76 -- Reuters America Online Service

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. This is a notice of intent to award a sole source contract under statutory authority 10 USC 2304(c)(1), set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) Directorate of Intelligence (CCJ2) requires the purchase of Reuters World Service. This obtain independent, unbiased, detailed coverage of events in the USCENTCOM Area of Interest and Area of Responsibility in meeting analyst requirements for stories on key regional developments, assessments of issues, tip-offs, and detailed reporting. Other news services provide few if any reports on key regional developments or assessments in areas such as the Horn of Africa, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Central Asian Republics. The widest access of Reuter?s news reporting to our intelligence analysts will enhance protection of our forces overseas as well as the continental United States. Specific stories that could lead to force protection and national defense in general are often not covered by other wire services. The 6th Contracting Squadron intends to make an award to Reuters America LLC, 311 S Wacker DR FL 11, Chicago, Illinois 60606. Reuters is the exclusive distributor of the Reuters World Service required by USCENTCOM. Interested parties may e-mail Scott.gebhardt1@macdill.af.mil or fax 813-828-1873, SSgt Scott Gebhardt, not later than Friday 14th Decmeber, 2007; 9:00 a.m. EST. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT: Per FAR Part 5.207-13(e) Fed Biz Ops Numbered Note 22 applies and is modified to read: 22. The proposed contract action is for supplies or services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of FAR 6.302. Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit proposals. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, all proposals received within seven days after date of publication of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete with this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. V. DEMONSTRATION THAT THE CONTRACTOR?S UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS OR NATURE OF THE ACQUISITION REQUIRES THE USE OF THE AUTHORITY CITED ABOVE (APPLICABILITY OF AUTHORITY) Extensive access to Reuters World wire news service over the past seven years has proven successful in filling gaps in reporting from other news services. Reuter?s World Service is the only service that can meet the detailed level of reporting on a consistent and wide range basis required by USCENTCOM. Reuters has 130 news bureaus world-wide with over 2500 journalists contributing. No other service provides this level of coverage. There are other news organizations that report on some of the same stories Reuters does. However the Reuter?s product has the following particular unique qualifications critical to this requirement: A: All Reuters? content is proprietary - Reuters generates all its own content and no other provider is licensed to redistribute their live newswires B: There is no other similar known provider of news that is not aligned with a particular country, culture or movement and therefore, has no agenda or bias -The Associated Press (AP) is a membership of US news organizations, all of whom contribute their own content -The Agence France Presse (AFP) receives their funding from the French government -United Press International (UPI) is owned by the Unification Church (Rev. Sun Myung Moon) C: There is no other provider of news that has the Breadth of Coverage of Reuters: -UPI and AFP don?t come close to the number of contributing reporters that Reuters has. Reuters has over 2500 contributing journalists while AFP has only 900 and UPI has 1200. This is important in reporting general international news the following examples highlight why: -- Invasion of Iraq 2003- AFP was not given the ability by US military to be imbedded with US troops. Reuters was imbedded and could report breaking news from inside the US military -- Every US news organization had to leave Baghdad on the eve of the invasion Because as US news organizations they were too vulnerable to attack. Reuters Was able to stay -- Israeli incursion into Gaza 2006. Because of Reuter?s independence they were able to report independently and were the only news organization able to report Images of Israeli troops operations