Notice of Intent to Sole Source: Immunization Information Systems (IIS) Technical Services Direct Vendor Contract (SSG)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) intends to solicit and negotiate a sole source contract with SSG, 300 First Avenue, Suite 103 Needham, MA 02494. This notice is provided in accordance with FAR 5.203(a). There is considerable evidence that the use of immunization information systems (IISs) can help to assess vaccination rates, inform public health interventions, and prevent vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). IISs can enable public health officials to respond more efficiently to VPD outbreaks or other public health threats by quickly identifying geographic areas or populations that are not vaccinated, or who have not received all recommended vaccinations necessary to provide protection from one or more VDPs. CDC has prioritized investments in advancing IISs and sees value in modernizing IISs to inform public health decisions. CDC demonstrates its commitment to advancing and modernizing IISs to improve the data quality by providing funding to support IISs under section 317b of the Public Health Service Act. The Section 317 of the Public Health Services act provides the authority for CDC to issue the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Immunization and Vaccine for Children (CDC-RFA-IP19-1901), to achieve section 317 priorities. CDC uses the Immunization Program Operations Manual (IPOM), a companion of the NOFO, to identify national IIS requirements and help jurisdictions prioritize their immunization management activities to meet them. In addition to the NOFO, CDC has started directly procuring services from IIS technology partners, in a limited capacity, to assist jurisdictions that use a common IIS technology platform to achieve select Section 317 NOFO IPOM requirements and national goals for IISs and immunization management. The services contemplated under this requirement are part of CDC's goals to modernize and optimize IISs to achieve Section 317 Public Health Services Act objectives. Through this contract, CDC will procure information technology services from SSG in support of broader Section 317 IIS Information Technology (IT) infrastructure modernization priorities and that align to IPOM IIS requirements categories. The scope of services for this acquisition encompasses the breadth of services and activities related advancing prioritized Section 317 IIS information management and infrastructure modernization efforts that improve the quality of IIS data. CDC intends to establish a sole source indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract with each IIS technology partner. The Government is limited to using a sole source approach in order to align with the IIS technology partner each jurisdiction is already using for the support and operation of its IIS. In this way, the services procured under this portfolio of contracts will follow the existing IIS technology partner/jurisdiction relationship. To date, 52 out of the 64 state, territorial, and local IIS's are operated and maintained by IIS technology partners. This requirement will be specifically for the following jurisdiction in which SSG is currently an IIS technology partner: Massachusetts The IDIQ contract contemplated for this requirement will be used to award task orders related to the IPOM requirement categories below: Data Quality and Visualization (aligns with IPOM strategy D1) Interoperability and Date Exchange (aligns with IPOM strategy D2) Clinical Services Best Practice in Immunization (aligns with IPOM strategy D2) IIS Standardization, Certification, and Modernization (aligns with IPOM strategy D3) Immunization Coverage/National Surveillance (aligns with IPOM strategy G4) Outbreak /Pandemic Response (aligns with IPOM strategy G4) The authority permitting other than full and open competition is FAR 6.302-1, "Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements." SSG is the only entity capable of performing these services for the jurisdictions for which it currently provides IIS services. This is due to the fact that it would be disruptive and inefficient to have two IIS vendors or system integrators providing the same type of operations, maintenance and enhancement services to a single IIS. To use two vendors would cause a duplication of costs and would violate software development best practices. Therefore the software and system changes contemplated in this requirement can only be performed by the vendor which is currently providing operations and maintenance support to these particular IIS jurisdictions. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation to David Mourar, Contract Specialist, at jwc4@cdc.gov, which shall be considered by the agency. The deadline for submissions is October 13, 2023, at 4:30pm Eastern time. The Government will review any/all information submitted to determine if other responsible sources exist that could provide this requirement. Information received in response to this announcement will be used solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.