NIH_LSJ_OptimizingScientificOrgOp.SAMdocx.docx

Limited Source Justification

“Source Selection Information – see FAR 2.101 and 3.104”

1. Identification of the agency and contracting activity.

a. Federal agency and contracting activity. HHS/NIH.

b. Sponsoring organization. OD

c. Project Officer Information.

· Project Officer/COR Name: Rashanna Carter

· Mailing address: 2 Center Drive Room 4W05A

· E-mail address: rashanna.carter@nih.gov

· Telephone number: 301-827-2693

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved.

Acquisition purpose and objectives. NIH has identified an urgent and compelling requirement needed to comply with Executive Order 14212 (Establishing the President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission). NIH requires analytical, research, technology and operations support services to develop and recommend technical, and scientific solutions and implementation strategies to help achieve the goals set forth in the Executive Order Project background. The unusual aspect of this requirement stems from the new Presidential administrations vision and goal to “Make America Healthy Again”.

American life expectancy significantly lags behind other developed countries, with pre-COVID-19 United States life expectancy averaging 78.8 years and comparable countries averaging 82.6 years. This equates to 1.25 billion fewer life years for the United States population.

Across 204 countries and territories, the United States had the highest age-standardized incidence rate of cancer in 2021, nearly double the next-highest rate. From 1990-2021, the United States experienced an 88 percent increase in cancer, the largest percentage increase of any country evaluated.

In 2021, asthma was more than twice as common in the United States than most of Europe, Asia, or Africa. Autism spectrum disorders had the highest prevalence in high-income countries, including the United States, in 2021. Autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, and multiple sclerosis are more commonly diagnosed in high-income areas such as Europe and North America.

The compelling aspect of this requirement is driven by President Donal J. Trump’s EO 14212 of February 13, 2025, detailing how this concern applies urgently to America's children as well.

In 2022, an estimated 30 million children (40.7 percent) had at least one health condition, such as allergies, asthma, or an autoimmune disease. Autism spectrum disorder now affects 1 in 36 children in the United States—a staggering increase from rates of 1 to 4 out of 10,000 children identified with the condition during the 1980s. Eighteen percent of late adolescents and young adults have fatty liver disease, close to 30 percent of adolescents are prediabetic. These health burdens have continued to increase alongside the increased prescription of medication. This poses a dire threat to the American people and our way of life.

The goal of Executive Order 14212 (Establishing the President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission) requires immediate implementation. The National Institutes of Health and other health-related research funded by the Federal Government have been tasked according to EO14212 to gold-standard research on the root causes of why Americans are getting sick.

Through this task order, the NIH will rapidly deploy scientific, operations and business subject matter experts to optimize NIH scientific and organizational operations. This work is essential and urgent for complying with President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14212 (Establishing the President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission), Description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs (including the estimated value).

a. Project title. Optimizing Scientific and Organizational Operations of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to Improve Efficiency and to Enhance the Health and Well-Being of all Americans

a. Project description. The purpose of this requirement is to deploy scientific, operations, and business subject matter experts to optimize scientific and organizational operations and priorities. Given the extreme urgency of complying with the President’s directive, the contractor must have proven capabilities in diverse aspects of health and IT across a large organization. , as the timeframe in which the work must be performed does not leave room for a learning curve.

· Requirement type.

Research & development (R&D) R & D support services Support services (non-R&D) Supplies/equipment Information technology (IT) Construction Architect-engineer (A & E) services Design-build Other (specify):

· Type of action.

X New requirement Follow-on Other (specify): ______________________

· Proposed contract/order type.

Firm-fixed-price Other fixed-price (specify, e.g., fixed-price award-fee, fixed-price incentive-fee): __________ Cost-plus-fixed-fee Other cost reimbursement (specify, e.g., cost-plus-award-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee): ___________ X Time and materials Indefinite delivery (specify whether indefinite quantity, Definite quantity or requirements): ___________ Other (specify): ___________ Completion Form Term form

b. Acquisition identification number. TBD

c. Total estimated dollar value and performance/delivery period. The estimated dollar value of this contract is $7,297,111.20, The period of performance is April 29,2025 – January 27, 2026.

3. Identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition.

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of 41 United States Code (U.S.C.) 253(c) (1) as set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulation 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(A).

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of section 4202 of the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996.

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Services Acquisition Reform Act of 2003 (41 U.S.C. 428a).

4. Demonstration that the proposed contractor(s) unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited.

a. Name and address of the proposed contractor(s).

Credence Management Solutions, LLC,1775 Tysons Blvd, Suite 800 McLean, VA 22102

b. Nature of the acquisition and proposed unique qualifications of the contractor(s).

Credence Management Solutions, LLC currently possesses a General Services Administration Multiple Award Schedule contract with a unique set a qualifications that will aid NIH in accomplishing the Executive Order Credence’s capabilities span a broad range of technologies including health IT, digital health, multimodal AI/ML, cloud engineering, and more. Credence’s solutions have been deployed worldwide to improve clinical care and patient outcomes.

Credence offers comprehensive data management solutions for large health and biomedical datasets. Credence has established cloud repositories for storing and analyzing multimodal data, as well as tools to harmonize and integrate disparate data types Credence can leverage AI/ML and other computational techniques to analyze and extract salient information from health data and related sources with a successful track record delivering health analytics solutions for disease surveillance.

5. Description of the efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable. Indicate whether a GSA eBuy notice was or will be publicized as required by FAR *8.405-1(d)(i) Market survey was conducted and a considerable number of potential offerors on GSA eBuy, Multiple Award Schedule SIN category However, due to the urgent and compelling nature required for complying with President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14212 (Establishing the President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission)the Government did not have sufficient time to request capability statements, gather & evaluate quotes and provide opportunities for a competition for this requirement.

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

An independent Government Cost Estimate has been developed (IGCE) based on the history of similar scoped requirements, current market conditions and program expectations.

This requirement will be fulfilled through GSA MAS. GSA negotiates competitive contracts with commercial partners that offer discounts equal to or better than those provided to their best commercial customers. GSA pricing has already been determined fair and reasonable to the government. However, NIH will seek additional price reductions and concessions at the order level where possible.

7. Description of the market research conducted (see FAR Part 10) and the results, or a statement of the reasons market research was not conducted. NIH sought in house subject matter experts for feasibility on how to proceed. GSA Supply Schedules were reviewed. Contracts having similar task types were reviewed as well.

9. Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition.

None

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

No sources sought notice or RFI has been released due to the time constraints on implementing the Executive Order

11. Statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the required supplies or services.

NIH is committed to competing acquisitions to the maximum extent possible. If a follow-on requirement is required, thorough market research will be conducted regarding potential sources through the Federal Supply Schedule.

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