USGS Intent to Award Notice - Geological Society of London (GSL)

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Library, operating under the Department of the Interior's Office of Acquisitions and Grants, has issued an Intent to Award Notice for a sole source contract with the Geological Society of London (GSL). This special notice announces the USGS's intention to award a one-year firm-fixed-price contract for an Open Access Read and Publish Agreement providing access to the Lyell Collection Complete Online. The award is being pursued under FAR 13.106-1, which permits sole source contracting when only one source is reasonably available. The USGS justifies this determination based on GSL's exclusive position as the publisher and authorized source of the proprietary Lyell Collection, which cannot be obtained through alternative publishers, aggregators, or subscription intermediaries. Market research conducted through web searches and direct vendor communication confirmed no viable alternatives exist that meet all stated requirements.

The contract will provide USGS staff with comprehensive full-text access to peer-reviewed journals, eBooks, and special publications from GSL, with perpetual access to published content from the current subscription year and backfiles extending to at least 2009. Key requirements include unlimited article publishing without article type restrictions and simultaneous multi-user access from different locations via USGS network or VPN. The period of performance runs from April 17, 2026 through April 16, 2027, with an application deadline of 5:00 PM ET on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Any vendors claiming similar technical expertise and capability to provide equivalent services may submit challenge submissions by the stated deadline. Interested parties should contact Contracting Officer Leah Williams at leah_williams@ios.doi.gov, and the USGS has committed to conducting annual reviews of requirements to identify potential future competition opportunities.