75N97025R00001_Sources_Sought__1.pdf

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE: Access to Elsevier’s ScienceDirect Online Service for the National Library of Medicine

Notice Number:

75N97025R00001

Issued By: Keturah Busey National Library of Medicine (NLM), Office of Acquisitions (OA) http://www.nlm.nih.gov

Key Dates:

Capability Statement Due Date: October 21, 2024, by 12:00PM EST

This Small Business Sources Sought Notice (SBSS) is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the National Library of Medicine (NLM).

The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to identify qualified Small Business concerns including 8(a), HUBZone or Service-Disabled Veteran-owned businesses that are interested in and capable of performing the work described herein. The NLM does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses received nor otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. This requirement is assigned North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 519210 with a size standard of $21 million.

As a result of this Sources Sought Notice, the NLM may issue a Request for Quotation (RFQ). THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. However, should such a requirement materialize, no basis for claims against NLM shall arise as a result of a response to this Sources Sought Notice or the NLM’s use of such information as either part of our evaluation process or in developing specifications for any subsequent requirement.

BACKGROUND

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) in Bethesda, Maryland, is part of the National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). NLM, the world’s largest biomedical library, acquires and preserves biomedical literature from throughout the world in all formats and languages. The Collection Development Program in the Collection Branch builds the NLM modern biomedical literature collection, including electronic journal subscriptions.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this contract is to provide access to content on the Elsevier ScienceDirect platform. ScienceDirect provides access to Elsevier titles selected for the NLM collection and indexed for Medline.

REQUIREMENTS

General Requirements

1. Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, equipment and facilities needed to perform the requirements.

2. All work under this contract shall be monitored by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) whose position is defined in the contract.

B. Specific Requirements

1. The contractor shall provide NLM access to the electronic version of subscribed Elsevier journals through its web interface ScienceDirect. Access will be cumulative for articles published in the journals since 1995 or the first year a journal was offered on the ScienceDirect platform, based upon previous investments.

2. The contractor shall provide options for acquiring e-books, online reference works, and back files of selected journals (journal articles published prior to 1995 or the first year a journal was offered on the ScienceDirect platform). Options should factor in all previous investments in print and digital subscriptions, as well as previous archive back file purchases.

3. The contractor shall provide an option for NLM to add new titles as the contractor adds to its holdings through acquisition or publication of a new title.

4. The contractor shall provide an option for NLM to add new titles to this contract throughout the year.

5. The contractor also shall provide an option for NLM to cancel selected journal titles.

TYPE OF ORDER

This will be issued as a severable firm fixed price contract.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance is as follows:

Base Period: January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025.

Option Period 1: January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026.

Option Period 2: January 1, 2027 – December 31, 2027.

Option Period 3: January 1, 2028 – December 31, 2028.

Option Period 4: January 1, 2029 – December 31, 2029.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Onsite services shall be performed at the following location:

National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20894

How to Submit a Response:

1. Page Limitations:

Interested qualified small business organizations should submit a tailored capability statement for this requirement not to exceed 10 single sided pages including all attachments, resumes, charts, etc. (single spaced, 12-point font minimum) that clearly details the ability to perform the requirements of the notice described above. All proprietary information should be marked as such. Responses should include a minimum of a one-page resume of the individuals meeting the requirements, and up to two pages demonstrating experience over the past two years meeting the requirements of this notice. Statements should also include an indication of current small business status; this indication should be clearly marked on the first page of your capability statement (preferable placed under the eligible small business concern’s name and address).

Responses will be reviewed only by NIH personnel and will be held in a confidential manner.

Organizations shall demonstrate 1.) Technical Approach 2.) Personnel Requirements and Organizational Experience.

2. Due Date:

Capability statements are due no later than October 21, 2024, by 12:00PM EST

3. Delivery Point:

All information furnished must be in writing and must contain sufficient detail to allow the NLM to determine if it can meet the unique specifications described herein. All questions must be in writing and emailed to buseyk@mail.nlm.nih.gov. A determination by the Government not to compete this requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. In order to receive an award, contractors must have valid registration and certification at www.sam.gov . No collect calls will be accepted. Please reference number 75N97025R00001 on all correspondence.

Disclaimer and Important Notes:

This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently http://www.sam.gov/ detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a RFQ may be published in SAM.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation(s).

Point of Contact:

Inquiries concerning this Notice may be direct to:

Keturah Busey at buseyk@mail.nlm.nih.gov.

Confidentiality: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation.