GALE Times Archive Subscription

The U.S. Navy, through NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, intends to award a sole-source firm fixed price contract to Gale Cengage Learning for an online subscription to the Times Digital Archive Collection, which includes the fully searchable digital archive of The Times Newspaper from 1785 to 1985 and U.S. Declassified Documents. This acquisition is conducted under FAR 6.302-1 and FAR 12.102(a), with competition precluded due to the proprietary nature of the content and the absence of equivalent substitutes. The contract, identified by solicitation number N0018926QW204, includes a base period from August 30, 2026, to August 29, 2027, with multiple option years extending through August 29, 2031, covering both the Times Digital Archive and U.S. Declassified Documents hosting services. The subscription must support multiple authentication protocols including domain, CAC, EZProxy, and IP authentication, and be fully compatible with the Naval War College’s existing library systems: Alma LSP, Primo discovery system, and Springshare library software. Performance is to be delivered to the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, with inspection and acceptance conducted by NWC-appointed representatives at the destination. The contract requires electronic invoicing and receiving reports through the Wide Area Workflow system, with the contractor needing a current SAM registration and WAWF access. The offeror is subject to numerous federal acquisition regulations including clauses on subcontracting, export controls, prohibited procurement from Xinjiang and foreign unmanned aircraft systems, and restrictions on contracting with inverted domestic corporations and former DoD officials compensated improperly. The contractor must also comply with representations regarding business operations with the Maduro regime, trafficking in persons, and compliance with Buy American and Free Trade Agreement requirements. A Non-Disclosure/Non-Use Agreement tied to the AbilityOne Program must be executed and submitted by the date of final delivery. Although the posting identifies a service-disabled veteran-owned small business set-aside, the actual acquisition is unrestricted and not subject to any socioeconomic set-aside. Offers are due by June 11, 2026, and any challenges to the sole-source justification must be submitted in writing to the designated point of contact, Mary Taylor, by the same deadline, providing sufficient evidence of alternative sources that meet the government’s needs. The award, if made, will be firm fixed price with