The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) intends to award a sole source, firm fixed price contract to small business TANGO CARD, INC. of 4700 42ND AVE SW STE 430A Seattle, WA 981164589. UEI: D872VAJFUCN5. In accordance with FAR 13.501, 10 U.S.C. § 2304(c)(1) and 41 U.S.C. § 253(c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1, competition may be restricted when “only one responsible source or no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.” A sole source justification in accordance with FAR 13.501(a)(2) has been approved. Tango Card, Inc., was and is the only vendor capable of providing the necessary comprehensive solution as described below. The period of performance is February 9, 2024 to February 8, 2025 The USPTO Office of the Chief Administrative Officer/Office of Human Resources (OCAO/OHR) oversees “The Employee On-The-Spot Award” program. The program is an employee recognition program where the employee is awarded a gift card from the available selection on hand, for the specified award dollar amount to recognize the specified employee for day-to-day efforts that exceed their normal performance and is not connected to their annual performance appraisal. Because of continuing issues around the indefinite USPTO campus building closures as a result of COVID-19, as well as the expansion in the number of full-time remote employees, it was determined in 2021 that any OCAO/OHR small business vendor found must provide electronic/virtual gift cards and allow the individual employee to select the gift card of their choice from a wide variety of options (merchants), purchase virtual/electronic gift cards online, allow for distribution of the gift cards virtually/electronically and allow for USPTO/OCAO/OHR program administrators the ability to administer the overall USPTO purchase and distribution of the gift cards on-line. After completion of market research based on these parameters, Tango Card, Inc. was and still is the only vendor identified with the capability to allow the selection (by awardee) of the specific gift card (range of businesses) and the capability to electronically transmit that selected gift card, via email, to the awardee at a cost deemed reasonable by the government. As a result, this is a follow-on to the initial one-year contracts awarded to TANGO INC. since 2021. The same issues that allowed for the sole source determination to be made still exist. Additionally, Tango Inc. continues to help OHR successfully manage the “carry-over” balance from the previous year which would not be in the best interest of the government to move to any other small business vendor at this time (even if one existed that might be able to meet the parameters of the requirement). THIS NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE QUOTES OR PROPOSALS. Any small business firm that believes it can meet the requirement may give written notification prior to the response due date and time. Supporting evidence must be furnished in sufficient detail to demonstrate the ability to perform the requirements. Responses received will be evaluated; however, a determination by the Government not to compete the proposed procurement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. The Government will not be responsible for any costs incurred by responding to this notice. Responses are due no later than January 12, 9:00 AM (EST). Responses shall be submitted via e-mail to
[email protected] and
[email protected]. NO TELEPHONE CALLS PLEASE Please indicate in the subject of your email: SAM Special Notice of Intent– ACQ-24-0644. Any future special notices pertaining to this requirement will be added as a revision to the original notice.