Contracting_Officer_DeterminationSpringer.pdf

ERDC Control#: ERDC 16-0030 9 November 2015

Contracting Officer Determination Sole Source

W81EWF53009414

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineer (USACE), Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Contracting Office (ECO) intends to make contract award pursuant to the authority of FAR 13.106, Soliciting Competition, Evaluation of Quotations or Offers, Award and Documentation, for the purposes of providing written consent and approval to award a Sole Source contract to Springer Science + Business Media, LLC.

The Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) has a requirement to renew annually recurring journal subscriptions in the Electronic Springer journals, eBooks, and databases.

In accordance with FAR 13.106-1(b) Soliciting from a single source (1) For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (i) Contracting officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available (e.g. urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand-name or industrial mobilization).

Springer is an established commercial vendor of online journals and is the sole publisher and licensor of these titles. The Springer journals, eBooks, and databases are needed in order to meet the ERDC’s R&D mission requirements. The annual acquisition of the Springer journals, eBooks, and databases is essential to performing civil and military research missions at the ERDC. Due to the widespread location of the ERDC laboratories, facilities, and field offices, it is more efficient and cost effective to procure electronic access to the Springer journals, eBooks, and databases versus print versions of the journals, eBooks, and information from the database, if available. Electronic access reduces the need to go to the library to seek printed information and increases the ability to retrieve the information from various locations. Multiple copies of each would have to be procured annually for distribution to the different locations. Because each of the locations needs access to the Springer journals, eBooks, and databases; this requirement will be funded by the ERDC library and all of the ERDC laboratories. Springer Science + Business Media, LLC is the sole provider of the Springer Electronic journals.

Based on the above and in accordance with FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i), it is hereby determined that Springer Science + Business Media, LLC is the sole source vendor capable of providing the required items and it is in the best interest of the Government award a sole source contract to Springer Science + Business Media, LLC for this requirement.

Contracting Officer