JA DoDL Teachables and Flix CO Signed-Redacted.pdf

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

SOURCE SELECTION SENSITIVE

March 2023 SOURCE SELECTION SENSITIVE Page 2 of 6

I. Contracting Activity.

773 Enterprise Source Squadron 1517 Billy Mitchell Blvd, Bldg 954 San Antonio, TX 78236-1865

II. Nature and/or description of the action being processed.

AFSVC/VCL requests authority to purchase the Teachable and Flix subscription using Other Than Full and Open Competition as prescribed by FAR 13.106-1(b)(soliciting from a single source), and 13.501(a)(Sole source acquisitions). This individual action will result in the award of a new Firm Fixed Price Contract. This sole source requirement will be acquired from the following organization: Scholastic Inc.

The mission of DoD Libraries is outlined in DoDI 1015.10 stating DoD Libraries will provide information resources and services required to accomplish the mission. The DoD libraries support military personnel assigned to contingency operations, remote sites, and military missions IAW DoDI 1015.10, Military Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Programs. The program provides professional military and voluntary education programs materials and services. Libraries also provide facilities, resources, and services to enhance the quality of life, regeneration, and resiliency for authorized customers. These resources relate to various overarching goals of the DoD such as recreation, physical wellness, emotional resiliency, and educational pursuits.

To meet these needs, the DoD libraries must procure resources that can be accessed globally, including in areas with low or no internet access, and provide the below stated requirements. These resources need to include access to quality of life resources. The DoD Library program would like to purchase the Scholastic Corporations collection of educational databases of Teachables, for the Department of Defense libraries. These databases provide video storybooks and multimedia support material for the development of literacy skills, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.

They also support non-fiction research skills and develop real world knowledge and critical thinking skills. DoDL also needs a collection of educational databases of BookFlix, ScienceFlix, FreedomFlix and TrueFlix. These databases provide video storybooks and multimedia support material for the development of literacy skills, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.

They also support non-fiction research skills and develop real world knowledge and critical thinking skills.

Scholastic Corporation is the sole provider of Teachables, BookFlix, ScienceFlix, FreedomFlix and TrueFlix. They are the only know source that provides Teachables—worksheets, lesson plans, learning games, and more. Teachables offers printable activities for any subject: math, science, reading comprehension, STEM, writing, and beyond.

Download and print lesson plans, reading passages, games and puzzles, clip art, bulletin board ideas, and skills sheets for kids in any grade. BookFlix, ScienceFlix, FreedomFlix and TrueFlix are the only know source that provides comprehensive literacy building with research and science development. This cultivation of literacy skill with critical thinking skill is essential for DoD libraries.

Scholastic Corporation has exclusive legal copyrights and is a “must order direct” company. The publisher does not market their publications through distributors so they are not available from any other source. It is the leading provider of learning and knowledge products and one of the world's most trusted sources of information on every topic imaginable. Without this sole source acquisition, the Air Force Library's mission to provide airmen with safe recreational support would be seriously harmed or delayed without the latest, up-to-the-minute information available from this subscription.

It is imperative to continue offering access to this literacy building material to DoD Library customers as it provides the most authoritative information available.

III. Description of supplies/services required to meet agency needs.

The proposed effort covered by this individual J&A is for a 48-month subscription (1 Base Year + 3 Option Years) to Teachables and Flix for DoD Libraries. The requirement is for a subscription that provides lesson plans, worksheets, learning games, and printables for teachers and parents to use for various topics, genres, holidays, and

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

March 2023 SOURCE SELECTION SENSITIVE Page 3 of 6 themes. Must also pair classic video storybooks with related nonfiction titles to reinforce early reading skills and develop real-world knowledge. Offers dozens of units to supplement social studies and science core curricula learning. Offering more than 50 complete units of study with over 6500 science-related assets in a variety of media.

The current requirement is a combination of two contracts that were previously procured separately.

(FA806520P5039 and FA805223P0034) Both contracts end 29 September 2024. The new combined contract will have 1 base year and 3 option years with an estimated value of

Base Year: CLIN: 0001- DoDL Teachables and Flix, total: , PoP: 30 September 2024 - 29 September OY1: CLIN:1001-DoDL Teachables and Flix,, total: PoP: 30 September 2025 - 29 September 2026 OY 2: CLIN: 200-DoDL Teachables and Flix,1, total: , PoP: 30 September 2026 - 29 September 2027 OY3: CLIN: 3001-DoDL Teachables and Flix,, total: , PoP: 30 September 2027- 29 September 2028

IV. Statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition.

DAFFARS 5313.501 - 10 U.S.C. 3572, Implementation of Simplified Acquisition Procedures (41 U.S.C. 1901)

V. Demonstration that the contractor's unique qualifications or nature of the acquisition requires the use of the authority cited above (applicability of authority).

The Teachables, BookFlix, ScienceFlix, FreedomFlix and TrueFlix subscriptions are the only know source that provides comprehensive literacy building with research and science development. This cultivation of literacy skill with critical thinking skill is essential for DoD libraries. subscription offers an all-encompassing collection and services that provide high quality resources that can be accessible in all locations via the Scholastic platform. The depth and breadth of Teachables, BookFlix, ScienceFlix, FreedomFlix and TrueFlix subscriptions from Scholastic make it the only feasible supplier that can meet the DOD libraries' needs and provide customers with an all-inclusive database. There are no other comparable services that would cover all of these aspects in one place with the same functionality and access. Without this acquisition, the DOD Libraries' mission to provide timely and instantly accessible digital information that can be streamed or downloaded would be seriously harmed or delayed without the latest, up-to-the minute information and full service capabilities available from this subscription.

