D--UFO TELEPHONE SERVICES

The Bureau of Reclamation intends to enter into a sole source contract with CENTURYLINK (QWEST) to provide telephone services, with a performance period covering one base year plus four option years. The contract falls under the NAICS code 517110, which pertains to wired telecommunications carriers, and the applicable small business size standard is 1,500 employees. The statutory justification for limiting competition is based on the sole source authority under 10 USC 2304 (c) (1), as CENTURYLINK is deemed the only responsible source capable of meeting the agency's requirements. While this notice is not a solicitation for quotes or proposals, firms with the necessary technical capability are invited to submit capability statements and business profiles as part of market research to inform future procurement decisions. The contract is identified under solicitation number R16PS00233 and is managed through the Denver Federal Center within the Department of the Interior. The contracting office retains discretion to proceed with a sole source negotiation or open the requirement to competition depending on the information received from interested firms. The performance location is not specified but the administrative office is located in Denver, Colorado. Potential respondents have a limited window of two days from the notice date to submit their technical capability information, which will be used solely for evaluation and not as part of a formal proposal process.