Redacted JA - Sole Source.pdf

This is a Department of the Air Force Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition document for a sole-source contract award.

The Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC), 772 Enterprise Sourcing Squadron, is awarding a sole-source contract to Digital Science & Research Solutions, Inc. (CAGE: 7SMW9, UEI: NXUBHKXWVBL4) for an AI-powered document delivery point plan supporting the Department of Air Force Library Program. The contract involves a 12-month base period from 30 September 2026 through 29 September 2027, with estimated values for base year and total value (base plus options) redacted in the document. The acquisition authority is 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1), permitting sole-source procurement when only one responsible source exists, combined with Simplified Acquisition Procedures (41 U.S.C. 1901). The required services include AI-powered literature management, systematic literature review, scholarly literature discovery, and document delivery capabilities—specifically a database of 150+ million publications with AI monitoring, summarization and translation features, systematic literature review functionality, one-click document ordering with full-text access, access to 140+ million scholarly articles, hard sciences journal articles including conference abstracts and patents, over 10,000 citations, and articles from major publishers including Elsevier and IOP.

Market research was conducted through a Sources Sought Notice posted on SAM.gov from 3 June 2026 through 3 July 2026. Two competing vendors responded but were deemed technically unacceptable based on deficiencies in meeting Government requirements. Digital Science & Research Solutions submitted the only technically acceptable capability statement, proposing its proprietary ReadCube platform with exclusive capabilities that the Government determined no other identified source could provide. The justification notes that the Government cannot obtain an equivalent solution from another source and will continue monitoring the marketplace for emerging technologies and alternative solutions prior to future acquisitions to determine if competition becomes feasible.