge of Aero App must maintain the capabilities and performance specifications of the current applications to meet specialized NGA mission requirements. The result of transitioning to a new vendor would be cost prohibitive and increase the risk of certified products not being usable by NGA's DoD customers and foreign partners. Pursuant to FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii)(A), the Government also considered duplicated costs associated with awarding to a new contractor. Due to the nature of this work and related risk to the safety of aeronautical navigation, there can be no lapse in service. To ensure continuity of service, NGA would require a lengthy transition period (estimated 6 to 12 months) where both the current contractor and new contractor are performing. This period would be used to ensure that the contractor could successfully perform all required SOW tasks unassisted by incumbent contractor. Based upon current annual costs associated with AMA, the Government estimates that the duplicated costs associated with a transition period to be approximately $2M. Because the AMA supports such a large diversity of users both foreign and domestic, several other nations and U.S. agencies have entered into contracts with Hilton Software to provide enhancements and additional data to the application. The wide use of the application has created many dependencies that would be difficult if not impossible to manage if the AMA follow-on contract is awarded to a vendor other than Hilton Software. The management of these dependencies would also result in additional cost to those agencies. NGA conducted Market Research by using Internet searches and conducted searches through the General Services Administration (GSA). NGA also posted a Source Sought Solicitation to SAM.GOV from 03/30/2023 through 04/30/2023 to gauge interest from Industry. Nine potential vendors provided responses, however only one vendor, Hilton Software, was able to meet all of the government's requirements. For all the reasons stated in the previous paragraphs, NGA believes Hilton Software is the only source reasonably available to satisfy the requirements. This notice is in accordance with FAR Subpart 5.2 and is not a request for competitive proposals; however, the Government will consider responses from all responsible sources received within 15 days after date of publication of this notice. Responses must be supported with clear and convincing evidence to clearly be able to provide the services outlined in this notice. Any responses received will only be considered for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement in lieu of the sole source described in this notice, and such determination shall be made at the sole discretion of the Government. Responses are required to be sent via email to contact@example.gov.