JA Elsevier Knovel Redacted.pdf

Elsevier Knovel 35 Database Purchase Request No.:

J&A No.:

5. A statement demonstrating the unique qualifications of the proposed contractor or the nature of the action requiring use of the authority.

Elsevier is uniquely qualified to provide the required service as it is the sole developer, owner, and distributor of the Knovel platform. The nature of this requirement is for a specialized, integrated database of technical and engineering content coupled with interactive analytical tools, which is a proprietary service available only from this contractor.

This service provides a specialized and integrated database of technical and engineering content coupled with interactive analytical tools that are exclusively available from this contractor. Elsevier maintains exclusive licensing and aggregation rights for a vast collection of resources from nearly 170 leading technical societies and publishers, presenting this curated content within a single, unified platform that cannot be replicated by any other vendor.

Furthermore, the nature of the Knovel platform is inherently unique due to its patented interactive tools, which allow engineers to work directly with technical data through interactive equations, graphs, and material property databases. This combination of a comprehensive, curated content library with powerful, built-in analytical capabilities is a proprietary feature of Elsevier's service. As there are no authorized resellers or alternative platforms that provide this specific integrated solution, Elsevier is the only contractor capable of meeting the agency's requirement, making the use of sole-source authority necessary.

6. A description of efforts made to ensure offers/quotes are solicited from as many potential sources as is practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized in the Government Point of Entry (GPE) (as required by FAR 5.2) and, if not, which exception under 5.202 applies.

A Sources Sought Notice was posted to SAM.gov notifying Industry of the Government’s intent to sole source this effort to Elsevier. The aforementioned notice was posted for 14 days, from the period of 17 MAR 2026 to 31 MAR 2026. No responses from Industry were received. The Sources Sought Notice was utilized to assess whether there are vendors with the necessary capabilities to meet the Government’s requirement. This is the renewal of subscription, following the previous Purchase Order N0017323P1844, which was also sole source to Elsevier. These are intellectual property rights which can only be provided by Elsevier. No other vendors could provide the license for the Knovel platform.

7. The anticipated dollar value of the proposed acquisition, including options if applicable, and a determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the government will be fair and reasonable.

The anticipated cost to the government for this action is $639,079. However, the Contracting Officer will determine through price analysis that the proposed price fair and reasonable to the Government in accordance with the method(s) detailed at FAR 13.106-3(a).

8. A description of the market research conducted and the results or the reason market research was not conducted.

Market research and the results thereof are described in detail in Section 6 above.

9. Any other facts supporting the use of sole source.

Elsevier Knovel 35 Database Purchase Request No.:

J&A No.:

Not applicable. No other supporting information outside what is listed herein was utilized to support this J&A.

10. A listing of the sources, if any, that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition.

No other sources expressed interest, in writing, for this acquisition.

11. A statement of any actions the agency will take to remove or overcome any future barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services required.

Prior to any subsequent acquisition, the NRL commits to overcoming barriers to competition by conducting continuous market research. Our library staff will actively survey the information marketplace, analyze the evolving needs of our scientists and engineers, and engage with industry to identify new vendors or alternative solutions. Should these ongoing research efforts reveal a viable source capable of providing a functionally equivalent integrated platform, the agency will compete the future requirement. Until such a source emerges, the proprietary nature of the Knovel platform remains the primary barrier to competition, and we will continue to assess the feasibility of competition for all future requirements.