Redacted JA - Gale Health and Wellness.pdf

CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION

Justification and Approval (J&A) for Other Than Full and Open Competition

CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION August 2023 Page 1 of 5

Was a J&A approved for the preceding acquisition where that acquisition required a J&A? Yes No

Is this a new or amended J&A Document? New Amended ( Prior to Award Only! )

Is this a Bridge Action as defined at DAFFARS 5302.101? Yes No

Dollar Value of this Acquisition: < $750K > $750K and < $15M > $15M and < $100M > $100M

Contracting Activity: 773 Enterprise Sourcing Squadron 1517 Billy Mitchell Blvd, Bldg 954 San Antonio, TX 78236-1865

Purchase Request (if available) / Local ID Number: HE15015193852

Program / Project (and PE, if applicable): DoD Gale Health and Wellness

Program Type (PEO, Enterprise, of Operational): Enterprise

Authority:

6.302-1 – 10 USC 3204(a)(1), Only One Responsible Source - No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements Estimated Contract Cost (including options): $ 566,261.00 J&A Type: Class Individual

C OOR D IN AT I ON ( D AFF AR S 5306 . 304 ( a) ) ** The text in the signature blocks below is editable, including the title.

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Date Project Lead / Program Mgr / Requiring Activity Signature

28 Aug 2025 Amie Stone

AFSVC/VCL

STONE.AMIE.V.1282275 Digitally signed by

STONE.AMIE.V.1282275771

771 Date: 2025.08.28 14:39:07 -05'00'

Date Contracting Officer Signature

10 Sep 2025 Dakota K. Hardison

773 ESS/PKA

HARDISON.DAKOTA.KEI Digitally signed by

HARDISON.DAKOTA.KEITH.1054475132

TH.1054475132 Date: 2025.09.10 09:22:35 -05'00'

Date Communications and Info Systems Officer (CSO)

[ Name ] [ Office Symbol / Phone Number ]

Signature

Date Local Legal Reviewer

Date Chief of the Contracting Office (COCO)

Date Competition Advocate

Date Senior Contracting Official (SCO)

CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION August 2023 Page 2 of 5

APP R OV AL ( DAFF AR S 5306 . 304 ( a) )

Date Chief of the Contracting Office (COCO)

[ Official Signature Block ] Signature

Date PEO / Commander (Requirements Cognizance) [ Name ]

Date Deputy Assistant Secretary (Contracting)

CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION August 2023 Page 3 of 5

I. Agency and Contracting Activity.

773 Enterprise Sourcing Squadron 1517 Billy Mitchell Blvd, Bldg 954 San Antonio, TX 78236-1865

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

The Justification and approval is for a new requirement that will have a firm fixed price contract type.

III. Description of supplies/services required to meet agency needs.

DoD Libraries require access to a database that provides current, general health information that covers diseases and conditions, drugs, diagnostics and tests, therapies, treatments, and surgery options. Health coverage should be highly comprehensive with access to peer-reviewed, full-text academic journals, magazines, periodicals, reports, books and videos. The database needs to have a discovery layer, the ability to sort by source types and publication date, subject thesaurus, and viewed in HTML or PDF. Health documents should cover more than seventy-five (75) topic portals and offer reference, journal coverage, news, and peer reviews in full text. Customer convenience services should include online help, option to save, print, email, save search histories and results, streaming audios and videos, download, annotate, cite, and save available information. Access to information should be seamless, minimal response time between query initiation and query results, and search results within 5-10 seconds.

Product characteristics an equal item must meet to be considered:

1. Must provide current, general health information that covers diseases and conditions, drugs, diagnostics and tests, therapies, treatments, and surgery options.

2. Must also provide content on community health, fitness, health insurance, mental health, nutrition, stress, etc.

3. Must provide content on current health trends and medical news.

4. Must provide updated daily and browsable health information by the most popular and searchable health and wellness topics for in consumer-friendly language.

5. Health coverage should be highly comprehensive with access to peer-reviewed, full-text academic journals, magazines, periodicals, reports, books and videos.

6. Must provide resources in multiple languages.

7. Must have a discovery layer, the ability to sort by source types and publication date, subject thesaurus, and viewed in HTML or PDF.

8. Must have health documents cover more than seventy-five (75) topic portals and offer reference, journal coverage, news, and peer reviews in full text.

9. Must have customer convenience services should include online help, options to save, print, email, save search histories and results, streaming audios and videos, download, annotate, cite, and save available information.

10. Must provide access to information should be seamless, minimal response time between query initiation and query results, and search results within 5-10 seconds.

11. Must be able to provide password embedded URL’s for access through Library OPACS.

12. Must work with contract POC to establish authentication methods to provide optimal accessibility for all eligible patrons.

