FY25_NLM_EBSCO_SoleSource_Pre-Sol_Notice_9_3_25_1.pdf

Pre-Solicitation Notice

Solicitation Number: 75N94025R00010

Solicitation Title: Subscription Services for the National Library of Medicine (NLM)

Notice Type: Pre-Solicitation Notice

Classification Code: R605 – Support-Administrative Library

NAICS Code: 513120 - Periodical Publishers

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP). THIS IS A

PRE-SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY.

AN RFP WILL BE ISSUED VIA SAM.GOV ON OR ABOUT

SEPTEMBER 22, 2025

Note:

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), on behalf of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of FAR 6.302-1 “Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements”. The Government intends to solicit and negotiate with:

EBSCO INFORMATION SERVICES LLC

5724 Highway 280 E

Birmingham, Alabama

35242-6818

United States

This pre-solicitation notice is regarding the pursuit of a bridge contract with EBSCO Information Services to secure uninterrupted subscription services for a period of performance consisting of at least 6 (six) months , with the potential to extend by an additional 6 (six) months if deemed necessary. Additionally, this contract is to ensure continuity of services until a new contract is awarded

Background:

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) in Bethesda, Maryland, is a 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 many languages. As a mandate in its authorizing legislation (Public Law 84-941), NLM acquires library materials pertinent to medicine. The Collection Development Program of the Collection Branch requires subscription services to build the NLM modern biomedical literature collection, including print and electronic resources, and to support NLM products and services.

Objectives:

The purpose of this contract is to place approximately 7100 subscriptions for biomedical literature published worldwide. The publishers may be multi-national and may be commercial, governmental bodies and other non-commercial organizations. NLM subscriptions include print and electronic formats. Subscriptions may be for print-only (or other physical format, such as DVD), print bundled with electronic access, or electronic only. For print subscriptions, a consolidation service with shipping to NLM is required. Services related to acquiring and managing access to electronic resources/packages will also be required. These services includes:

A. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Furnishing all necessary labor, materials, supplies, equipment and services, except as otherwise specified herein, to place new and renewal subscription orders on NLM’s behalf and to provide related services as set forth below for titles sold on subscription.

The subscriptions include print and electronic formats. Subscriptions may be for print only (or other physical format, such as DVD), print bundled with electronic access, or electronic only. Services related to acquiring and managing access to electronic resources/packages will also be required.

2. Providing a consolidation service for supply of print issues.

3. Supplying a machine-readable equivalent of their paper invoices in EDI invoice message format, using EDIFACT, the international EDI standard.

4. Providing an online system, accessible for customer use via the Internet. The following functionality shall be available:

a) Content and features:

1. bibliographic information for each publication including title, publisher, ISSN, E-ISSN, frequency and available formats

2. pricing models for available formats and/or packages

3. order information for each subscription including title, publisher, ISSN, E- ISSN, frequency, price and format(s) acquired

4. invoice payment information for at least the current and previous year

5. list of outstanding claims (by title) including current status and number of times claimed

6. shipping information including list of issues supplied in current year’s shipments and expected dates of future issues

7. ability to add notes to renewals

8. ability to submit questions and track resolutions

b) Ability to search by:

1. title or series

2. ISSN; E-ISSN

3. customer order (NLM PO Line number)

4. vendor reference number

c) Output capabilities:

1. ability to produce EDI format invoices

2. ability to produce all deliverable reports in electronic format

3. ability to export data in spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Excel

4. ability to review shipment data

5. Labeling invoices, shipments, reports and other communication produced with the NLM

Purchase Order line number cited on the original purchase order request, unless otherwise changed or modified.

6. Maintaining in its records information about negotiated prices for licensed online and print plus online subscriptions. The negotiated prices should be reflected in the Contractor’s subscription database and should be correctly stated in billing.

7. Provide and maintain a Contingency Plan for continuity of contracted services in the event of disaster at any of its facilities. The Contractor must be capable of holding and storing consolidation shipments if an emergency onsite NLM results in the need for shipments to be held for an extended period of time.

This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals or quotes. However, any responsible source who believes it is capable of meeting the requirement 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. A determination not to compete the proposed requirement based upon the responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.

Primary Point of Contact Gannon White

Secondary Point of Contact Noor Shakeel

Contracting Officer, NICHD/OA/CMB Gannon.white@nih.gov

Section Chief, NICHD/OA/CMB Noor.shakeel@nih.gov