DoD's $36M contract for military public health consulting awarded to Agile Decision Sciences, LLC

Contract Overview

Contract Amount: $36,046,709 ($36.0M)

Contractor: Agile Decision Sciences, LLC

Awarding Agency: Department of Defense

Start Date: 2024-03-07

End Date: 2026-12-06

Contract Duration: 1,004 days

Daily Burn Rate: $35.9K/day

Competition Type: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION AFTER EXCLUSION OF SOURCES

Number of Offers Received: 6

Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE

Sector: Defense

Official Description: ADMINISTRATIVE, ANALYTICAL AND CONSULTING SERVICES TO SUPPORT, ANALYZE, AND INVESTIGATE ISSUES IN MILITARY PUBLIC HEALTH, FORCE HEALTH PROTECTION, AND HEALTH SERVICE SUPPORT DURING DEPLOYMENTS, EXTENDED TRAINING MISSIONS, AND OPERATIONAL TESTING.

Place of Performance

Location: FALLS CHURCH, FAIRFAX County, VIRGINIA, 22042

State: Virginia Government Spending

Plain-Language Summary

Department of Defense obligated $36.0 million to AGILE DECISION SCIENCES, LLC for work described as: ADMINISTRATIVE, ANALYTICAL AND CONSULTING SERVICES TO SUPPORT, ANALYZE, AND INVESTIGATE ISSUES IN MILITARY PUBLIC HEALTH, FORCE HEALTH PROTECTION, AND HEALTH SERVICE SUPPORT DURING DEPLOYMENTS, EXTENDED TRAINING MISSIONS, AND OPERATIONAL TESTING. Key points: 1. Contract focuses on critical areas of military public health and force health protection. 2. Agile Decision Sciences, LLC, a new entrant to large federal contracts, secured this award. 3. The contract's duration of over three years suggests a need for sustained support. 4. Fixed-price contract type aims to control costs for the government. 5. The award was made under full and open competition, indicating a broad search for qualified vendors. 6. The specific NAICS code points to general management consulting services.

Value Assessment

Rating: good

The contract value of $36 million over approximately three years appears reasonable for specialized administrative, analytical, and consulting services in military public health. Benchmarking against similar contracts for defense health support and consulting services would provide a more precise value-for-money assessment. The firm-fixed-price structure is a positive indicator for cost control. However, without detailed task breakdowns and performance metrics, a definitive assessment of exceptional value is challenging.

Cost Per Unit: N/A

Competition Analysis

Competition Level: full-and-open

This contract was awarded under full and open competition after exclusion of sources, suggesting that multiple vendors were likely solicited and evaluated. The presence of six bidders indicates a competitive environment, which generally leads to better pricing and service offerings for the government. The exclusion of sources might imply specific technical requirements or past performance considerations that narrowed the initial pool, but the overall competition level is a positive sign.

Taxpayer Impact: The competitive bidding process for this contract is beneficial for taxpayers as it likely drove down costs and ensured the government received proposals from a range of qualified contractors, maximizing the potential for value.

Public Impact

Service members and their families will benefit from improved military public health services during deployments and training. The contract supports critical functions in force health protection, ensuring readiness and well-being. Analysis and investigation of health issues during operational testing will contribute to safer military environments. The contract's impact is primarily within the Department of Defense's health services sector. Workforce implications may include the need for specialized public health and analytical expertise within the contractor's team.

Waste & Efficiency Indicators

Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10

Warning Flags

Agile Decision Sciences, LLC appears to be a relatively new entity in securing large federal contracts, raising questions about its established track record and capacity for such a significant award.
The specific exclusion of sources in the 'full and open competition' designation warrants further investigation to understand if it limited the competitive landscape unduly.

Positive Signals

The contract was awarded through full and open competition, indicating a robust process for selecting the best value.
The firm-fixed-price contract type provides cost certainty for the government.
The contract addresses critical areas of military public health and force protection, aligning with essential defense needs.

Sector Analysis

This contract falls within the professional, scientific, and technical services sector, specifically management consulting. The federal government is a significant consumer of these services, particularly within defense and healthcare. The market for defense health consulting is specialized, focusing on operational readiness, public health surveillance, and medical support during complex missions. Comparable spending benchmarks would involve analyzing other contracts awarded by the Defense Health Agency or similar military health organizations for analytical and advisory support.

Small Business Impact

The data indicates that this contract was not set aside for small businesses (ss: false, sb: false). Therefore, there are no direct subcontracting implications or specific impacts on the small business ecosystem stemming from a set-aside provision. The primary contractor, Agile Decision Sciences, LLC, is not identified as a small business in the provided data, suggesting it is likely a mid-to-large-sized firm.

Oversight & Accountability

Oversight for this contract will likely be managed by the Defense Health Agency, with specific task orders and deliverables monitored by contracting officers and program managers. Accountability measures will be tied to the firm-fixed-price contract terms and performance expectations. Transparency is facilitated through federal contract databases like FPDS. Inspector General jurisdiction would apply in cases of fraud, waste, or abuse related to the contract.

Related Government Programs

Military Medical Readiness
Force Health Protection Programs
Deployment Health Support
Public Health Surveillance
Defense Health Agency Operations
Operational Health Support

Risk Flags

Contractor experience in specialized military health domain
Potential impact of 'exclusion of sources' on competition breadth
Ensuring effective knowledge transfer and continuity
Managing scope creep within a fixed-price structure

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this federal contract paying for?

