The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), National Agricultural Library (NAL) intends to award a sole source contract to The American Chemical Society. The purpose of this award is to provide electronic access via the internet for all USDA users to Nature America Publishing. See attached - Statement of Work (SOW). The National Agricultural Library (NAL) is mandated (7 U.S.C. 3101) to serve as the primary agricultural information resource of the United States. One of its functions in that role is the acquisition of information in all aspects of agriculture and allied sciences. In support of this function, the NAL acquires databases in electronic format from publishers and makes the databases accessible to USDA employees and library patrons via the internet. In keeping with its charge to collect agricultural and related information, it seeks to maintain a collection of publications in various formats from a variety of publishers and sources. The American Chemical Society is the only vendor that can meet NAL's requirement for immediate access to American Chemical Society journal content with perpetual access and perpetual data rights to the content issued during the period of performance. The American Chemical Society is the only copyright holder of its publications and thus is the only source of the perpetual data rights NAL seeks. No source other than the American Chemical Society provides the perpetual data rights for American Chemical Society publications. Having perpetual data rights granted by the American Chemical Society will give USDA users access in perpetuity to the content for which NAL purchases access. Maintaining electronic copies by obtaining the perpetual data rights from publishers fulfils NAL's mandate to preserve our nation's agricultural literature. The NAICS Code for this requirement is 511110 - Newspaper Publishers Authority for this sole source procurement is under 10 U.S.C.2403 (c) (1) as implemented in FAR 6.302-1, one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. This notice is not a request for competitive quotations. No solicitation document is available and telephone requests will not be honored. Any firm that believes it can provide the services listed above may submit substantiating documentation in writing to the identified point of contact. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. A determination not to compete this proposed contract based on responses to this notice is solely at the discretion of the Government. The Point of Contact for this action is Ms. Marian Dyson and any response must be emailed to
contact@example.gov. Verbal responses are not acceptable and will not be considered. Interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this requirement no later than June 6, 2022 - 07am EST.