13. Security between the Website and server must be Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.3

14. Must be able to supply or allow retrieval of database usage statistics by Branch of Service (Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Military OneSource/Other, and Navy).

15. Must have HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) with long duration deployed on the servers to mitigate/prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.

16. Website certificates should be RSA 2048-bits (SHA256withRSA).

17. VCL must be able to test the platform to evaluate if it meets requirements. Must provide username and password to view content on platform.

CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION August 2023 Page 4 of 5

Base Year: 30 September 2025 - 29 September 2026 Option Year 1: 30 September 2026 - 29 September 2027 Option Year 2: 30 September 2027 - 29 September 2028.

IV. Demonstration that the contractor's unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited above.

This contract action is a follow-on to FA860420P5040. Cengage Learning, Inc. confirmed that they are the exclusive provider of Gale Health and Wellness. Cengage Learning, Inc. confirmed that they DO NOT have a third party reseller shall maintain and use appropriate safeguards to prevent unauthorized access to or use of customer personal data and to implement administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect customer personal data. Such safeguards include: network and application security and vulnerability management, logical access controls, secure media disposal controls, logging controls, personnel controls, physical security, and environmental controls.

V. Description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under FAR 5.202 applies.

The Government posted a sources sought notice on SAM.Gov, notice ID FA8052072025 on 16 July 2025 with a response date of 30 July 2025. Additionally, the posting outlined the minimum characteristics to meet the Government need. The Government requested that any interested firm submit a capability package indicating their interest and capacity to meet the requirement.

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

Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) was provided by the program management office. The IGCE was based on historical pricing from previous contracts and adjusted for inflation.

VII. Description of the market research conducted and the results, or a statement of the reasons market research was not conducted.

The Government posted a sources sought notice on SAM.Gov, notice ID FA8052072025 on 16 July 2025 with a response date of 30 July 2025. Of the responses, 2 (two) were found to be above satisfactory. The responses that were acceptable were EBSCO Information Services, Inc. and Cengage Learning Inc. EBSCO was satisfactory and provided a breadth of government contract past performance however, Cengage Learning Inc. demonstrated substantial past performance as the incumbent for this requirement. In contrast, the proposal submitted by Enhanced Priority Care, LLC was deemed unacceptable due to the absence of a lack of documented past performance and neither EBSCO Information Services, Inc. nor Enhanced Priority Care, LLC, do not possess access to the proprietary information required to fulfill this specific requirement.

VIII. Any other facts supporting the use of Other Than Full and Open Competition.

The 773 ESS has relied upon the Air Force Libraries' surveillance of the market for contractors to determine if competition is available for this requirement. The library used publishers' advertisements, professional conferences, vendor demonstrations, customer suggestions, and new publication reviews to conduct market research. Market research indicates no other capable vendor sources have been identified. Each year librarians/product owners attend numerous conferences hosted by entities such as the Texas Library Association, Public Library Association and American Library Association. These conferences host hundreds of vendors that serve the library community. Over the course of several days, the librarians conduct market research by conversing with the vendors and experiencing vendor products first-hand. Continuous market research is also completed by staying up to date on current and new product offerings and updates via various mailing lists as well as Internet searches completed by the product requirement owners.

CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION August 2023 Page 5 of 5

IX. List of any sources that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition.

The responding vendors were:

Enhanced Priority Care (CAGE: 8VZT3 UEI: FEJUA68QSBH9) Small Business EBSCO Information Services, LLC (CAGE: 913W2 UEI: FCNUXYEM9AE9) Large Business Cengage Learning, Inc./GALE (CAGE: 72BG3 UEI: GVF9XNR1HF79) Large Business

X. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required.

For the most recent contract, the Contracting Office posted a sources sought notice on SAM.gov, with only one capable offeror. Going forward the Contracting Office intends to hold an Industry Day to draw potential vendors.

Additionally, the Contracting Office will attend the annual library/educational conference to monitor and evaluate potential sources of supply. They will also post sources sought notices to survey the market to determine if there are any viable vendors capable of fulfilling this requirement. The results of the market research will dictate the acquisition strategy. Additionally, the 773rd ESS will collaborate with AFICC Program Management (KA), Higher Headquarters and Small Business to perform an opportunity assessment in hopes of realizing additional procurement avenues. AFSVC/VCL will continue to survey the market for vendors to obtain competition through publishers' advertisements, annual professional conferences, vendor demonstrations, customer suggestions and new publication reviews in conducting its surveys.

XI. Certification by the Contracting Officer.

As evidenced by my signature above, I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

XII. Certification by the technical/requirements personnel.

As evidenced by my (our) signature(s) above, I (we) certify that any supporting data contained herein, which is my (our) responsibility, is both accurate and complete.

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