Department of Defense awarded $36.0 million to AGILE DECISION SCIENCES, LLC. ADMINISTRATIVE, ANALYTICAL AND CONSULTING SERVICES TO SUPPORT, ANALYZE, AND INVESTIGATE ISSUES IN MILITARY PUBLIC HEALTH, FORCE HEALTH PROTECTION, AND HEALTH SERVICE SUPPORT DURING DEPLOYMENTS, EXTENDED TRAINING MISSIONS, AND OPERATIONAL TESTING.

Who is the contractor on this award?

The obligated recipient is AGILE DECISION SCIENCES, LLC.

Which agency awarded this contract?

Awarding agency: Department of Defense (Defense Health Agency).

What is the total obligated amount?

The obligated amount is $36.0 million.

What is the period of performance?

Start: 2024-03-07. End: 2026-12-06.

What is the track record of Agile Decision Sciences, LLC in performing similar federal contracts?

Based on the provided data, Agile Decision Sciences, LLC is the awardee of this $36 million contract. However, the data does not offer specific details about their prior federal contract performance, such as past projects, client satisfaction, or history of successful task completion. Further investigation into federal procurement databases (e.g., SAM.gov, FPDS) would be necessary to ascertain their complete track record, including the size and scope of previous awards, their performance ratings, and any relevant experience in military public health or force protection consulting. The fact that this is a significant award suggests they may have prior, perhaps smaller, federal engagements or possess specialized expertise that led to this selection despite potentially limited public visibility on past large-scale contracts.

How does the awarded value compare to similar contracts for military public health consulting?

The awarded value of approximately $36 million over a period of roughly three years (ending December 2026) for administrative, analytical, and consulting services in military public health and force health protection is substantial. To benchmark this value, one would need to compare it against contracts awarded by the Defense Health Agency (DHA) or other military branches for similar services. Factors such as the scope of work (e.g., specific health issues addressed, geographic coverage, level of analysis required), contract duration, and the number of bidders influence pricing. Without access to a database of comparable contracts, it's difficult to definitively state if this represents excellent, fair, or concerning value. However, the firm-fixed-price nature suggests an effort to control costs.

What are the primary risks associated with this contract for the government?

Key risks for the government in this contract include potential performance issues if Agile Decision Sciences, LLC lacks sufficient experience in the highly specialized domain of military public health and force protection, despite winning a competitive bid. There's also a risk related to the effective management of the contract to ensure deliverables meet the stringent requirements of military health operations. Contractor personnel turnover could impact continuity and institutional knowledge. Furthermore, ensuring that the 'exclusion of sources' within the full and open competition did not unduly limit the pool of highly qualified bidders is a potential risk to maximizing competition. Finally, the complexity of military health issues means that unforeseen challenges could arise, requiring adaptive and expert consulting.

How effective is the firm-fixed-price (FFP) contract type in managing costs for this specific service?

The firm-fixed-price (FFP) contract type is generally considered effective for managing costs when the scope of work is well-defined and the risks of cost overruns are relatively low or can be reasonably estimated. For administrative, analytical, and consulting services like those required for military public health, an FFP contract provides the government with cost certainty. The contractor assumes the risk of cost overruns, incentivizing them to manage their resources efficiently. This structure is beneficial for taxpayer dollars as it sets a ceiling on the government's expenditure. However, if the scope proves more complex or requires significant unforeseen effort, the contractor might be disincentivized from performing necessary additional work, or the initial price might be inflated to account for perceived risks.

What is the significance of the 'full and open competition after exclusion of sources' award type?

The 'full and open competition after exclusion of sources' award type signifies that the solicitation was made available to all responsible sources capable of meeting the requirements, but certain sources were excluded prior to the solicitation. This exclusion could be based on specific criteria, such as requiring unique capabilities, prior experience with particular systems, or security clearances. While it still aims for broad competition, the exclusion means not every potential vendor had an opportunity to bid. The significance lies in balancing the desire for maximum competition with the need for specialized expertise. For taxpayers, it means the government sought competitive bids but may have pre-qualified vendors based on specific, justifiable criteria, potentially leading to a more tailored and effective solution, though possibly at a higher initial price than if all possible vendors competed.

Industry Classification

NAICS: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services › Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services › Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services

Product/Service Code: SUPPORT SVCS (PROF, ADMIN, MGMT) › PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Competition & Pricing

Extent Competed: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION AFTER EXCLUSION OF SOURCES

Solicitation Procedures: NEGOTIATED PROPOSAL/QUOTE

Solicitation ID: HT001119R0051

Offers Received: 6

Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE (J)

Evaluated Preference: NONE

Contractor Details

Address: 350 VOYAGER WAY, HUNTSVILLE, AL, 35806

Business Categories: 8(a) Program Participant, Alaskan Native Corporation Owned Firm, Category Business, Corporate Entity Not Tax Exempt, Minority Owned Business, Native American Owned Business, Self-Certified Small Disadvantaged Business, Small Business, Special Designations, U.S.-Owned Business

Financial Breakdown

Contract Ceiling: $66,376,923

Exercised Options: $36,046,709

Current Obligation: $36,046,709

Subaward Activity

Number of Subawards: 7

Total Subaward Amount: $5,556,721

Contract Characteristics

Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS/SERVICES

Cost or Pricing Data: NO

Timeline