Electronic Access to American Society Journals

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Acquisition and Property Division, Beltsville, MD intends to issue a sole source award to American Chemical Society (ACS), 1155 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036-4800 for electronic access, via the internet to American Chemical Society electronic journals including ACS Web Editions of all ACS journals, ACS Legacy Archives, and Chemical and Engineering News Online. The period of performance will be one year plus four option years. This requirement also includes perpetual data rights to the subscribed-to content. The journal service is for use by USDA employees, contractors, authorized public on-site users, cooperators and volunteers working on behalf of USDA and acting within the scope of their relationship with USDA. Authorized users also have the right to use content for ordinary business, scholarly and educational purposes of the Government, including but not limited to viewing, printing, saving, reusing and disseminating content. The Government believes that only one responsible source, American Chemical Society, can satisfy USDA's requirements. 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 NAICS Code for this requirement is 519120 Libraries and Archives 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 Mr. James Mills and any response must be emailed to James.Mills@ars.usda.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 December 31, 2013