JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION 1. The Defense Logistics Agency, Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Medical Supplier Operations Directorate, is the contracting activity. 2. The action being approved is the ability to solicit for DLA requirements on an other than full and open competition basis. 3. The proposed bridge contract will provide for continuous contract coverage through DSCP's Medical Equipment Electronic Catalog (ECAT) program for the purchase of BCI 3303 GRAC Hand Held Pulse Oximeters including all accessories, repair parts, and consumables. Pulse oximeters, which measure the oxygen saturation level in the bloodstream, are critical items needed to provide quality medical care to deployed warfighters as well as military service members and their dependents in medical treatment facilities (MTFs). The BCI 3303 GRAC Hand Held Pulse Oximeter is the only pulse oximeter that has been designated by the services as a Patient Movement Item (PMI). Currently, only one ECAT vendor offers the BCI 3303 GRAC Hand Held Pulse Oximeter and its accessories, repair parts, and consumables, which is Smiths Medical. This action will result in a sole source contract with Smiths Medical for a six (6) month period bridging the gap between the current contract expiration date of December 21, 2009 and the award of a new contract to Smiths Medical which is currently in the evaluation process. The anticipated value of the proposed bridge contract is $150,000.00. For administrative purposes, the bridge award will use the same contract number (SPM200-05-D-8202) as the current contract. The same terms and conditions under the existing contract will be incorporated into the bridge contract. The effective period of the bridge contract will be from December 21, 2009 through June 21, 2010. 4. The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c) (1) as implemented by FAR 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. 5. The PMI program consists of designated medical equipment assets (including the consumable supplies needed for their proper use and maintainability) and their associated durable supplies necessary for patient transport. The mission of the PMI system is to support patients in- transit. PMI accompanies a patient throughout the chain of movement, from the originating MTF to the destination MTF, whether it is an intra-theater or inter-theater transfer. Logistics personnel must ensure that the PMI is available at the correct location and ready for immediate use. The Services selected the Smiths Medical BCI 3303GRAC Pulse Oximeter as the pulse oximeter for use in the PMI system. During the selection process, experts, consisting of clinicians, technicians, logisticians, and medical personnel, evaluated different manufacturers products against a set of Essential Characteristics (ECs) or minimum needs. These ECs define the critical features that each product had to meet to be considered for the PMI program. Critical features were verified through testing in an operational environment to simulate use in expected clinical and environmental conditions. Specific areas/critical features that were evaluated and found to be favorable for the Smiths Medical Pulse Oximeter include: longer overall life expectancy; lower overall operating costs; and lower overall manpower and personnel requirements. Man hour requirements were evaluated in the following areas: field support repair, preventative maintenance (PM), safety, and ease of calibration. It is critical that DoD maintain the ability to purchase the BCI 3303GRAC Pulse Oximeter as well as its accessories, repair parts, and consumables so that this standardized item is available for purchase within the PMI program and so that replacement parts, consumables and supplies for the BCI 3303GRAC Pulse Oximeter are available for purchase to service the several units that are already in use by the Services. 6. This bridge contract will be synopsized in FedBizOpps in accordance with FAR 5.202. As stated previously, there is an open season solicitation in place and this solicitation was issued on a full and open competition basis. 7. I hereby determine that the anticipated cost of this bridge contract will be fair and reasonable based on comparison with the current contract. Pricing under the proposed bridge contract will be the same as the current contract, which was determined fair and reasonable based on a comparison with commercial pricing. The same contract terms and conditions in the current contract will apply under this bridge contract. 8. As part of its selection process for the PMI pulse oximeter, the Services performed extensive market research. All current pulse oximeters on the market were considered. Their determination is periodically reviewed as the need arises in order to keep up with the latest state of the art technology. The Services continue to consider all pulse oximeters on the market during these subsequent reviews. Additionally, all potential sources of air certified pulse oximeters were solicited under the current Open Season solicitation which was issued February 9, 2007 and closes January 29, 2012. As of February 24, 2009 there have been 46 offers received in response to the open season solicitation however, no other firms offered the BCI 3303 GRAC Hand Held Pulse Oximeter. 9. Smiths Medical has responded to the new Medical Equipment ECAT solicitation, and its new contract is expected to be awarded within the six (6) month bridge period, effective December 22, 2009 through June 21, 2010. This bridge contract shall stay in place only until the effective date of the new contract, which will be awarded under full and open competition. Should the new contract become effective before the six (6) month bridge term ends, the new contract will take precedence over the bridge contract. 10. Smiths Medical is the only source expressing an interest in the proposed bridge contract. 11. The Open Season provides the opportunity for firms to submit offers until the closing date of January 29, 2012. All such future acquisitions will also be solicited on a full and open competition basis. 12. As the Contracting Officer, I hereby certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.
