Justification - Fair Opportunity FAR 16
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
The U.S. Department of State, on behalf of the Office of Inspector General (OIG), has issued a Justification for Exception to Fair Opportunity under FAR 16.507-6(b)(2). This action procures proprietary Gartner Research Services subscriptions as a Firm-Fixed-Price order from Gartner, Inc., citing Gartner as the sole provider of the required unique IT decision intelligence. This is not a solicitation for bids. The estimated cost for the base-plus-2-year subscription is $2,077,185.00.
Scope of Work
The requirement is for Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) proprietary Gartner subscriptions, including:
- One (1) Executive Programs v2 Guided Team – Team Leader license
- One (1) Executive Programs v2 Guided Team – Partner Member license
- Two (2) Executive Programs v2 Guided Team – CISO Self-Directed Member license
- One (1) Executive Programs v2 Guided Team – CDAO Guided Team Member
- Two (2) Executive Programs v2 Guided Team – Advisor Member license
These subscriptions provide market research tools, access to IT industry case studies, strategic advice, technical research documents, and support for IT practitioners and leadership.
Contract Details
- Contract Type: Firm-Fixed-Price order
- Period of Performance: June 1, 2026, to May 31, 2029 (Base-plus-2-year)
- Estimated Cost: $2,077,185.00
- Ordering Mechanism: Order under FEDLINK IDIQ LCFDL24D0001
- Awardee: Gartner, Inc., 56 Top Gallant Road, Stamford, CT
- Product/Service Code: R612 (Information Retrieval)
Eligibility / Set-Aside
This action is a Justification for Exception to Fair Opportunity under FAR 16.507-6(b)(2), which allows for limiting sources when only one awardee is capable of providing the unique or highly specialized supplies or services. Gartner is identified as the sole provider of specialized IT decision intelligence with unbiased research, proprietary data, and unique diagnostic tools.
Notes
Market research was conducted between December 18 and December 30, 2025. Pricing was determined to be fair and reasonable based on the IDIQ level, comparison to GSA schedules, and historical pricing data. Gartner's COTS licenses offer unique access to tools like the CDAO Effectiveness Diagnostic.
Submission & Evaluation
Not applicable, as this is a justification for an exception to fair opportunity, not a solicitation for proposals.