Renewal of Sole Source for Blackbook subscription

The Department of Justice, through its Office of Acquisition Management on behalf of the Asset Forfeiture Management Staff (AFMS), plans to issue a sole source purchase order to Hearst Business Media Corporation for a subscription renewal to the 'BlackBook' web-based software. BlackBook is essential for AFMS to accurately determine the valuation of vehicles, a key requirement in its asset forfeiture operations. This procurement is being conducted under Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 13.106-1(b)(1)(i), which allows for sole source acquisitions under certain conditions. The notice clarifies that while the intent is to contract with Hearst Business Media Corporation, other vendors who believe they can fulfill the requirement are invited to submit a response demonstrating their capabilities. These responses must provide enough detail to allow the agency to assess the vendor’s bona fide ability to meet the government’s needs. The government retains the discretion to determine whether to open the requirement to competition based on the responses received. The point of contact for this procurement is Dante Lewis, and additional solicitation details are available on sam.gov under solicitation number 15JAFM26PR0006.