36C77624Q0366.docx

SUBJECT*

eBooks

GENERAL INFORMATION

Program Contracting Activity Central

6100 Oak Tree Blvd, Suite 490 Independence OH 44131

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contracting Officer Andrew Schoenecker andrew.schoenecker@va.gov

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Special Notice Special Notice

DESCRIPTION

Special Notice

DESCRIPTION

SPECIAL NOTICE – NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE

2024 eBooks FBO Notice: 36C77624Q0366 The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Library Network Office (LNO) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) requires a commercial off the shelf web-based eBook purchase that will be made available throughout the VHA healthcare system.

VHA’s goals are to ensure uniform availability to a purchase-based collection of high quality, clinical online resources and to improve clinical decision making at the point of care with the acquisition of these eBooks.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Program Contracting Activity Central (PCAC) intends to solicit and negotiate with EBSCO INFORMATION SERVICES, LLC, 5724 HIGHWAY 280 E, BIRMINGHAM, AL 35242, to provide a subscription to eBooks. These products shall include sources such as electronic textbooks and online full text journals. This product’s emphasis is on patient-oriented information, treatment guidelines, and patient health education resources.

The procurement is being conducted by authority of FAR Part 6.302-1 and 13.106-1(b)(2), "soliciting from a sole source."

The NAICS code for this procurement is 519290 and the Small Business Administration Size Standard is 1,000 Employees.

This notice of intent to is not a request for competitive quotes. No solicitation document is available and telephone requests will not be accepted. However, any responsible source who believes it is capable of meeting the requirements may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation, which shall be considered by the agency, only if received by the closing date and time of this notice.

Responses received will be evaluated; however, a determination by the Government not to compete the proposed procurement based upon responses received to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.

Responses to this notice are due on or before Thursday, September 26, 2024, 5:00 p.m. central time to contracting officer, Andrew Schoenecker at Andrew.Schoenecker@va.gov.

Contracting Office Address:

Department of Veterans Affairs Program Contracting Activity Central 6100 Oak Tree Blvd, Suite 490 Independence, OH 44131 eBooks SOW General Information

1. Introduction The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Library Network Office (LNO) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) requires a commercial off the shelf web-based eBook purchase that will be made available throughout the VHA healthcare system.

VHA’s goals are to ensure uniform availability to a purchase-based collection of high quality, clinical online resources and to improve clinical decision making at the point of care with the acquisition of these eBooks.

2. Performance Period: Purchase with perpetual access and no maintenance fee award.

3. Scope of Work

a. The vendor will provide all sites on the VHA network with access to online, web-based products. Authentication will be through gateway IP address validation on an enterprise basis, eliminating the need for users to enter identification, username and/or password.

b. An unlimited number of simultaneous users are to have immediate access from any web-enabled computer. It is required that all authorized remote users with VPN access also have access to the products. A username and/or password option must be offered for remote users if needed.

4. Access, content, support

a. Product is 508 compliant. (http://www.section508.gov/)

b. If product is not 508 compliant, vendor must describe measures being taken to bring product into compliance and date, within 12 months of contract award, that product will be 508 compliant.

c. If product is not 508 compliant, then the vendor must describe why no work is being done to make it 508 compliant.

d. An unlimited number of simultaneous users are to have immediate access from any web-enabled computer throughout VHA.

e. Full text chapters will be available in PDF format.

f. All site content and support of the web site is the responsibility of the contractor. This includes tech support to VHA users nationwide.

g. System downtime is minimal and LNO email account (vhalno@va.gov) is notified when this occurs.

h. Text/Chapters are easily printed.

i. Questions are responded to within two business days.

j. Usage statistics are available to LNO via email (vhalno@va.gov) on an enterprise level.

k. The product should be accessible via a variety of Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) platforms.

5. Title List Required Vendor will supply URL access to the following eBooks:

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