NAL Collection Maintenance Services

Sources Sought Notification for Collection Maintenance Services

This is a Sources Sought Notification issued by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for informational and planning purposes only. This is NOT a solicitation, nor is it an announcement for a forthcoming solicitation. Submission of any information in response to this notification is purely voluntary. The Government assumes no financial responsibility for any costs incurred in providing a response. This notice does not constitute a Request for Bid, Request for Quote or Request for Proposal, nor does it restrict the Government as to the ultimate acquisition approach. Responses to this notification will help to determine the acquisition strategy for any future solicitation.

The information from this notice will help the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA), National Agricultural Library (NAL) plan their acquisition strategy.

NAL is seeking a contractor to perform the following:

Background

NAL, part of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the USDA, is one of four national libraries of the United States. The NAL collection consists of over 3 million physical items (stored in the fourteen-story Abraham Lincoln Building in Beltsville, MD) as well as extensive electronic collections. The NAL collection is a unique and valuable resource, and the centerpiece for all the services NAL provides. As a national library, NAL has a twofold mission regarding its collection: to provide access for current users and to preserve the collection for the use of future generations.

Purpose and Scope

NAL requires a contractor to provide maintenance support for the physical collection and document delivery service for NAL users.  The goal of this contract is to maintain the NAL collection in the best possible physical condition, to provide customers with quick and easy access to materials from the NAL collection, and to provide USDA employees with documents needed to support their work. The Contractor shall provide collection maintenance, document delivery and associated services as specified in the Statement of Work (SOW).

Technical and Specific Requirements

See Attached Statement of Work

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

Interested vendors are invited to submit a response to this sources sought notification by 4:00 p.m. on 25 April 2022, to the attention of Sarah E. Zhang, Contracts Specialist, sarah.zhang@usda.gov.  All questions are asked to be submitted in writing to the Primary Point of Contract and will be addressed accordingly.

Responses should be no more than 10 pages and include the following information:

1. 1. Organization Name;
   2. Contact Name, e-mail address and phone number;
   3. Organizations DUNS number;
   4. Business size status for the applicable NAICS code;
   5. Contract vehicles you participate in such as General Services Administration (GSA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Solutions for Enterprise Wide Procurement (SEWP), National Institutes of Health (NIH) Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC), or any other vehicle;
   6. A statement of interest in any forthcoming acquisition.
   7. A statement of capability to perform details of the requirement.

Interested vendors are instructed to provide only the data requested. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any nonproprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s). Any additional information will not be reviewed by the USDA.

NO TELEPHONE REQUESTS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

DISCLAIMER:

This a Sources Sought Notification is not a RFP and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals nor will any award be made as a result of this notice.

All information contained in the Sources Sought Notification is preliminary as well as subject to modification and is in no way binding on the Government. Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) clause 52.215-3, "Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes," is incorporated by reference in this Sources Sought Notification. The Government does not intend to pay for information received in response to this Sources Sought Notification. Responders to this invitation are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this Sources Sought Notification. This Sources Sought Notification will be the basis for collecting information on capabilities available. This Sources Sought Notification is issued solely for information and planning purposes. Proprietary information and trade secrets, if any, must be clearly marked on all materials. All information received in this Sources Sought Notification that is marked "Proprietary" will be handled accordingly. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned nor will receipt be confirmed. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this Sources Sought Notification are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract.