FTC Awards $2.6M Contract for Electronic Security System Support to The Fields Group, LLC
Contract Overview
Contract Amount: $2,619,182 ($2.6M)
Contractor: THE Fields Group, LLC
Awarding Agency: Federal Trade Commission
Start Date: 2023-05-22
End Date: 2028-05-13
Contract Duration: 1,818 days
Daily Burn Rate: $1.4K/day
Competition Type: NOT AVAILABLE FOR COMPETITION
Number of Offers Received: 1
Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE
Sector: IT
Official Description: PROVIDE ELECTRONIC SECURITY SYSTEM (ESS) SUPPORT SERVICES
Place of Performance
Location: WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA County, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 20580
Plain-Language Summary
Federal Trade Commission obligated $2.6 million to THE FIELDS GROUP, LLC for work described as: PROVIDE ELECTRONIC SECURITY SYSTEM (ESS) SUPPORT SERVICES Key points: 1. Contract Value: $2.62 million over approximately 5 years. 2. Competition: Sole-source award, raising questions about price discovery. 3. Risk: Potential for inflated costs due to lack of competition. 4. Sector: Information Technology (Security Systems Services).
Value Assessment
Rating: questionable
The contract is a sole-source award, making a direct pricing comparison difficult. Without competitive bidding, it's hard to ascertain if the $2.62 million represents a fair market price for ESS support services.
Cost Per Unit: N/A
Competition Analysis
Competition Level: sole-source
This contract was awarded on a sole-source basis, meaning only one vendor was considered. This significantly limits price discovery and may lead to higher costs for taxpayers compared to a competitive process.
Taxpayer Impact: The lack of competition could result in the government paying more than necessary for these essential security services.
Public Impact
Essential security services for the FTC will be provided by a single vendor. Taxpayers may be overpaying due to the absence of competitive bidding. The long-term nature of the contract (nearly 5 years) amplifies the potential financial impact of the sole-source award.
Waste & Efficiency Indicators
Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10
Warning Flags
- Sole-source award limits competition and price discovery.
- Potential for overpayment due to lack of competitive pressure.
- Long contract duration increases financial risk.
Positive Signals
- Provides essential security services.
- Firm Fixed Price contract type offers some cost certainty.
Sector Analysis
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) operates within the IT sector, specifically focusing on security systems services. Spending benchmarks for similar contracts are difficult to establish without competitive data, but sole-source awards often indicate higher per-unit costs.
Small Business Impact
The contract was awarded to The Fields Group, LLC. Information regarding the company's size (small or large business) and its impact on small business subcontracting goals is not provided in the data.
Oversight & Accountability
The sole-source nature of this award warrants scrutiny from oversight bodies to ensure the FTC obtained the best possible value and that the justification for not competing the contract was sound.
Related Government Programs
- Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths)
- Federal Trade Commission Contracting
- Federal Trade Commission Programs
Risk Flags
- Sole-source award
- Lack of competitive bidding
- Potential for inflated pricing
- Limited transparency on justification for sole-source
Tags
security-systems-services-except-locksmi, federal-trade-commission, dc, definitive-contract, 1m-plus
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this federal contract paying for?
Federal Trade Commission awarded $2.6 million to THE FIELDS GROUP, LLC. PROVIDE ELECTRONIC SECURITY SYSTEM (ESS) SUPPORT SERVICES
Who is the contractor on this award?
The obligated recipient is THE FIELDS GROUP, LLC.
Which agency awarded this contract?
Awarding agency: Federal Trade Commission (Federal Trade Commission).
What is the total obligated amount?
The obligated amount is $2.6 million.
What is the period of performance?
Start: 2023-05-22. End: 2028-05-13.
What was the specific justification for awarding this contract on a sole-source basis?
The provided data does not include the justification for the sole-source award. Typically, such justifications would involve unique capabilities, urgent needs, or a lack of available sources. Further investigation would be required to understand the rationale behind bypassing the competitive bidding process for these electronic security system support services.
What is the estimated cost per year for these ESS support services?
With a total contract value of $2,619,182.21 and a duration of approximately 1818 days (about 5 years), the average annual cost can be estimated. Dividing the total value by the approximate duration in years (1818 days / 365.25 days/year ≈ 4.98 years) yields an estimated annual cost of roughly $525,940. This figure should be considered an average and actual yearly spending may fluctuate.
Are there any performance metrics or service level agreements (SLAs) associated with this contract?
The provided data does not specify performance metrics or Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for this contract. While the contract type is Firm Fixed Price, the absence of explicit performance standards makes it difficult to assess the effectiveness of the vendor's service delivery and ensure accountability for the $2.62 million investment.
Industry Classification
NAICS: Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services › Investigation and Security Services › Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths)
Product/Service Code: QUALITY CONTROL, TEST, INSPECTION › EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS TESTING
Competition & Pricing
Extent Competed: NOT AVAILABLE FOR COMPETITION
Solicitation Procedures: ONLY ONE SOURCE
Offers Received: 1
Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE (J)
Evaluated Preference: NONE
Contractor Details
Address: 8001 MANDAN RD STE 101, GREENBELT, MD, 20770
Business Categories: 8(a) Program Participant, Black American Owned Business, Category Business, Minority Owned Business, Self-Certified Small Disadvantaged Business, Small Business, Special Designations, U.S.-Owned Business, Veteran Owned Business
Financial Breakdown
Contract Ceiling: $3,177,384
Exercised Options: $2,619,182
Current Obligation: $2,619,182
Actual Outlays: $1,313,330
Contract Characteristics
Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS/SERVICES
Cost or Pricing Data: NO
Timeline
Start Date: 2023-05-22
Current End Date: 2028-05-13
Potential End Date: 2028-05-13 00:00:00
Last Modified: 2026-04-06
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