Scholastic Inc. has exclusive legal copyright to its content collection and is a "must order direct" company.

Scholastic platform cannot be accessed through a third party. Scholastic Teachables, BookFlix, ScienceFlix, FreedomFlix and TrueFlix subscriptions is the only known source capable of providing the item described above for the Department of Defense to accomplish the libraries' mission.

VI. Description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable.

The Government published a Sources Sought Notice on SAM.gov, Notice ID FA8052PRE0738 on 13 May 2024 with a

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

March 2023 SOURCE SELECTION SENSITIVE Page 4 of 6 response due date/time of 4:00 PM CST on 27 May 2024. The notice identified NAICS 516210- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content. The Sources Sought Notice was extended on 27 May 2024 with a response date of 10 June 2024 to provide additional times a result of delayed response to questions of the posted sources sought notice. Additionally, the posting outlined the minimum characteristics that a similar service would have to meet to fulfill the requirement and requested that any interested firms submit a capabilities package indicating their interest and capacity to fulfill the requirement. Sources Sought Notice was posted on SAM.gov from 13 May 24 - 10 June 24. Multiple vendors responded to the notice stating their interest however only one may be capable of fulfilling the requirement besides the incumbent who did not respond to the Sources Sought, but indicated to the Mission Partner that they intend to submit a proposal once the solicitation has been posted. The requirement was posted as Full and Open on SAM.gov on 11 September 2024 with a closing date of 20 September 2024. One offer was received in response to the solicitation(the incumbent, Scholastic Inc.).

Due to only receiving one solicitation response, the acquisition was changed to Sole Source by recommendation of CO.

VII. Determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

The CO determination that the price will be fair and reasonable is based on a review of historical data and will be reviewed against the Independent Government Estimate (IGE) to determine reasonableness.

VIII. Description of the market research conducted and the results, or a statement of the reasons market research was not conducted.

The 773 ESS has relied upon the Air Force Libraries' surveillance of the market for contractors to determine if competition is available for this requirement. The library used publishers' advertisements, professional conferences, vendor demonstrations, customer suggestions, and new publication reviews to conduct market research.

Each year librarians/product owners attend numerous conferences hosted by entities such as the Texas Library Association, Public Library Association and American Library Association. These conferences host hundreds of vendors that serve the library community. Over the course of several days, the librarians conduct market research by conversing with the vendors and experiencing products first-hand.

Continuous market research is also completed by staying up to date on current and new product offerings and updates via various mailing lists as well as Internet searches completed by the product owners.

The Government published a Sources Sought Notice on SAM.gov, Notice ID FA8052PRE0738 on 13 May 2024 with a response due date/time of 4:00 PM CST on 27 May 2024. The notice identified NAICS 516210- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content. The Sources Sought Notice was extended on 27 May 2024 with a response date of 10 June 2024 to provide additional times a result of delayed response to questions of the posted sources sought notice. Additionally, the posting outlined the minimum characteristics that a similar service would have to meet to fulfill the requirement and requested that any interested firms submit a capabilities package indicating their interest and capacity to fulfill the requirement. Sources Sought Notice was posted on SAM.gov from 13 May 24 - 10 June 24. Multiple vendors responded to the notice stating their interest however only one may be capable of fulfilling the requirement besides the incumbent who did not respond to the Sources Sought, but indicated to the Mission Partner that

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

March 2023 SOURCE SELECTION SENSITIVE Page 5 of 6 they intend to submit a proposal once the solicitation has been posted. The requirement was posted as Full and Open on SAM.gov on 11 September 2024 with a closing date of 20 September 2024. One offer was received in response to the solicitation(the incumbent, Scholastic Inc.). Due to only receiving one solicitation response, the acquisition was changed to Sole Source by recommendation of CO.

Of the four small businesses that responded to the Sources Sought, only one displayed that they may be capable of performing this requirement. The three vendors who did not meet requirements either do not provide printable downloads or have a website already established.

IX. Any other facts supporting the use of Other Than Full and Open Competition.

Based on extensive market research, Scholastic Inc., is the only known vendor capable of performing this requirement

X. List of any sources that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition.

Scholastic Inc (Large) UEI: FE4KMH1UYNK3 Cage: 007E1 557 Broadway New York, NY 10012-3999

XI. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required.

AFSVC/VCL will attempt to obtain competition whenever possible by use of professional journals and trade exhibits. AFSVC/VCL will continue to keep up-to-date and review new research databases to determine if another source will meet the needs of the students, faculty, and staff, in addition to keeping an open dialog with our patrons and usage statistics to determine the necessity for future purposes. The 773 ESS will continually canvass the market by posting sources sought notices to determine if their are viable sources to obtain competition.

XII. Certification by the Contracting Officer.

As evidenced by my signature above, I have determined this document to be both accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

March 2023 SOURCE SELECTION SENSITIVE Page 6 of 6

XIII. Certification by the technical/requirements personnel.

As evidenced by my signature above, I certify that any supporting data contained herein, which is my responsibility, is both accurate and complete.