Fitch Credit Ratings Research for Global Banks and Global Sovereigns Subscription

This sole-source commercial acquisition, issued under FAR Part 12, is directed exclusively to Fitch Solutions, Inc., for a one-year subscription to Fitch Credit Ratings Research for Global Banks and Global Sovereigns, with four optional one-year renewals extending the potential performance period to five years. The procurement is managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service to support Risk and Asset Management functions, providing critical financial intelligence including bank credit assessments using the CAMEL methodology, sovereign fiscal data, macroeconomic indicators, and political risk analysis essential for managing U.S. export credit guarantee programs. The service is delivered electronically via a secure online platform, with no physical deliverables or travel required, and performance occurs remotely from the contractor’s location to the government’s designated address in Washington, D.C. The acquisition is not set aside for small businesses; the NAICS code 519290 classifies the vendor as a large business, and the sole-source justification relies on the unique and specialized nature of Fitch’s proprietary data and analytical products. The contract is firm-fixed price, and award is based solely on fair and reasonable pricing, with no formal evaluation factors or technical scoring criteria specified. The contract incorporates a comprehensive suite of FAR commercial item clauses, including those governing terms and conditions, whistleblower protections, human trafficking prevention, data security, privacy, and contractor representation, with particular emphasis on compliance with the Privacy Act, Section 508 accessibility standards, and federal anti-discrimination requirements under DEI certifications. Contractor personnel must comply with Personal Identity Verification (PIV) standards under HSPD-12, and unauthorized substitution or failure to meet identity and integrity thresholds can trigger immediate replacement at no cost to the government. The use of government data to train AI or machine learning models is explicitly prohibited, and automated decision-making affecting contract performance must be transparent, auditable, and under governmental control. All pricing details remain unpopulated in the solicitation, with no contract value stated, but the structure includes five distinct CLINs covering the base period and four option years. Proposals must be submitted electronically via email by the deadline of July 30, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET to Diana Rath of the USDA’s Acquisition Management Branch, with no exceptions allowed for fax or mail submissions. The government retains full discretion in acceptance, and all deliveries are F.O.B. Destination.