CFTC Sole Source for The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, Acting on Behalf of Wharton Research Data Services

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") intends to negotiate and award a sole-source contract to the the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, Acting on Behalf of Wharton Research Data Services for the procurement of the Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) platform.  The Government intends to procure this requirement under FAR 6.302-1 – “Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.”

CFTC requires a finance research platform that functions as a data aggregator with the ability to host data from the major finance data subscription services (such as New York Stock Exchange (Trade and Quote data), S&P, Refinitive, and Markit).  This platform must also support integration with SAS, R, and Python and well as have online Graphical User Interface (GUI) search features.  It must also be scalable, have a common programming interface, and a standardized data format.

The ability to have data subscription services in a standard format, in a centralized location will simplify CFTC data analysis activities in support of CFTC’s policy making and research.

After conducting market research, CFTC found no product or platform other than the WRDS platform that could meet these requirements. 

THIS NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS nor a solicitation of offers. However, the Government will consider written responses from all responsible sources received by 5:00pm ET, July 28, 2020. Written responses must include sufficient information to establish capability to fulfill the requirement. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. A determination by the government not to compete this proposed requirement is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purposes for future Market Research requirements. No formal solicitation package is available. The Government anticipates award on or about August 30, 2020. The Government will not be responsible for any costs of preparation in response to this announcement.