Intent_to_Award_DOIGFBO260011_1.pdf

Intent to Award Notice – DOIGFBO260011

The US Geological Survey (USGS) Library seeks to award a sole source contract with Geological Society of London (GLS). This contract establishes a flat fee, firm-fixed price agreement support an Open Access read and publish agreement with access to the Lyell Collection Complete Online.

The total anticipated period of performance will be 04/17/2026 - 04/16/2027.

The USGS is aware of no other source that can provide the above. Therefore, it intends to make an award to PLOS unless it is contacted by any vendor who believes they have similar technical expertise and can provide the same service(s). Vendors are invited to contact the Contracting Officer, Leah Williams via email at leah_williams@ios.doi.gov no later than 5:00 PM ED, Wednesday, April 15, 2026 with an affirmative answer.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) considers employee signatures to be Personal Protected Information, and therefore all employee signatures have been redacted. By posting this document, the Contracting

Officer attests all appropriate signatures have been obtained.

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION (FAR 13.1)

The following information is provided to demonstrate the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications:

Nature of the Action Being Approved

A One (1) Year Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) contract to support an Open Access Read and

Publish Agreement ("Agreement”) with the Geological Society of London (GSL).

Description of Supplies and Services

This procurement facilitates the establishment of a contract for an Open Access Read and Publish

Agreement ("Agreement”). Under this Agreement, the Library will pay an annual subscription fee to a digital publisher for eligible USGS authors to publish open access hybrid articles, open access journals, and book series to support USGS’ need for continuous and secured access to specialized geological literature.

The digital publisher shall offer an integrated perpetual-access package that includes primary sources of geological research and data with access to the Lyell Collection Complete Online (Collection).The

Collection consists of “read sites” to include historical content sites, actively publishing hybrid journals, fully open access journal, fully open access book series, and active hybrid book series.

Subscription to the complete Collection comprises peer-reviewed journals and eBooks, including the

Journal of the Geological Society, Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, Petroleum Geoscience, Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis, Journal of

Micropalaeontology, GSL Special Publications (eBook series), GSL Memoirs (eBook series), Geoenergy, Earth Science, Systems and Society, Energy Geoscience Conference series, GeoHorizons, Engineering Geology Special Publications. All USGS staff need to have full-text access to all titles in the Collection. Permanent (aka perpetual) access must be provided for all the

Collection’s published content from the current subscription year and all previously subscribed-to years (backfiles back to at least 2009).

mailto:%20leah_williams@ios.doi.gov

In addition, there are to be no limits to the number of articles that can be published and shall include all article types. Lastly, the digital publisher needs to ensure multiple users can access the content simultaneously and from different locations via the USGS network or VPN.

Statutory Authority

The proposed action may be awarded without full and open competition under FAR 13.106-1– only one source reasonably available.

Rationale Supporting Use of Citation

The titles, and the associated digital archives required by the Library are published and distributed exclusively by Geological Society of London (GSL). No other publisher, subscription agent, or vendor is authorized to provide these materials in an integrated or perpetual-access format.

GSL is the sole publisher and authorized source of the Lyell Collection (Collection). The content is proprietary and not available through alternate publishers, commercial aggregators, or subscription intermediaries. The Collection uniquely fulfills USGS’s need for continuous and secured access to specialized geological literature essential for its scientific mission areas.

GSL’s journals and book series are recognized internationally as primary sources of geological research and data. Equivalent coverage of this scope, scientific credibility, and archival continuity is not available from any other source.

GSL is the only digital publisher who can meet all of USGS’ requirements as outlined.

Market Research

Market research included web searching and direct vendor communication. Research did not result in identifying any additional sources providing services to meet the Government’s minimum needs. No resellers exist. Market research concluded that GSL is the only digital publisher who can meet all of

USGS’ requirements.

Future Plans to Permit Competition

Requirements will be reviewed on a yearly basis to evaluate if there are better arrangements in the market, should competition be identified, the requirement will be competed.

(End of Justification)