Sources Sought Notice -DoDL Multi-Topic Database.pdf

Sources Sought

773 Enterprise Sourcing Squadron

DoDL Multi-Topic Database

This is a Sources Sought Synopsis published by the United States Air Force (the Government or USAF).

There is no solicitation available at this time. Requests for a solicitation will not receive a response. The purpose of this Sources Sought notice is to conduct market research to determine whether there are businesses available capable of providing an alternative product that meets the characteristics below. The

Air Force anticipates procuring this product as a FY24 base period with two (2) 12-months option periods. The projected Period of Performance (PoP) for this subscription is:

Base Period: 30 September 2024 – 29 September 2025

Option Period 1: 30 September 2025 – 29 September 2026

Option Period 2: 30 September 2026 – 29 September 2027

Responses to this Sources Sought notice will assist in a determination of whether it is in the best interest of the Government to proceed with a competition.

PSC: 7630

NAICS: 519290– Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services

Size Standard: 1000 employees

Subscription name: DoDL Multi-Topic Database

Description:

This requirement is to procure a subscription to a DoDL needs a Multi-Topic Database package

Subscription. Must include an academic research, a biography, a general reference, and a military and intelligence databases.

The academic research database that features multiple million full-text articles from leading books, journals, magazines, newspapers and primary sources, multimedia assets including videos, podcasts, tutorials and images, daily updates of new content. These databases cover subject matter with a specific focus on business practices, literary resources, environmental studies, and world cultures. The information is provided in a simple user interface that allows users to search an individual database or the entire collection. Users can browse by topic or preform detailed searches.

A general reference database that allows researchers to find the information they want quickly. With intuitive searching that mirrors Internet searches, users can easily tap into sources that are guaranteed for quality. Most content should be full-text with no embargo (no more than 10%) and recommended by

Bowker's Magazines for Libraries. Content curation and detailed indexing ensure quality results from nearly 14,000 periodicals, newspapers, reference eBooks, and multimedia sources, along with more than

200,000 images, and thousands of audio files and videos from BBC, National Public Radio, and other reliable sources.

A biography database should include narrative biographies, new stories, and multimedia content bring to life the historical figures, world leaders, sports stars, entertainers, scientists, and authors who have impacted our world throughout history as well as those who are shaping our future. Should include more than 600,000 biographical entries that cover international figures from all time periods and areas of study.

Over 5,000 curated biography pages on contemporary and historical figures that are continually updated, merging authoritative reference content with periodicals and multimedia. Search for people by name, occupation, nationality, ethnicity, birth/death dates and places, or gender, as well as by keyword and full text. Should also provide access prebuilt lesson plans for resources with differentiation tools and quizzes to check for student understanding.

A military and intelligence database that provides military personnel with access to scholarly journals, magazines, and reports covering all aspects of the past and present military affairs. Updated annually, this library resource contains hand-selected content supporting key subject areas such as, governmental policies, the socioeconomic effects of war, the structure of the armed forces, and more.

Features, including a topic search tool, interconnects articles and topics between databases and other related resources and a mobile-optimized interface, support and enhance the search experience.

Product Characteristics an equal item must meet to be considered:

• Must provide include an academic research database, a biography database, a general reference database, a military and intelligence database.

• A biography database that offers authoritative reference content alongside magazine and journal articles, primary sources, videos, audio podcasts, and images. Covering a vast array of people from historically significant figures to present-day newsmakers, it’s continuously updated to ensure researchers have access to the very latest information.

• The academic research database must include extensive coverage in key subject areas such as, biology, chemistry, criminal justice, economics, environmental science, history, marketing, political science, and psychology.

• Academic research database must more than 11,000 peer-reviewed journals and more than 8,000 in full text articles from periodicals covered in major bibliographic resources such as CINAHL, BIOSIS, MLA, PsycINFO, ERIC, EconLit, RILM, and others.

• The general reference database must include millions of articles from over 17,000 scholarly journals and other authoritative sources—including thousands of podcasts and transcripts from

NPR and CNN as well as videos from BBC Worldwide Learning.

• The general reference database must include the following topics: Agriculture, Business, Business Economics and Theory, Communication and Mass Media, Criminal Justice, Culinary

Arts, Diversity Studies, Environmental Issues and Policy, Gardening, Landscape and

Horticulture, Gender Studies, Home Improvement, Hospitality, Tourism, Leisure, Information

Science, and Library Issues, Insurance and Liability, Nursing and Allied Health, Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, Pop Culture, Popular Magazines, Professional, Psychology, Religion and

Philosophy, U.S. History, Vocations and Careers, War and Terrorism.

• The general reference database must include full-text with no embargo and recommended by

Bowker's Magazines for Libraries.

