U--UpToDate Subscription Service

The Department of Veterans Affairs, through VISN 15 Heartland Contracting Office, plans to negotiate a sole source contract with UpToDate, Inc. for subscription services. This contract will provide both on-site and password-protected remote access to UpToDate online for the VISN 15 Western Orbit location in Columbia, Missouri. The subscription period is set to run from February 1, 2012, or the date of award, whichever is later, through January 31, 2013. The procurement is justified under FAR 6.302-1, as UpToDate is the only responsible source available to meet agency requirements, and no other products or services are considered adequate substitutes. The solicitation number for this contract is VA25512Q0298, and it falls under the NAICS code 511120 for software publishers, with a small business size standard of 500 employees. This notice is not a request for competition or proposals but serves as an announcement of intent to award a sole source contract. The Government retains discretion not to compete, but any party wishing to demonstrate the benefits of competition must submit clear and convincing evidence by January 6, 2012, at 1:00 pm CT. The contracting office handling this procurement is based in Leavenworth, Kansas.