Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration Office of Informatics and Analytics April 3, 2014 VA701-14-I-0162 SPECIAL NOTICE - NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE SPRINGER ELECTRONIC JOURNAL COLLECTION SUBSCRIPTION INTRODUCTION The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA) requires a commercial off-the-shelf web-based, full text, Springer Publishing Electronic Journal Collection subscription that will be made available throughout the VHA healthcare system. VHA's goal is to ensure uniform availability to a subscription-based collection of high-quality, clinical, full text, electronic journals across the VHA system to improve clinical decision-making at the point of care. OBJECTIVES The desired goals of the nationwide provision of a subscription to a collection of full text, electronic journals are as follows: " Providing access nationwide to a collection of full text, electronic journals that will build on the already in-place enterprise-wide subscriptions to the web-based versions of New England Journal of Medicine and Clinical Key. " Initiating a nationwide, centralized purchase to capitalize on the economies of scale offered by vendors. " Negotiating one contract to decrease the current contracting and reviewing efforts that are required at the facility and/or VISN level and, thereby, avoid the costs and workload associated with multiple procurements. " Making the collection of full text, electronic journals accessible throughout the network through Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS), the VA's Electronic Health Record, to ensure consistent access at the bedside for all VHA health professionals and staff. The vendor must provide a single web URL that will provide the VA with a single point of entry to all resources provided. SUBMITTAL INFORMATION The Program Contracting Activity Central (PCAC) Office of Informatics and Analytics intends to issue a sole source solicitation to Springer Science + Business Media, LLC (Springer) requesting a one (1) year (12-month) subscription to Springer Publishing Electronic Journal Collection subscription. This procurement is being conducted in accordance with FAR 6.302-1(a)(2), "Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements." The NAICS code for this procurement is 511130 and the Small Business Administration Size Standard is 500 employees. This notice of intent to is not a request for competitive quotes. No solicitation document is available and telephone requests will not be accepted. However, any firm that believes it can meet the requirements may give written notification to the Contracting Officer within ten (10) calendar days from the date of publication of this synopsis. Supporting evidence must be furnished in sufficient detail, to demonstrate the ability to comply with the above requirements. Information, not to exceed five (5) pages single-spaced with a 12-point font minimum can be sent via email to this procurement's contract specialist, Michelle Rhodes, at
[email protected]. Responses received will be evaluated; however, a determination by the Government not to compete the proposed procurement based upon responses received to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. If no responses are received, PCAC of the Department of Veterans Affairs will proceed with the issuance of a sole source solicitation for this requirement to Springer Science + Business Media, LLC. DISCLAIMER In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this notice.