OS2024AK0003 Sole Source Special Notice in Word and Ready To Be Published in PDF in SAM Gov docx.pdf

This is a SOLE SOURCE Special Notice in support of a planned SOLE-SOURCE acquisition—by the Office of

Governmental Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of the U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT)— of a five-year subscription to services provided by Politico Pro. That planned award would have one

Base Year and four Option Years. Its estimated aggregate grand total value, as counted across that Base

Year and all four Options Years, is approximately $321,000.

1. IDENTIFICATION OF AGENCY AND CONTRACTING ACTIVITY AGENCY REQUIRING ACTIVITY: Office of the Secretary (OST), Office of Governmental Affairs, Office of Public Affairs, Office of Tribal

Government Affairs, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E., Washington, DC 20590. The CONTRACTING

ACTIVITY is the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of the Secretary (OST), Acquisition

Services Division (M-63), 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E., Washington, DC 20590

2. DESCRIPTION OF CONTEMPLATED SOLE-SOURCE PROCUREMENT-ACTION: The Office of the

Secretary of Transportation, the Office of Governmental Affairs, the Office of Tribal Government

Affairs, and the Office of Public Affairs have a need for a specialized news coverage service. This action would continue the existing Politico Pro Plus services for those offices via the awarding of a new SOLE-SOURCE contract to cover a Base Year plus four Option Years running from approximately May 21, 2024, through approximately May 20, 2029, if DOT exercises all four

Option Years of that now-contemplated new contract with Politico Pro. Such a sole-source award is necessary to give DOT employees access to a legislative news cycle that impacts

Transportation.

3. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES REQUIRED TO MEET THE AGENCY’S NEEDS: The Office of the

Secretary of Transportation, the Office of Governmental Affairs, the Office of Tribal Government

Affairs, and the Office of Public Affairs require the continuation of all of their existing Politico

Pro services. The Politico Pro Plus platform provides support in several areas, including:

• Customizable access to continuous news coverage; and

• Access to daily Budget and Appropriations briefings; and

• Access to a 10,000 record Congressional directory; and

• Access to Politico Pro policy specific content

In addition, DOT’s existing Politico Pro subscription service is completely customizable, giving users the ability to select specific policy areas to track and determine the format and frequency of the content they receive.

4. IDENTIFICATION OF THE STATUTORY AUTHORITY PERMITTING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN

COMPETITION: The statutory authority for the proposed new contract with Politico Pro is 41

U.S.C. 253 (c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1(a), which states that an executive agency may use procedures other than competitive procedures only --- (2) “When the supplies or services required by the agency are available from only one responsible source…and no other type of supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, full and open competition need not be provided for.”

5. DEMONSTRATION THAT THE PROPOSED CONTRACTOR’S UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS OR THE

NATURE OF THE ACQUISITION REQUIRES USE OF THE AUTHORITY CITED: The contemplated new sole-source contract with Politico Pro would enable DOT’s Office of Governmental Affairs, the

Office of Tribal Government Affairs, and the Office of Public Affairs to continue to utilize subscription services provided by Politico Pro Plus. Switching to another vendor at this point in the program would require substantial duplication of time and resources already devoted to customizing a new service, which would be unlikely to be an offset and recovered through competition. A new vendor would have to replicate the work DOT has already put in place with

Politico Pro Plus. Therefore, Politico Pro Plus is only vendor that can meet DOT’s current needs.

6. EFFORTS MADE TO OBTAIN COMPETITION, AND WHETHER A NOTICE WAS OR WILL BE

PUBLICIZED AS REQUIRED BY FAR SUBPART 5.2 AND, IF NOT, WHICH EXCEPTION UNDER FAR

5.202 APPLIES: This Sole Source Special Notice, as published in SAM.gov, constitutes DOT’s best current effort to obtain competition for the important services contemplated and described herein.

7. DETERMINATION BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER THAT THE ANTICIPATED COST TO THE

GOVERNMENT WILL BE FAIR AND REASONABLE: DOT’s cognizant Contracting Officer, in consultation with DOT’s cognizant Contracting Officer’s Representative for this procurement, will review and determine the reasonableness of any all pricing-rates proposed by Politico Pro for DOT’s needed support-services described in this Sole Source Special Notice. Moreover, each invoice submitted by Politico Pro to DOT under the SOLE-SOURCE contract contemplated in this

Special Notice will be scrutinized for allowability, allocability and reasonableness of billed costs in accordance with FAR Part 31. These procedures will ensure that the anticipated cost to the

Government is fair and reasonable.

8. A DESCRIPTION OF MARKET RESEARCH CONDUCTED AND THE RESULTS OR A STATEMENT OF

THE REASON THAT MARKET RESEARCH WAS NOT CONDUCTED: Market research showed there were few companies that offered a full implementation service. DOT’s switching to another vendor would be grossly impractical and highly duplicative, as it would require all new materials, rebranding, and marketing. Such a switch would, therefore, not be in the government’s best interest.

9. ANY OTHER FACTS SUPPORTING THE USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION:

None

10. A LIST OF SOURCES, IF ANY, THAT EXPRESSED, IN WRITING, AN INTEREST IN THE

ACQUISITION: None so far—but this Sole Source Special Notice does invite the submission, to james.mowery@dot.gov and to Toiyriah.Turner@dot.gov and to Benita.Harris-Clarke@dot.gov, by 11:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time May 1st, 2024, of Statements of Qualifications attempting to mailto:james.mowery@dot.gov mailto:Toiyriah.Turner@dot.gov mailto:Benita.Harris-Clarke@dot.gov prove the ability of interested companies, OTHER THAN Politico Pro, to provide the services needed by DOT at the high level of quality indispensable to the Department.

11. A STATEMENT OF THE ACTIONS IF ANY, THE AGENCY MAY TAKE TO REMOVE OR OVERCOME

ANY BARRIERS TO COMPETITION BEFORE ANY SUBSEQUENT ACQUISITION FOR THESE SERVICES:

DOT is not aware of the existence of any barriers to competition, other than the unavoidable ones described above in this Sole Source Special Notice.