U099 - SOLE SOURCE - Columbia University Executive Development Program

The U.S. Navy, through the NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Mechanicsburg Office, has issued a sole source firm fixed price contract to The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York for the enrollment of four Navy Captains in the Executive Development Program titled “Leading Into The Future,” scheduled for May 11 to 22, 2026. This procurement is justified under FAR Part 12 as a commercial acquisition, with sole source justification based on the exclusive scheduling and structure of the university’s executive education programs, which leave the Department of the Navy with no operational control over timing or location. The selected Captains independently chose Columbia’s session due to its alignment with their personal and professional availability, and no competitive process is feasible given the nature of the offering. The contract involves four distinct firm fixed price line items, each covering one participant’s tuition, though specific pricing details are not disclosed. Performance occurs at Columbia University in New York, while delivery and acceptance of contractual deliverables are to be completed at the designated government location in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, under F.O.B. Destination terms, meaning risk transfers to the government upon arrival. Payment must be processed via Wide Area WorkFlow (WAWF), and no formal evaluation factors or scoring criteria apply due to the sole source nature of the award. The contracting officer, Kaitlin O’Brien, serves as the primary point of contact, with no designated COR or COTR identified. The contract incorporates numerous FAR and DFARS clauses related to commercial item acquisition, cybersecurity, safeguarding covered defense information, subcontractor restrictions, whistleblower protections, and prohibitions on foreign-sourced equipment and services, including compliance with NIST SP 800-171 for Controlled Unclassified Information. Representations and certifications by Columbia University are required under clauses addressing entity identification, socioeconomic status, and former defense official compensation, but no specific completed representations are included. Challenges to the sole source decision must be submitted in writing by the response deadline of May 1, 2026, and must demonstrate an equivalent service capable of meeting the government’s needs. No attachments are listed in Section J, and no packaging, preservation, or marking details are specified in the available documentation, with the contract value remaining unstated.