National ALS Registry Communications and Outreach Technical Support

NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), within the United States Department of Health and Human Services, intends to award a sole source fixed price contract to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), Tucson, AZ 85718 for outreach and educational activities to MDA's patient base and ALS community partners to support the National ALS Registry. The period of performance for this procurement is sixty (60) months, including one base period of 12 months and four 12-month option periods. The statutory authority for this sole source acquisition is 10 U.S.C.2304(c)(1) in accordance with FAR Subpart 6.302-1(a) - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy the agency requirement. The NAICS code for this procurement is 541990, All Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Services, with a size standard of $15M. The purpose of this acquisition is to promote the National Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Registry to increase enrollment numbers through the Muscular Dystrophy Association's (MDA) extensive nationwide network of offices, clinics, and Centers of Excellence so that the agency can fulfill the congressional mandate under the ALS Registry Act, Public Law No. 110-373. The most direct way to reach the critical majority of ALS patients is to conduct outreach in the clinics, centers, and offices where ALS patients are being treated and supported. As a leading healthcare provider of ALS treatment, support, advocacy and education in the United States supporting almost forty percent of the ALS-identified patients, MDA's nationwide network of clinics, offices, and Centers of Excellence offers assistance to a large number of ALS patients and their families, along with supporting the local ALS clinical community. MDA's very large and unique ALS patient cohort located throughout the United States provides MDA with sole and exclusive proprietary access to these patients, their medical records and their contact information. This information is protected by medical privilege, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and not commercially available in the marketplace, so only MDA has access to its specific nationwide client base of ALS patients. MDA's established relationship of trust and confidence with its ALS patients and their families places MDA in a unique position to provide ATSDR with substantial assistance in promoting the National ALS Registry to MDA's ALS constituents (e.g., ALS patients, their family members and caregivers, and ALSA clinical staff). MDA is the sole source to access the MDA-ALS patient/family cohort and no other contractor can provide this service to meet the agency's requirements. MDA's stellar work and efforts in the treatment, cure, advocacy and education related to ALS have earned it tremendous respect and credibility in the field of ALS throughout the entire ALS Community. MDA has thus cultivated, fostered and developed an extensive network of professional relationships and partnerships with others in the general ALS community over the years, regularly engaging ALS physicians and other ALS health professionals and MDA clinics throughout the country. These relationships provide outreach, education, support, and assistance to people with ALS patients, their families, and the local ALS clinical community beyond the MDA ALS-patient cohort. ATSDR needs MDA's relationships, links, knowledge, experience, patients and community support to fulfill ATSDR's congressional mandate to build the National ALS Registry as provided for in the ALS Registry Act, Public Law No. 110-373. With access to its ALS patients and community network, MDA will help CDC/ATSDR narrow a significant data gap in the National ALS Registry, thus ensuring the objectives of this national public health ALS initiative are fully met. As a result of this synopsis, no competitive solicitation will be posted on FedBizOpps. CDC will issue only one solicitation to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). However, all responsible sources that believe they can meet these requirements may submit their capabilities/qualifications statement to provide the services to Betty Vannoy via email ONLY at bbv9@cdc.gov with the solicitation number 2018-N-67818 referenced in the subject line NO LAER THAN April 19, 2018, 10AM EST. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed action will be based on responses to this notice and are solely within the discretion of the Contracting Officer. Information received will be considered solely for determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. No telephone calls will be accepted. Special Note: The CDC previously posted a sources sought synopsis (HHS-CDC-ATSDR-SS-18-001-BV) for this requirement on March 1, 2018.