D399--DFdiscover Servers Software Licenses and Maintenance (CSP Palo Alto) (VA-20-00038656)

Synopsis- Notice of Intent to Sole Source

This synopsis is hereby issued in accordance with FAR Part 5.203 in response to the mandatory requirement for a 15-day notification. The purpose of this synopsis is to announce the Cooperative Studies Program Coordinating Center (CSPCC) intent to negotiate a Firm Fixed Price Sole Source Purchase Order with DF/Net Research, Inc., located at 140 Lakeside Ave, Suite 310 Seattle, WA 98122-6538 for the purpose of renewing four DFdiscover server licenses and 136 seats to allow CSPCC to continue to collect data for clinical studies on the latest DFdiscover software versions. The Government intends on purchasing the following items and quantities:

Server1: vhapalmpdf1 running DF 2016 renewed

Quantity: Server fee + 1 seat

Server2: vhapalmpdf3 running DF 4.3 renewed

Quantity: Server fee + 10 seats

Server3: vhapalmpdf4 running DF 2016 renewed

Quantity: Server fee + 30 seats + 70 seats + 15 seats

Server4: vhapalappdf7 running DFdiscover 2018

Quantity: Server fee + 10 seats

The Government intends to negotiate solely with DFdiscover. per FAR 13.106(b)(1), as no other source of supplies will satisfy agency requirements. DF/Net Research Inc. owns the rights to all proprietary program language and intellectual property of all software products under the DFdiscover umbrella. Therefore, only DF/Net Research Inc. can provide the renewal of software licenses, maintenance, support and yearly license renewals. Although other products exist with similar capabilities, none can satisfy VA CSPCC requirements for clinical trials management software. To introduce another software product would require a complete re-engineering of CSPCC processes, and complete re-training of all CSPCC staff. In addition, data collection will need to stop while this process occurs. If data collection and management ceased, it would shut down the CSPCC. If a different data collection and management system were to be selected during active data collection and management, the costs to switch systems mid-stream during data collection include validating a new system and transferring data alone; and the costs are estimated to be nearly a million dollars; a price which does not include the initial cost of the system itself. Furthermore, the Technology Acquisition Center sent additional market research questions to DF/Net Research Inc. and it was confirmed that DF/Net Research Inc. is the sole supplier of DFdiscover software products and maintenance; no resellers exist.

The NAICS code for this acquisition is 51120, with a size standard of $41.5m. A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. No solicitation package will be issued. This notice of intent is NOT a request for competitive quotations. However, responses received by 05/11/2020 3:00 PM Eastern Time will be considered.