Renewal of Sole Source for Blackbook subscription

The Department of Justice, Office of Acquisition Management, acting on behalf of the Asset Forfeiture Management Staff (AFMS), has published a Special Notice regarding their intention to renew a sole source purchase order with Hearst Business Media Corporation. This notice pertains to the renewal of a subscription for BlackBook, a web-based software program used for vehicle valuation services. The procurement falls under Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 13.106-1(b)(1)(i) and is categorized under NAICS code 518210 for Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services. Hearst Business Media Corporation is identified as the owner of the BlackBook software system. The notice was posted on October 3, 2025, and carries the federal meta opportunity ID 68e024523567fcbdb0067963.

The primary purpose of this Special Notice is to inform potential vendors that the government intends to proceed with a sole source acquisition while providing an opportunity for other capable vendors to demonstrate their ability to meet the requirements. AFMS requires the BlackBook software specifically for determining vehicle valuations in support of their asset forfeiture operations. Vendors who believe they can provide equivalent data services and analysis support must submit an affirmative response that sufficiently demonstrates their capability to meet the government's requirements. The response must be detailed enough to allow the agency to conduct a thorough analysis and establish the vendor's bona fide capability. However, the government retains sole discretion in determining whether to open the requirement to competition based on the responses received. No specific deadline for responses is mentioned in the notice, and eligibility is open to any vendor who can demonstrate the required capabilities for vehicle valuation data services.