Ex Libris Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition (JOFOC)_Redacted.pdf

Rev.: 10/2025

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROCUREMENT OFFICE (ITPO)

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

(JOFOC)

For Ex Libris System Renewal

1. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.104-1(a)(1) – Identification of the agency and the contracting activity, and specific identification of the document as a “Justification for other than full and open competition.”

This document is a justification for other than full and open competition prepared by

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) IT Procurement Office (ITPO), Software Procurement Division.

The procuring agency is NASA, and the contracting activity is ITPO Commercial IT

Division.

2. FAR 6.104-1(a)(2) – The nature and/or description of the action being approved:

This justification provides the rationale for contracting by other than full and open competition to award a sole-source firm-fixed price purchase order to Ex Libris USA Inc. for

Ex Libris System Products. This requirement is for Library Services Platform (LSP) Annual

Alma/Alma Digital/Primo VE, Rapido subscription fee, and Digital Storage for NASA

Headquarters. Ex Libris provides NASA with enterprise-level library management, discovery, authentication, and access tools used across the agency to support research, collections, and information retrieval. The period of performance will be a one-year base period and four one-year option periods as follows: Base Period – Date of Award through

11/30/2026; Option Period One – 12/01/2026 through 11/30/2027; Option Period Two –

12/01/2027 through 11/30/2028; Option Period Three – 12/01/2028 through 11/30/2029;

Option Period Four – 12/01/2029 through 11/30/2030.

3. FAR 6.104-1(a)(3) – A description of the supplies or services required, to meet the

Agency’s needs (including the estimated value):

The requested Ex Libris System Products, Alma Library Management System and Primo VE

Discovery Layer are only provided by the vendor, Ex Libris (Part of Clarivate) and are being purchased for the NASA Library to provide a more robust system of information delivery.

The products provide a library catalog (aka an “integrated library system” or “library services platform”) for the Agency. Alma is the back end used by library staff; Primo is the front-end user interface access by NASA’s library patrons. They are considered the gold standard in the library and information industry will replace four products purchased through a different provider that were used for similar purposes. Alma and Primo VE are vehicles for both large-scale and highly granular management of a large array of data types. Their integrated processes and workflows drive efficiencies with an emphasis on automation, while facilitating collaboration at many levels, and accountability through advanced analytics.

Rev.:10/2025

The Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) of the proposed order is

4. FAR 6.104-1(a)(4) – An identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition:

The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is for acquisitions using the procedures in FAR 12.201-1 is 41 U.S.C. 1901.

5. FAR 6.104-1(a)(5) – A demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited:

The rationale supporting the use of 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1) is Ex Libris USA Inc. is the sole source provider for this requirement as described below.

Ex Libris USA Inc. is the exclusive source for the Alma and Primo VE platforms, which together provide the integrated library services required to support NASA’s enterprise library operations. No alternative vendor can supply or integrate these proprietary products, and no commercial distribution network, reseller channel, or third-party procurement vehicle exists for these solutions. Alma and Primo VE are provided solely through direct sale from Ex

Libris USA Inc.

The Alma subscription is the only solution that delivers the full suite of print, electronic, and digital resource management workflows required by the Agency. Primo VE, provided as part of the Alma subscription, uniquely supports unified discovery services with integrated article-level recommendations. Both Alma and Primo VE are delivered exclusively as cloud-hosted services managed by Ex Libris, and the subscription includes a premium sandbox environment containing a full replication of NASA’s production configuration and data, an essential requirement that no other vendor can provide.

Ex Libris stands out in the library technology market through its unified, cloud-native platform that integrates resource management, discovery, learning tools, and analytics in a way competitors do not. Compared with OCLC WMS, which offers strong cloud hosting but less integrated discovery and course-resource functionality, and FOLIO, which provides an open-source model that requires heavier local development and support, Ex Libris delivers a mature, end-to-end ecosystem with extensive automation and academic-specific design. This combination of deep integration, reduced operational complexity, and continuous innovation positions Ex Libris uniquely among modern library solutions.

