36C24525Q0120.docx

SUBJECT*

Intent to Sole Source – Publishing Supplemental Issues in the Journal of Rural Health the official journal of the National Rural Health Association

GENERAL INFORMATION

CONTRACTING OFFICE’S ZIP CODE*

21902

CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS

Department of Veterans Affairs VA Maryland Health Care System Contracting Officer (90C) P.O. Box 1000, Bldg. 101, Room 26 Perry Point MD 21902

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contracting Officer Robert O'Keefe Jr.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY’S URL

https://www.va.gov/maryland-health-care

AGENCY CONTACT’S EMAIL ADDRESS

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

Special Notice Special Notice

DESCRIPTION

Special Notice – Page 1 of 4

Special Notice – Page 3 of 4 This intent to sole source announcement is posted in accordance with FAR 5.2 - Synopses of Proposed Contract Actions.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Rural Health (ORH) has an acquisition need for a supplemental issue of Journal of Rural Health, published, and edited by Wiley. The supplemental journal will highlight ORH-funded initiatives. Up to 20 articles will be published during the life of the contract. Articles will be guided through the peer-review process by Wiley before they are published. The Office of Rural Health intends for this aquation to be purchased through the sole source authority FAR 6.302-1 only one responsible source will satisfy the agency requirements.

Objective —

The VHA Office of Rural Health is charged with “assisting the Under Secretary for Health in conducting, coordinating, promoting, and disseminating research into issues affecting Veterans living in rural areas”, as defined in 38 USC §7308. To accomplish this mission, ORH must support the dissemination of cutting-edge research to scientific audiences. The mission of ORH aligns with the purpose of The Journal of Rural Health. ORH is charged with disseminating research, and the journal publication will help ORH accomplish that.

Unique Qualifications —

The Journal of Rural Health is the official journal of the National Rural Health Association, the premier professional organization in all matter’s rural health in the United States, including rural Veteran Health. The VHA ORH seeks to disseminate research findings on rural Veteran health through a special issue published in this journal, as it has wide-spread circulation to key partners and will reach the largest audience of clinicians and scientists with interest in the field of rural Veteran health. The special issue requires a contract with the journal’s publisher, Wiley (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.). There is no other journal, domestic or international, that will meet the goals of reaching the greatest rural health readership in order to fulfill the ORH congressional legislative mandate mission.

We explored special issues with three journals that publish on implementation science and research, albeit not on work specific to rural health. Implementation Research and Practice does not have an open access option. We wanted open access so that we could have the widest distribution possible and eliminate access barriers. Implementation Science and Implementation Science Communications rarely accommodates special issues and could not meet our timeline requirements of publishing the issue within 12 months.

Award information –

A written request for quote (RFQ) will be submitted to Wiley after the closing date of this notice. The RFQ received from the vendor will be accessed to determine fair and reasonable pricing. The projected period of performance shall not exceed 1 year (12 months): 15 Dec. 2024 – 14 Dec. 2025. The contract will be a firm-fixed-price contract awarded IAW with FAR 13.106-3 simplified acquisition procedures.

For any additional questions of concerns, please contact: Robert O’Keefe Jr. – Robert.Okeefejr@va.gov

Presolicitation Notice