R--BENCHMARK MINERAL INTELLIGENCE SUBSCRITPION

This is a NOTICE OF INTENT; no solicitation is available for this requirement. The Department of Energy (DOE), located at 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC - 20585, is issuing this Notice of Intent (NOI) to inform industry of the Government's intent to sole- source this contract action using the statutory authority 41 USC 3304(a)(1), as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1, “Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.” DOE is proposing to award for a base period of 12 months (period 8/23/2026 – 8/22/2027) and 4 (12-month) option periods. The intended contractor is Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, located at 2-4 Idol Ln, London EC3R 5DD, United Kingdom.

The Government intends to award a contract to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. The Energy Security Division (ESD) has a critical, core mission requirement for analysis and reporting on lithium-ion batteries, battery supply chains, and related market analysis and conditions affecting U.S. energy security interests. Benchmark’s critical mineral and battery supply chain market intelligence will provide DOE with information that is essential for timely, accurate, and comprehensive reporting and analyses on energy events and developments affecting market trends in the lithium-ion battery industry, consistent areas of interest for DOE’s and ESD’s stakeholders. Along with products, Benchmark will provide access to the company’s subject matter experts (SMEs).

ESD intends to purchase subscription products and services from Benchmark due to their comprehensive technical expertise, products, and data covering all aspects of the lithium-ion battery supply chain, from mining to production, proprietary pricing assessments and long-term forecast models, plus unique subscriber access to webinars, conferences, and SMEs. Benchmark is a specialized premium provider focused heavily on the lithium-ion battery and electric vehicle (EV) supply chains, distinguishing itself from broader, legacy commodity research firms through deep mine-to-motor price reporting and forecasting. Benchmark has further solidified its specialization through strategic acquisitions to bridge the gap with their upstream raw material sourcing and downstream EV and recycling data. Benchmark's proprietary models often combine price reporting with deeper, long-term supply/demand forecasting and specialized consultancy services that outperform their competitors. In summary, no other provider offers a comprehensive product suite with full coverage of the lithium-ion battery supply chain in either quality, accuracy, or the utility needed for informing ESD’s reporting like Benchmark.

Any responsible party that believes it is capable of meeting the requirement described herein may identify themselves and must provide evidence of their capability to fulfill the requirement NO LATER THAN 15 days from posting date via e-mail to Kia Green– Kia.Green@hq.doe.gov. The written response must include also past client performance information for a similar product.

A determination by the Government 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 this requirement competitively in the future.