NIHOLOASGFY20250002 Sources Sought Notice.docx

Public Health Service

November 19, 2024

Sources Sought Notice/ Notice of Intent

# NIHOLOASGFY20250002

This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. This pre-solicitation, sources sought/notice of intent that is being conducted in part as a market research to find qualified organizations that could fulfill this requirement.

Small business concerns, 8(a) small businesses, Woman-owned, small disadvantaged businesses, HUBZone small businesses and Service-disabled Veteran small business concerns with the appropriate corporate infrastructure and operational capabilities to adequately provide the services described in the Statement of Work should respond to this notice. The intended procurement will be classified under NAICS 511120.

BACKGROUND

Wolters Kluwer provides online access to UpToDate, an evidence-based clinical decision resource that supports NIH staff served by the NIH Library (Division of Library Services). UpToDate includes over 12,400 physician-authored medical topic reviews in over 25 specialties along with over 1,500 patient information topics, 37,000 graphics, 240 medical calculators, and 7,600 unique drug entries. Online access to UpToDate provides instant point of care information to NIH clinicians and researchers, allowing users to respond quickly to medical events and improve patient care. Feedback from NIH clinicians and researchers indicates that the easy accessibility of vital information made possible by online access to UpToDate has improved treatment quality, patient safety, and care recommendations.

OBJECTIVES

The National Institutes of Health Division of Library Services (DLS) is seeking proposals from qualified vendors to provide electron access to UpToDate through its web interface. Access will include all published topic reviews across all UpToDate specialties, along with the option for individual users to earn CME credits. The contractor is also required to provide access to other content as outlined under the “specific requirements” section of this SOW.

This procurement will provide continue contractual support for the program, as well as the NIH Community as a whole.

Offeror shall describe their approach of providing the services describe in the SOW.

Please refer to the Statement of work for additional information.

Respondents should email their organization’s capability statements to the address below by Monday November 26, 2024 @ 4:00 p.m EST. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. “The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).” This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed. Information provided will be used to assess tradeoffs and alternatives available for the potential requirement and may lead to the development of a solicitation. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. Any solicitation resulting from the analysis of information obtained will be announced to the public on FEDBIZOPS. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.

Submission of Capability Statements:

Virus free capability statements should be e- mailed to shawn.glen@nih.gov by the deadline.

Point of Contact:

Shawn Glen, Contracting Specialist, shawn.glen@nih.gov

STATEMENT OF WORK

PROJECT TITLE: Access to UpToDate I. Statement of Work A. Background Information Wolters Kluwer provides online access to UpToDate, an evidence-based clinical decision resource that supports NIH staff served by the NIH Library (Division of Library Services). UpToDate includes over 12,400 physician-authored medical topic reviews in over 25 specialties along with over 1,500 patient information topics, 37,000 graphics, 240 medical calculators, and 7,600 unique drug entries. Online access to UpToDate provides instant point of care information to NIH clinicians and researchers, allowing users to respond quickly to medical events and improve patient care. Feedback from NIH clinicians and researchers indicates that the easy accessibility of vital information made possible by online access to UpToDate has improved treatment quality, patient safety, and care recommendations.

B. Objectives

The specific objective of this requirement requires the contractor to provide the NIH staff served by the NIH Library (DLS) electronic access to UpToDate through its web interface. Access will include all published topic reviews across all UpToDate specialties, along with the option for individual users to earn CME credits. The contractor is also required to provide access to other content as outlined under the “specific requirements” section of this SOW.

II. Services to be performed

Specifically, the contractor shall:

1. Provide the NIH staff served by the NIH Library (DLS) electronic access to UpToDate through the web platform via IP authentication or an access management service. Optional username and password access shall be provided for those users who wish to earn CME credit, view their search history, and access content remotely through the UpToDate mobile app.

2. The contractor also shall provide options for acquiring new UpToDate products and modules, including but not limited to UpToDate Advanced, which includes UpToDate Pathways.

3. The contractor shall provide an option for DLS to add new UpToDate products as the contractor adds to its portfolio. The contractor also shall provide an option for DLS to cancel selected UpToDate products should its funding be reduced.

4. The contractor shall provide NIH with open-URL enabled software to allow third-party linking from the citations in the databases to electronic versions of NIHL subscribed documents or to document delivery services using products such as 360 Link or Alma.

5. The contractor will upgrade the web platform as needed to enhance or improve the functionality of the platform at no additional cost.

6. The contractor shall provide maintenance service in the form of periodic software updates and technical help support as part of the base price for the database and interface. Technical help support should be available Monday through Friday during normal business hours.

7. The contractor shall also provide documentation and training materials as appropriate. Training material may be modified to suit the needs of NIH.

C. Government Responsibilities

1. The Government will be responsible for providing an interface via web links for the NIH community to access the UpToDate website.

2. NIH will be responsible for creating a system to validate security for entrance into the website.

3. Upon signature by the Government, the contractor license agreement will be incorporated into the contract.

D. Reporting Requirements and Deliverables

1. The contractor shall regularly provide the COR with monthly UpToDate usage statistics.

2. Usage by selected NIH institutes may also be required when that use is identifiable, e.g. from IP range or log in.

3. The contractor shall ensure the web platform is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year with an unscheduled downtime rate not to exceed 1%. Notification of scheduled downtime shall be provided one week in advance at a minimum and will be scheduled in low use periods—between midnight and 6:00 am EST Monday through Friday or 6:00 pm and 6:00 am EST on weekends.

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