D--Renewal of Westlaw Timesharing Services

The US Department of Energy plans to award a sole source contract to West Services, Inc. for continued access to Westlaw legal research timesharing services. This contract, identified under solicitation number DE-AC01-02SO30263, is intended to be awarded without competitive bidding under FAR 6.302, allowing negotiation exclusively with one source. Although this notice serves as an intent rather than a request for competitive proposals, other interested parties are invited to submit their capability statements and pricing electronically within 45 days from the notice publication date, referencing the solicitation number. The government will consider these submissions but retains full discretion on whether or not to pursue competition. The solicitation is anticipated to be officially issued around June 18, 2002. This effort supports the department’s ongoing need for reliable access to Westlaw’s legal research tools and the streamlined timesharing service they provide. The contract ensures continuity in the provision of these specialized services without interruption. The government’s decision to proceed with either sole source procurement or open competition will be based on the responses received during the capability statement submission period.