Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition (Brand Name) Pile Repair Demonstration Modification P00002 to Purchase Order W912HZ-16-P-0097 with Quakewrap, Inc. Proposed Product: 1. Identification of Agency and Contracting Authority: The ERDC Contracting Office (ECO) is located at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS 39180-6199. This document constitutes a justification and approval for other than full and open competition. 2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is seeking expedient repair technologies for damaged and/or deteriorated timber and concrete piles that are part of overwater pier/wharf structures. Piles are damaged/deteriorated from outside influences such as marine organisms, rot, and impact, resulting in reduced load allowances and usability for the pier structure. Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies such as pile jacketing can provide a quick and less costly alternative to pile replacement in these situations. While jacketing is specifically mentioned, any other technologies that can expediently reinforce a pile back to its original structural capacity are also of interest. 3. Description of the product required to meet the agency's needs: The subject firm fixed price contract number W912HZ-16-P-0097 was issued on 20 July 2016 to Quakewrap, Inc. for a Pile Repair Demonstration for the Engineer Research and Development Center's (ERDC) Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL). The award was issued in the amount of $14,000.00 for the Base Task and $37,360.00 for the Option 1 Task and the Option 2 Task. However, because the Army unit that will be participating in the pile repair demonstration requires additional piles to be repaired as part of the Option 2 Task, a contract modification is necessary in order to purchase the additional piles from Quakewrap, Inc. 4. Identification of Statutory Authority permitting other than full and open competition: Contracting without providing for full and open competition under this acquisition may be accomplished pursuant to the authority of 48 CFR, Section 13.106-1 as implemented by FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i). 5. Demonstration of the proposed contractor's unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited: A total of three contracts were awarded to three separate vendors under Request for Quotation W912HZ-16-Q-6248. Each of the contracts was for a base task with two option tasks. The base task consisted of a demonstration of the vendor's product on dry land. The first option task consisted of a demonstration of the vendor's product in water, and the second option task consisted of an operational utility assessment of the vendor's product while the product is being installed by an Army unit. Because the Army unit is adding a quantity of 84 piles to be repaired as part of the Option 2 Task under this particular contract with Quakewrap, Inc, no other manufacturer is capable of providing the specific wraps and associated hardware to be used as part of this task. These items are proprietary to Quakewrap, Inc. and are not available for purchase from any other vendor. 6. A description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many sources as is practicable: In accordance with FAR 5.2, Synopses of Proposed Contract Actions, for acquisitions of supplies and services which are expected to exceed $25,000, notification of the proposed contract action must be made available by notification to the government point of entry (GPE) at http://www.fbo.gov. The anticipated award amount for this requirement was more than $25,000.00. Therefore, a combined synopsis/solicitation was posted to the Federal Business Opportunities website on 11 May 2016 under NAICS code 325520 (Adhesive Manufacturing) with a small business size standard of 500 employees. As of 03 June 2016, six (6) responses were received. Three of these vendors were selected for award, and three of these vendors participated in the initial pile repair demonstration. 7. A determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated costs to the Government will be fair and reasonable: The independent government estimate, catalog prices, and the laboratory's technical representative's knowledge of the industry will be used to determine if the quoted price is fair and reasonable. 8. A description of the market research conducted and the results or a statement of the reasons a market survey was not conducted: Market research was conducted for this requirement via internet searches and knowledge of the market for these commercial items. A Request for Information was posted to the Federal Business Opportunities website on 11 January 2016. Interested organizations having applicable mature pile repair technologies were invited to submit a White Paper detailing the specifications of these technologies. Based on the market research conducted for this requirement, there was a reasonable expectation of obtaining quotes from two or more small businesses. However, in order to obtain the widest selection of available technologies, including technologies proposed by research universities, this was competed on an unrestricted basis using full and open competition. Consequently, a combined synopsis/solicitation was posted to the Federal Business Opportunities website on 11 May 2016 under NAICS code 325520 (Adhesive Manufacturing) with a small business size standard of 500 employees. As of 03 June 2016, six (6) responses were received. Three of these vendors were selected for award, and three of these vendors participated in the initial pile repair demonstration.
