Provide Agency Sponsorship

It is FEMA's intent to sole source by making a one (1) time donation in the amount of $50,000 to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), through the National Academies of Science (NAS) for the purposes of providing agency sponsorship for the "Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Catastrophic Events (FMPHPCE)." FEMA's primary mission is to reduce the loss of life and property and to protect the Nation from all hazards, including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters, by leading and supporting the Nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation . In keeping with the FEMA mission, the FMPHPCE Forum will provide agency representatives with a neutral venue for exchanging information and a structured opportunity for dialogue and discussion of critical and possibly contentious scientific and policy issues. The FMPHPCE Forum establishes a venue for government agencies and private organizations charged with ensuring the Nation's capacity to prevent and respond to the health effects that arise from disasters, both man made and natural, the ability to exchange information and present individualized views on the forums topic. The FMPHPCE will allow participants to not only focus on immediate responses to disasters and public health crises, but to also discuss the intermediate and long term needs that arise (e.g. providing adequate shelter, food and water safety, primary care, mental health, etc.) from such disasters. This justification for other than full and open competition is based on the authority granted under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-3 (ii) "Industrial Mobilization; engineering, developmental, or research capability; or expert services." Full and open competition need not be provided for when it is necessary to award the contract to a particular source or sources in order: To establish or maintain an essential engineering, research, or developmental capability to be provided by an educational or other nonprofit institution or a federally funded research and development center."