Intent to sole source-SAS institute

The South Carolina Department of Corrections is issuing a sole source procurement for SAS Institute, Inc. software license renewal and support services through solicitation number 5400025413. The contract is specifically for critical software that enables the generation of operational reports across multiple database systems, including financial, personnel, inmate management, and jail management platforms. The procurement is structured as an initial one-year contract from June 5, 2023, through June 4, 2024, with four potential automatic renewal options that could extend the total contract period to five years, concluding on June 4, 2028. Responses are due by June 5, 2023, at 10:00 a.m., and must be submitted to the SC Department of Corrections Purchasing Branch located at 4530 Broad River Road in Columbia, South Carolina. The department has determined sole source justification based on the software's critical role in maintaining hundreds of production reports across mainframe, AIX, and Windows environments, asserting that alternative statistical software would require comprehensive system rewrites. The procurement follows standard state procedures, with the notice posted in the South Carolina Business Opportunities (SCBO) for the mandated 5-10 business day period.

The solicitation does not explicitly mention specific set-aside designations or restrictions on respondent types. The procurement is uniquely positioned as a sole source award specifically for SAS Institute, effectively limiting competition to this single vendor. The current infrastructure relies heavily on SAS software's compatibility with the SCDC and State CIO mainframe environment, which necessitates continued use of their specific technology solution. While precise award values are not detailed in the documentation, the multi-year contract structure suggests a significant ongoing investment in software licensing and support services. The procurement is limited to Richland County and falls under the jurisdiction of the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Potential vendors should note that protests must be filed with the Chief Procurement Officer within specified timeframes as outlined in Section 11-35-4210 of South Carolina Code, providing a formal mechanism for challenging the sole source determination.