Notice of Intent to Award Sole Source - DOD Digital Magazine Platform Subscription

NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD SOLE SOURCE

The 773d Enterprise Sourcing Squadron (773 ESS) intends to award a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) purchase order to a single source, OverDrive, Inc. under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(2) (only one source reasonably available) on or about 30 Sept 2024. The period of performance (PoP) shall be: 30 Sept 2024 – 29 Sept 2026.

Base Year:       30 Sept 2024 – 29 Sept 2025

Option Year 1: 30 Sept 2025 – 29 Sept 2026

PSC: 7630

NAICS: 516210 – Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers

Small Business Size Standard: $47M

Subscription: DOD OverDrive Digital Magazine Platform subscription

Supplier: OverDrive, Inc.

Product Description:

DOD Libraries has a requirement to procure a digital magazines/journals platform subscription that allows for downloadable magazines. Magazines have no circulation cap and allow unlimited simultaneous use so patrons can enjoy every issue of every magazine. With smart tags that ensure library users can be notified when each new issue is released. Must be able to provide a collection of several thousand magazines on an existing commercial off the shelf platform in the library marketplace.

Product Characteristics an equal item must meet to be considered:

• Must be able to provide full-color digital magazines on the Overdrive Platform already under contract with DoD Libraries.
• Must be able to be accessed/read on desktops, mobile devices, or apps.
• Magazines must be downloadable on at least 90% of mobile devices including iOS (Apple®), Android™, and Kindle Fire™/HD/HDX.
• Database must contain a collection of popular digital magazines with both new and backlist titles.
• Magazine must be available without holds, checkout periods, no limits and provide full list of magazine titles in the Simultaneous Use.
• Must provide popular titles such as Us Weekly, Good Housekeeping, Vanity Fair, and Rolling Stone.
• Must provide special interest titles such as PC World, Bon Appetit, Minecraft World, and Women’s Fitness.
• Must provide titles in a variety of languages including Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, German, French, and more.
• Must provide a rolling 3 years of back issues, wherever available.
• Must be able to curate and weed magazines available.
• Must provide marketing resources for DOD Libraries to promote the content to customers.
• Must be able to search and checkout collection by newest issue, keyword search, genre and language.
• Must provide the user a magazine in the collection, they can open it and start reading with one tap, generating a checkout for your library.
• Must provide a streamlined access to magazines that will have a new dedicated section. This will help users find their favorite magazines from the library in one convenient place.
• Must provide text to speech function.
• Must distribute digitally overseas.
• Must work with a magazine publishers that sell to the Government.
• Access to information needs to be seamless, minimal response time between query initiation and query results, and search results within 5-10 seconds.
• Must be able to interface with all 4 service branch library and Military OneSource websites using industry standard authentication methods to ensure only eligible patrons can access resources from any internet connected computer browsers and mobile devices.
• Must work with contract POC to establish authentication methods to provide optimal accessibility for all eligible patrons. Security between the Website and server must be Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.3
• Must be able to supply or allow retrieval of database usage statistics by Branch of Service (Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Military OneSource/Other, Navy, and Space Force).
• Must have HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) with long duration deployed on the servers to mitigate/prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.
• Website certificates should be RSA 2048-bits (SHA256withRSA).

• VCL must be able to test the platform to evaluate if it meets requirements. Must provide username and password to view content on platform.

This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations. However, all responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation, which shall be considered by the Government. The Government will consider responses received by 12 Sept 2024, 2:00 PM, CST for this notice. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct a full and open competitive procurement or a small business set aside competitive procurement. The Government will not pay for any information received in response to this announcement. If the Government decides to compete this requirement, a synopsis shall be issued utilizing the combined synopsis/solicitation procedure identified in FAR 12.603.  If this effort becomes a Small Business Set-Aside, FAR 52.219-14, Limitation on Subcontracting, will apply. Therefore, small businesses that want to be considered for a small business set-aside should demonstrate how they intend to comply.  A determination not to compete this requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.  

Contractors Should Be Aware of the Following Information:

1.  Contractors MUST include the following information:

a. Points of contact, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers.

b. Identification as a large U.S. business, a small U.S. business, or a foreign business. Please note that size indicated should be based on the NAICS code for this effort listed above.

c. Identification of any other socioeconomic status including Women-Owned Small Business, Economically Disadvantaged Small Business, 8(a), Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, Veteran Owned Small Business or HUBZone.

d. Company CAGE Code and UEI.  

2.  If this posting specifically references brand name products, offerors are encouraged to suggest products other than those specifically referenced.  Responses must address how the alternate product meets the product characteristics specified above.

3.  Submitted information shall be UNCLASSIFIED.

4.  Responses are limited to 10 pages in a Microsoft Word or PDF compatible format. Responses shall be e-mailed to Contracting Specialist: Jennifer Flores at jennifer.flores.21@us.af.milno later than12 Sept 2024 2:00 PM CST.