Notice of Intent to Sole Source

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intends to award a sole source cost type modification to contract 75D30120C08150 with Abt Associates for COVID-19 Cohort Studies. The CDC has determined that the RECOVER study under this contract requires a continuation of the research activities. Specifically, the CDC needs to extend the duration of data collection to generate knowledge about new SARS-CoV-2 variants in circulation and how well new vaccines formulations (not just new products) protect people with and without prior infections from becoming infected. RECOVER provides data on many other questions of critical importance related to SARS-CoV-2, including how long vaccine-induced antibodies remain after each dose of vaccine and protection against prolonged illness known as Long COVID or post-acute COVID conditions. The active data collection will be extended to follow adult participants through May 2023, extending data collection by 2 additional months and providing complete coverage of the winter and early spring months most common for coronavirus and other respiratory virus circulation. The active data collection will be extended to follow the children through July 2023, extending data collection by 9 months and providing information relevant for preparation of next school year. The proposed modification does not extend the period of performance of the contract. As a result of the proposed modification to extend data collection periods of the RECOVER study, the study population will provide for continuity of the participants, critical to maintaining the specialized population of laboratory-confirmed infections identified directly through RECOVER with minimal opportunity for misclassification. The expansion of the RECOVER study will provide substantial scientific benefit to the CDC because it will include critical vaccine effectiveness information against new and emerging virus variants. The data collected will be integrated in the weekly reports, reports to ACIP, scientific publications, and final reporting for the RECOVER study, providing critical information for the CDC COVID-19 response. To ensure that the RECOVER study meets the CDC-required longitudinal objectives, the CDC requires an extension of data collection within the current performance period through September 30, 2023. This work is the only broad multi-location study conducted outside of a hospital setting that can evaluation vaccine effectiveness against infection in asymptomatic or symptomatic in adults and children to CDC's COVID-19 objectives. The proposed data collection extension does not create a new study, does not alter the objectives, nor extends overall contract period of performance. Rather, the proposed modification will result in the continuation of data collection from the children's study population providing continued ability to assess the performance of the COVID-19 vaccines and current boosters as well as any future vaccination activities into 2023. No other contractor is capable of meeting this governmental need because Abt Associates is the only contractor that has access to the RECOVER study, work, and efforts invested into the first 15 months of this research study. As noted above, the site-specific and integrated databases and procedures were contractor-developed, so this research is akin to a proprietary project. CDC is not seeking to replace the RECOVER study but to extend data collection within the timeframe of the current period of performance. This contract action is for supplies or services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of FAR 6.302-1 and 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1). Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit proposals. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however, all quotations/responses received within fifteen (15) days of the issuance of this notice will be considered by the government. A determination by the government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Any quotation/response should be emailed to Christina McMichael at wpn6@cdc.gov by 5:00 PM EST on October 11, 2022.