American Medical Association Midfiles and Backfiles

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) intends to negotiate on a sole source basis a purchase order with American Medical Association, 330 N Wabash Ave, Ste 39300, Chicago, IL 60611, to purchase and provide electronic access via the internet for all USDA users to the JAMA Network Midfiles and Backfiles journal archive. The purchase of this Archive augments the Library’s ongoing subscriptions under a separate contract for access to JAMA Network journals by applying and extending perpetual access to all of the issues of all of the journals in the JAMA Network.

The contractor shall provide electronic access to the JAMA Network Midfiles and Backfiles content via the internet, for use by all USDA employees and authorized public on-site users. All USDA locations worldwide are to be considered as authorized premises. USDA employees and contractors, cooperators and volunteers performing work on behalf of USDA and acting within the scope of their relationship with USDA are considered authorized users of the database.

In addition to internal use, authorized users have the right to use JAMA Network Midfiles content for ordinary business, scholarly and educational purposes of the USDA, including but not limiting to viewing, printing, saving, reusing and disseminating content.

Access to JAMA Network Midfiles and Backfiles content shall be made available 24 hours per day. Authorized users shall be granted access to JAMA Network Midfiles content via IP recognition authentication process without any impediments.

Should access to the purchased content become unavailable through the JAMA Network website indefinitely for any reason, the contractor shall provide the purchased JAMA Network Midfiles and Backfiles content on the mutually agreed-upon electronic medium and in XML format. The right to perpetual use of the content will survive the termination of the contract for any reason.

 The contractor shall provide USDA with access to Help desk and training materials, including but not limited to live training sessions, users seminars, and web-based educational materials.

The contractor shall provide USDA with COUNTER-compliant usage data on a monthly basis.

The following work will run over the period of performance 9/30/2023 – 9/29/2024.

The circumstance permitting other than full and open competition is FAR 13.501 and 41 USC 253(c)(5), only one responsible source and no other type of supplies or source will meet agency needs. NAL is mandated (7 U.S.C. 3101) to serve as the primary agricultural information resource of the United States.

The National Agricultural Library (NAL) is mandated (7 U.S.C. 3101) to serve as the primary agricultural information resource of the United States. One of its functions in that role is the acquisition of information in all aspects of agriculture and allied sciences. In support of this function, the NAL acquires journal publications in electronic format from publishers and makes the journals accessible to USDA employees and library patrons via the internet. In keeping with its charge to collect agricultural and related information, it seeks to maintain a collection of publications in various formats from a variety of publishers and sources.

The American Medical Association is the sole manufacturer and seller of the JAMA Network Midfiles and only source that can meet NAL’s requirement for immediate, uninterrupted, un-embargoed, perpetual electronic access to the contents of the JAMA, JAMA Internal Medicine, and JAMA Pediatrics electronic journal backfiles. The American Medical Association is the copyright holder of its publications and thus is the only source of the level of access NAL seeks. Having perpetual access rights granted by the American Medical Association will give USDA users access in perpetuity to the electronic journals for which NAL purchases access. Because this one-time purchase appends to NAL’s ongoing subscription to the JAMA Network journals, there is no other vendor that can provide seamless access to the full collection of these journals via the JAMA Network interface.

Anticipated Date of Award:   09/29/2023

THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. This notice is for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. Vendors that believe they can provide the services listed above are invited to submit substantiating documentation in writing to the identified point of contact. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. A determination by the Government to compete this proposed contract based on responses to this notice is solely at the discretion of the Government.