Failure to procure Alma and Primo VE at this stage would impose significant operational and financial burdens on the NASA Library. The Agency has already invested substantial effort in preparing and modifying supporting systems to accommodate Alma and Primo VE.

Reversing these preparations would require unwinding months of work, restoring self-hosted or independently operated applications, negotiating new service arrangements, increasing staffing, and initiating additional approval cycles. These impacts would introduce delays, add cost, and degrade continuity of library services Agency-wide.

Alma and Primo VE have also received a FedRAMP Authorization (Tailored LI-SaaS), sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services. This authorization demonstrates that Ex Libris’ cloud environment satisfies rigorous federal security requirements, and no alternative vendor offers a FedRAMP-authorized solution that meets

NASA’s integrated library management needs.

Additionally, Ex Libris solutions are widely used across the federal library community, including through programs under the Federal Library and Information Network (FEDLINK) at the Library of Congress. Alma and Primo VE constitute electronic IT infrastructure subscriptions, and no comparable products are available through the EPA Comprehensive

Procurement Guideline Product Supplier Directory.

NASA determined that alternative Library Services Platforms cannot meet its minimum requirements. Competing products lack FedRAMP authorization, making them unsuitable for

NASA’s security needs. Other vendors offer separate, non-integrated modules, whereas Ex

Libris uniquely provides a fully unified, cloud-native platform (Alma + Primo VE). Only Ex

Libris offers a full-replication sandbox necessary for testing NASA’s configurations and workflows. Switching to any other system would cause major operational, cost, and schedule impacts due to existing NASA integrations and preparation work. Additionally, competing systems do not support NASA’s required enterprise-scale management of digital, electronic, and print resources.

For these reasons, Ex Libris USA Inc. is the only responsible source capable of meeting the

Government’s minimum requirements, and full and open competition is not feasible.

6. FAR 6.104-1(a)(6) – A description of the efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by part 5 and, if not, which exception under part 5 applies:

A notice to the Government Point of Entry (GPE) website (Sam.gov) was published on

February 06, 2026, in accordance with FAR part 5. This posting informed potential sources of NASA’s intent to award this sole-source purchase order to Ex Libris USA Inc. The results of this synopsis are summarized in Section 10 below.

7. FAR 6.104-1(a)(7) – A determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable:

The contracting officer’s signature on this document indicates that the contracting officer has determined that the anticipated cost to the government will be fair and reasonable. The contractor must be required to submit a proposal to be evaluated and negotiated by the

Government. Prior to execution of the contractual instrument, a proposal analysis will be performed. The proposal analysis will ensure that the final agreed-to price for the contract action is fair and reasonable. In accordance with FAR 15.4, the Contracting Officer expects to use historical prices, the commercial list price, and the IGCE for the price analysis.

8. FAR 6.104-1(a)(8) – Description of the market research conducted, and the results, or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted (e.g., urgent, and compelling requirement):

Market research concluded that the requirement qualifies as a commercial item. A search of the NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) Contract Holder tool and product catalog showed no listings for Ex Libris. Searches of General Services

Administration (GSA) Advantage and GSA eLibrary returned no commercial listings. The software has no established distribution network and is available exclusively through direct purchase from the publisher, Ex Libris USA Inc. Clarivate PLC, the parent company of Ex

Libris USA Inc., has provided a certified letter confirming that they are the sole source for the required products. They further verified that these products are not offered through the

SEWP program or GSA, and that their solutions are not sold through any resellers.

9. FAR 6.104-1(a)(9) – Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition:

None.

10. FAR 6.104-1(a)(10) – A listing of the sources, if any, that expressed an interest in writing in the acquisition:

A notice of NASA’s intent to award this sole-source action was synopsized on the GPE website (Sam.gov) per FAR part 5 (See Section 6 above). The notice of intent was posted on

February 06, 2026 and closed on February 21, 2026. No firms expressed interest.

11. FAR 6.104-1(a)(11) – A statement of actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services required:

The Agency will continue to examine the market in the future for alternative solutions or new sources before executing any subsequent acquisitions for the same requirements.