70 -- D - Electronic Payment Extension for Continued Support Sole Source Synopsis

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) intends to extend the term of Contract No. TIRNO-02-C-00022 and TIRNO-02-C-00024 for Electronic Payment (E-Pay) Services with Official Payments Corporation and Link2Gov Corporation, respectively, for three additional option periods pending the competitive award of Request For Proposals No. TIRNO-07-R-00004. The three additional option periods consist of two twelve month options and one month period. After exercising FAR 52.217-8, the E-Pay contracts will expire November 30, 2007. The IRS does not anticipate an award of TIRNO-07-R-00004 before the E-Pay contracts expire. The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is Section 303(c) of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended by the Competition in Contracting Act [41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1)], implemented under FAR 6.302-1(a), which authorizes other than full and open competition when there is only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The IRS has a continuing need to have an Electronic Credit Card Payment Program that allows taxpayers to make electronic federal tax payments by means of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and Internet application. The extension of the E-Pay contracts allows for the IRS to continue receiving electronic tax revenue during the period that the competitive re-compete has been awarded. This is an extension of a previously competed contract. Discontinuation of services will have an adverse impact on actual receipts and the Service's goal to increase the volume of payments received electronically. The extension enables the IRS to mitigate risks to the nation?s financial infrastructure and allows for successful transition to new contract. This is not a solicitation for proposals or an invitation for bids. The Government does not anticipate receiving responses to this notice of a non-competitive action. If parties choose to respond, any cost associated with the preparation and submission of data or any other costs incurred in response to this announcement are the sole responsibility of the respondent and will not be reimbursed by the Government. The current contracts consist of an electronic payment system, which allows taxpayers to make federal tax payments through convenient, safe, and secure means, which reduces governmental costs and improve cash flow to the federal government.