Description
This is a Brand Name requirement. Requirements: (1)The lease for 12 months of software licensing tokens for the use of Dassault Systèmes Simulia Corp.computer programs: ABAQUS/Standard, ABAQUS/Explicit, ABAQUS/Aqua, ABAQUS/Design, andABAQUS/CAE in the quantities listed below. The period of performance is one (1) year from the date ofaward. The current license expires on or about March 18, 2022. Qty Description 40 ABAQUS Analysis Tokens 8 ABAQUS/CAE Tokens (2)Twelve months of maintenance, enhancement, and support for the software computer programs listed inrequirement (1). Utilization: ABAQUS finite element software is used in the structural analysis of spaceflight hardware and ground support equipment on multiple programs and projects, including the Space Launch System (SLS) Booster, Stages, and Payload Integration elements, the Commercial Crew Program (CCP), Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV), and various advanced technology development efforts. Use of the software is anticipated on upcoming efforts for the Human Landing System (HLS) and the lunar Gateway. Civil servants and support contractors in the following organizations will use the computer programs identified in the requirements: Structural Design, Development, and Analysis Branch/EV32, Life Support, Thermal & Mechanical Analysis Branch/ES22, Structural and Dynamics Analysis Branch/ER41, Damage Tolerance Assessment Branch/EM21, Metal Joining & Processes Branch/EM32, and the Advanced Manufacturing Branch/EM42. ABAQUS has been in use at the Marshall Space Flight Center for approximately 30 years. A significant amount of labor hours has been invested in learning and using ABAQUS software, and this knowledge is not directly applicable to any other software provided by any other source. ABAQUS will continue to be used to perform complex structural analyses involving material nonlinearities, contact, thermo-mechanical interaction, stability and buckling, and fracture mechanics. The ABAQUS software lease renewal is necessary and urgent to provide continued structural analysis support to the MSFC Engineering Directorate. Failure to procure this lease renewal will be detrimental to analysis capabilities and result in cost and schedule impacts to the projects that rely on ABAQUS as an analysis tool. There is no change in the number of licenses being procured compared to last year. Brand Name Justification: ☒I recommend that NASA, NASA Shared Services Center negotiate only with vendors who can provide the subject brand name fromDassault Systemes for ABAQUS Software License Renewal. The total estimated cost of this effort is $156,050.00 and the estimatedperiod of performance or lead-time for delivery is 12 months beginning on or about 3/18/2022. This recommendation is for the acquisition of supplies or services determined to be reasonably available from only one source/onlyone manufacture. Competition is impractical for the following reasons (please answer the questions below): 3 V2.4 Jan 2022 3 V2.4 JAN 2022 1.What are the reasons for soliciting only the suggested source/suggested brand name? Please provide the unique characteristicsof the items or services along with the supporting rationale and the market research performed to substantiate your reason for thesuggested source/brand name. ABAQUS software has been in use at the Marshall Space Flight Center for 30 years. A significant amout of labor hours has beeninvested in learning and using ABAQUS software, and this knowledge is not directly applicable to any other software provided by anyother source. ABAQUS has unique capabilities to perform complex structural analyses involving material and geometricnonlinearities, contact, thermo-mechanical interaction, stability and buckling, and fracture mechanics. ABAQUS software is used byother NASA centers and prime contractors to MSFC for verifying structural integrity of spaceflight hardware on programs such asSpace Launch System (SLS). ABAQUS is the only software that engineers at MSFC can use to conduct technical oversight byimmediately and independently re-running contractor-generated ABAQUS analyses. Maintaining expertise with the software isrequired for the MSFC to efficiently interact with these organizations and to maintain technical excellence. 2.What is the impact to the government if another vendor/brand is used? Include any dollar, schedule, or compatibility impacts if possible. Competing commercial software products such as ANSYS and NASTRAN are already in use at the MSFC and are procured viaseparate acquisitions at costs comparable to this effort. However, it is the opinion of knowledgeable technical experts at the MSFCthat none of the competing products obviate the need for ABAQUS. Failure to procure this lease renewal will be detrimental toanalysis capabilities and result in inestimable cost and schedule impacts to the programs such as SLS and Commercial Crew Programthat rely on ABAQUS as an analysis tool because (1) users will have to be re-trained on other software, (2) additional seats of othersoftware may need to be purchased to make up for the loss of the ABAQUS software, (3) legacy models may need to be converted toother analysis codes, and (4) some types of structural analyses may not be able to be performed as adequately in other software aswith the ABAQUS software. No other software is capable of reading and solving contractor-generated ABAQUS models withouttranslating the models to another software code, a process that is potentially time consuming and at risk of changing the analyticalresults. Period of Performance: 3/19/2022 to 3/18/2023. Delivery Date: 7 ARO