Intent to Award Sole Source (IASS) - EBSCO APA and EDS

The Department of the Air Force Materiel Command Research Laboratory has issued a Special Notice announcing its Intent to Award Sole Source (IASS) to EBSCO Industries, Inc. for a 12-month subscription to American Psychological Association (APA) electronic databases and EBSCO Discovery services. The procurement covers multiple databases including APA PsycArticles, APA PsycBooks, APA PsycExtra, APA PsycInfo, EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS), EDS Custom Catalog, and Full Text Finder for the AFRL D'Azzo Research Library. The contract period is from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, and falls under NAICS code 519210 with a size standard of $21 million. The Air Force has justified this sole source approach based on the unique nature of these databases and the lack of comparable alternatives in the market.

The primary objective of this procurement is to provide critical research database access to support the Air Force Research Laboratory's mission in developing war-fighting technologies for air, space, and cyberspace forces, particularly in the fields of psychology and psychiatry. Potential contractors have until June 13, 2025, at 12:00 PM EST to submit capability statements or proposals demonstrating how their products meet the specified characteristics. Contractors must provide contact information, business size, socioeconomic status, CAGE Code/DUNS Number, and detailed capability information within two business days of the notice issuance. While currently structured as a sole source opportunity, the government reserves the right to convert this procurement to a competitive or small business set-aside if suitable alternatives are identified. The Air Force conducted market research confirming that APA and EBSCO are the only known providers for these specific publications and federated searching tools required to meet the information technology needs of high-level researchers.