DA10--36C24126Q0309 Embase Database VISN1 Library FY26 Intent to Sole Source to LB Software Publisher Elsevier Inc Embase. com Copyrights/Licenses Proprietary to Elsevier Inc.

The Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Integrated Service Network 1 (VISN 1) intends to sole source a firm fixed price contract directly to Elsevier Inc. for a subscription to the Embase biomedical and pharmacological database. This procurement is classified under PSC DA10 (IT and Telecom - Business Application/Application Development Software as a Service) and NAICS 513210 (Software Publishers). The contract requirements include IP address-based enterprise authentication, Section 508 accessibility compliance, technical support with same-business-day response times, usage statistics reporting, training services, and compatibility with standard web browsers and Windows environments. The justification for sole source procurement is based on the exclusive proprietary nature of Elsevier's copyrights and licenses, with no competing reasonably available sources identified. The response deadline for this pre-solicitation notice is March 30, 2026 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time, with the Contracting Officer being Deidra Thomas (deidra.thomas@va.gov) and Contract Specialist Sherrye Harris (sherrye.harris@va.gov) serving as the point of contact.

No set-aside designation applies to this procurement, and Elsevier Inc. is identified as the sole source contractor. The contract will be performed at VA Medical Center Jamaica Plain, 150 South Huntington Avenue, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130-4817, with a base plus three-year (B+3) performance period running from March 30, 2026 through March 29, 2030. While no specific award value is stated in the pre-solicitation notice, the database offering includes over 32 million bibliographic records, more than 8,500 indexed journals (3,000 unique to Embase), and over 1.4 million citations added annually, reflecting the comprehensive scope of the subscription. VISN 1 selected Embase based on market research demonstrating superior capabilities in ease of access and usability, frequent Emtree indexing updates, and comprehensive evidence-based content. This is not a competitive solicitation; no competition is anticipated through normal competitive bidding channels.