Knovel Online Subscription

The Naval Research Laboratory, under the Department of Defense, has awarded Elsevier Inc. a sole-source, firm-fixed-price contract for a five-year subscription to the Knovel online technical information platform, valued at $639,079. The acquisition was conducted under simplified procedures per FAR 13.5 and FAR 13.501(a), leveraging the contractor’s unique and non-replicable proprietary capabilities, including exclusive access to content from nearly 170 technical societies and integrated analytical tools such as interactive equations, graphs, and material databases that cannot be matched by any other vendor. Market research via a 14-day sources sought notice on SAM.gov confirmed no other sources could fulfill the requirement, justifying non-competitive award. The contract includes one base year fully funded and four one-year option periods extending through FY30, with performance delivered entirely electronically to the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., without physical deliverables or packaging requirements. The subscription provides continuous, uninterrupted digital access to the Knovel platform, with acceptance based on functionality and service availability rather than physical inspection. No contract clauses, inspection criteria, special markings, security clearances, or detailed invoicing instructions are specified, as the acquisition is treated as a commercial item under simplified acquisition procedures. The contracting office is located at 20375-5328, Washington, DC, with Kevin Nguyen as the primary point of contact, and funding is drawn from Operations and Maintenance (O&M) appropriations. Elsevier Inc. is not required to provide representations regarding size status, socioeconomic certifications, or unique entity identifiers, as the procurement is exempt from competitive solicitation and associated offeror disclosures.