99--Oil Price Information Service

The U.S. Department of Energy plans to award a sole source contract to Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) for a one-year subscription to their intraday alerts service. This service delivers multiple daily updates on real-time events in the U.S. refined products industry, providing timely market information critical to the DOE’s operations. The contract is being awarded under the exemption to competition clause 6.302-1(a)(2)(ii), which permits sole sourcing when there is only one responsible source available. This notice serves as a declaration of the DOE's intent to proceed with a sole source contract rather than a solicitation for competitive bids. However, if any firm objects to this approach and believes the requirement should be competitively procured, they are invited to submit a capability statement and pricing by 8 AM EST on September 23, 2013. The government will review any submissions but retains full discretion over whether to initiate a competitive procurement. This process ensures the DOE explores competition if warranted while reaffirming the unique value of OPIS’s intraday alert service.