DHS Medical Supplies BPA Sole Source Justification

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) intends to extend existing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Medical Supplies Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) for one month, from December 25, 2022, to January 24, 2023. This sole-source justification, under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 3304(c) for unusual and compelling urgency, is necessary because the current BPAs expire on December 24, 2022, and a new competitive acquisition will not be in place until the second quarter of fiscal year 2023. The extension is crucial to prevent a gap in essential medical supplies for DHS components, which include medicines, first aid supplies, AEDs, and PPE. The delay in the new solicitation is partly due to new legal requirements from the Make PPE in America Act. Without this extension, the DHS mission would be jeopardized, potentially leading to life/safety concerns due to a lack of critical medical supplies, especially given ongoing supply chain challenges. Market research supports the reasonableness of costs and indicates numerous vendors are interested in the future competitive solicitation, which is expected to be a partial small business set-aside.