The U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, VA intends to award a noncompetitive procurement to Clarivate Analytics LLC of 1500 Spring Garden St #4, Philadelphia, PA 19130. The USGS is aware of no other source that can provide Web of Science/Science Citation Index Expanded. Therefore, it intends to make an award to Clarivate Analytics, LLC. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement which shall be considered by the agency. Determination by the Government not to compete this action based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining to conduct a competitive procurement. The NAICS code is 511140. Firms believing that they can provide these subscription services are encouraged to identify themselves and give written notification to the Contracting Officer at
[email protected] by 06/16/2020, no later than 2pm ET. SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION STATES THE FOLLOWING The following information is provided to demonstrate the proposed contractor's unique qualifications: 1. Contracting Agency and Activity The Department of the Interior (DOl), United States Geological Survey (USGS) plans to contract by means of other than full and open competition. This document sets forth the justification and approval for use of one of the exceptions to full and open competition allowed under the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) of 1984. 2. Nature of the Action Being Approved This action is to initiate a new subscription Firm Fixed Price contract for the Web of Science/Science Citation Index Expanded. 3. Description of Supplies and Services One Six (6)-month Base year subscription to the Web of Science/Science Citation Index Expanded with One (1) Option Year, which consists of the following databases: 1) Web of Science/Science Citations Index Expanded (SCIE) 2) Journal Citation Reports Science Edition (JCR) Web of Science is a product of Clarivate Analytics (US) LLC, 1500 Spring Garden St #4, Philadelphia, PA 19130-4067. Clarivate Analytics is the sole provider, owner and distributor of Web of Science. This subscription is for a six (6)-month base to align contract to an annual subscription on a new contract with one (1) option year. The initial period of performance is July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. The period of performance on option years will be January 1 through December 31. 4. Estimated Dollar Value The total estimated dollar value for this requirement is XXXX. The estimated total dollar value for the six (6)-month base is XXXX. 5. Statutory Authority The proposed action may be awarded without full and open competition under 43 U.S.C. 253(c)(1) as implemented in FAR 13.106-1. 6. Rationale for Sole Source Acquisition Clarivate Analytics (US) LLC. is the sole source provider of Web of Science (Science Citation Index Expanded) and the Web of Knowledge (WOK) platform is the only source for this information. The Web of Knowledge Platform is a proprietary database platform only available from Clarivate Analytics (US) LLC. Their product is the only suite of products combining evaluated content with tools to use, analyze and manage this content directly from the desktop. Additional tools available include EndNote Web, a citation management software (EndNote Web) embedded in the WOK platform that makes it easy to create bibliographies and manage citations; Journal Citation Reports which tracks the impact of journals by subject area; and ResearcherID, which is used to assign unique identifiers for scientists, making it easier to resolve name conflicts among scientists. Web of Science - Science Citation Index Expanded is the only true cited reference index and includes over 8,300 major journals across 150 disciplines, with archive data to the year 1900. The Web of Science contains a broad range of disciplines including chemistry, mathematics, physics, medical and life sciences, biological sciences, engineering, environmental science, materials science, computer and information science, and agriculture. Clarivate Analytics (US) LLC content indexes a subset of peer-reviewed, authoritative journals that are critical to science disciplines, which makes for more effective searching. Irrelevant websites and nonprofessional journals are excluded from their index. The WOS product developed the bibliometric methodologies that are used to evaluate article and research impact, and the Journal Citation Report impact factors are used by science programs to facilitate benchmarking. The mission of the USGS Library is to establish the best scientific foundation possible to help guide decisions and evaluate actions critical to the USGS mission. Comprehensive, instant, desktop access to peer-reviewed scientific literature is critical to fulfilling this mission. 7. Other Sources Considered In 2019, the Library reviewed the literature, searched the Internet, and collected feedback from library colleagues to confirm that the Web of Science databases, a proprietary product of Clarivate Analytics (US) LLC, is not available from another source. There is no other known product able to provide the up-to-date and comprehensive access to current scientific literature required to meet USGS scientific needs. 8. Market Survey The internet was searched to evaluate content found in Web of Science and there is no other available source providing the same level of peer-reviewed, authoritative information in the marketplace. Web of Science is a proprietary product of Clarivate Analytics (US) LLC and is created, maintained, and distributed exclusively by Clarivate Analytics (US) LLC. 9. Plans to Permit Competition The requirements will be reviewed on a yearly basis to evaluate if there is any new competition in the market, should competition be identified, the requirement will be competed. 10. Past Performance The Contractor has performed in an acceptable manner and the Contracting Officer has no information to overturn the previous affirmative determination of responsibility. 11. Price Reasonableness Clarivate Analytics (US) LLC pricing for the USGS is offered at a substantial discount from their list price for a single site and is therefore considered to be fair and reasonable. 12. Recommendation and Certification Based on the above, I recommend this acquisition be conducted by other than full and open competition. I certify that technical data that is the responsibility of technical or requirements personnel and which form the basis of this justification are complete and accurate.