Intent to Sole Source - CLEAR API Connect

The United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) has issued a Special Notice announcing its intent to sole source a contract with West Publishing Corporation for CLEAR API (S2S) Connection. The contract will cover one base year and two option years, focusing on software integration services. Specifically, the notice relates to a procurement for a specialized data and intelligence platform solution. The opportunity is not a traditional request for quotes or proposals, but rather a formal notification of a planned direct award to a specific vendor. The notice was posted on December 18, 2024, with a response deadline of December 24, 2024.

The purpose of this sole source procurement is to continue utilizing Thomson Reuters CLEAR S2S integration via API for USDA APHIS's intelligence analysis platform. The justification for limiting competition centers on three primary factors: an existing approved software license, superior data triangulation capabilities, and significant technical advantages including SSL 256-bit encryption and seamless API integration. Contractors should note that this is not an open competitive bidding process, and the contract is specifically targeted to West Publishing Corporation. Any questions or comments regarding the notice must be submitted via email exclusively to Contracting Officer Kim Yen Tu at kimyen.n.tu@usda.gov, with explicit instructions that phone calls and voicemails will not be accepted or responded to. The procurement falls under the Software Publishers NAICS category (513210) and is classified as an IT and Telecom Business Application Software service.