• The general reference database must include millions of articles with reference, newspaper, and audio content that complements the resource's robust collection of magazines and journals.

• The biography database must provide access to key information on influential figures of more than 640,000 biographical entries, from all time periods and areas of study.

• The biography database must be able to provide authoritative content of over 4,800 portal pages on contemporary and historical figures merging authoritative reference content with periodicals and multimedia.

• The biography database must be able to provide search capability for people based on name, occupation, nationality, ethnicity, birth/death dates and places, or gender, as well as by keyword and full text.

• The military and intelligence database provides military personnel with access to scholarly journals, magazines, and reports covering all aspects of the past and present military affairs.

• The military and intelligence library resource should contain content supporting key subject areas such as, governmental policies, the socioeconomic effects of war, the structure of the armed forces, and more.

• Exclusive features, including a topic search tool, interconnects articles and topics between databases and other related resources and a mobile-optimized interface, support and enhance the search experience.

• Must include backfiles and unlimited simultaneous access to content by users.

• Must be able to provide peer reviewed material and articles

• Must be able to provide material on all subjects listed above and specific content provider/publisher with digital content/copyright agreements

• Needs to be able to provide searches by all database or by individual databases

• Needs to be able to browse by subject with visual topic map/finder graphic alternative to get regular search results

• Needs to have notes and highlight feature to articles/topics that can be downloaded or printed by customer for later usage and work seamlessly with Google and Microsoft customer personal accounts for saving information for later usage.

• Needs to have a mobile application that allows users to save articles, citations, and links

• Must provide free staff training and complimentary marketing resources.

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

• DoD Libraries is looking for an established vendor in the library commercial marketplace and not a custom built product/platform/subscription.

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

• 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)

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

• Website certificates should be RSA 2048-bits (SHA256withRSA)

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

The Government will consider responses received within 5 days of issuance of this notice. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct a full and open competitive procurement or a small business set aside competitive procurement. The

Government will not pay for any information received in response to this announcement.

If the Government competes this requirement, a synopsis shall be issued utilizing the combined synopsis/solicitation procedure identified in FAR 12.603. If this effort becomes a Small Business Set-

Aside, FAR 52.219-14, Limitation on Subcontracting, will apply. Therefore, small businesses that want to be considered for a small business set-aside should demonstrate how they intend to comply. A determination not to compete this requirement based upon responses to this notice is an administrative decision by the Government that is solely within its discretion.

Contractors should be aware of the following information:

1. Contractors must include the following information:

a. Company name, points of contact, email addresses, phone numbers, company address, website, CAGE Code and UEI.

b. Identification as a large U.S. business, a small U.S. business, or a foreign business. Please note that size indicated should be based on the NAICS code for this effort listed above.

c. Identification of any other socioeconomic status including: Women-Owned Small Business, Economically Disadvantaged Small Business, 8(a), Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small

Business, Veteran Owned Small Business or HUBZone.

d. Would your firm propose on this project as a prime contractor, prime contractor with subcontractor(s), prime contractor with team member subcontractor(s), or a joint venture? If you have proposed a joint venture, identify to the extent possible, your team members. Identify the business size of your team members or joint venture firms. If a teaming arrangement is planned, give details to the extent practicable on how the team likely will be composed. See FAR subpart

9.6 for Government policy on teaming arrangements and 8(a) Program regulations described in

13 CFR 124.513.

e. Capabilities Statement.

f. Identify any projects completed in the past three (3) years for the same or similar items to help determine your firm’s capability in meeting the requirement for the items listed in the product characteristics above. Include any government contracts (Federal, State, or local) that you have been awarded for this type of requirement. Also, include the contract number and a government point of contact.

2. This requirement is not intended for specific brand name products. Offerors are encouraged to suggest products other than those that may be specifically referenced by brand name. Responses must address how alternate product meet the product characteristics specified above.

3. Submitted information shall be UNCLASSIFIED.

4. Responses are limited to 10 pages in an Adobe PDF format.

Any information submitted by respondents to this Sources Sought notice is strictly voluntary. The

Government will not reimburse the respondents for any costs associated with their response. This synopsis does not constitute a Request for Proposals nor does its issuance restrict the Government as to its ultimate acquisition approach. The Government reserves the right to contact the submitting parties, on an as required basis, for further clarification on material provided. Respondents should not construe this notice as a commitment by the Air Force for any purpose.

Responses shall be emailed to Contract Specialist, Jackelin Guerrero Funes at jackelin.guerrero_funes@us.af.mil and Contracting Officer Ernest Medina at ernest.medina.2@us.af.mil no later than 11 Sep 2024, 3:00 PM CDT. Any questions should be sent via email to the above POCs.