76--Notice of Intent to Award

The US Geological Survey (USGS) is seeking the procurement of the E&E Publishing, LLC online copyrighted subscription service. This subscription is a comprehensive site that provides daily current and relevant information on a host of topics including environmental and energy politics and policy of significant importance to the USGS scientific and administrative community. This subscription includes all Science Centers within the Ecosystems Mission Area. The USGS is aware of no other source that can provide the above. Therefore, it intends to make an award to E&E Publishing LLC, unless it is contacted by any vendor who believes they obtained similar technical expertise and can provide the same service. Vendors are invited to contact the Contracting Officer, [email protected] no later than 12:00 PM EST, Friday, May 30, 2014 with an affirmative answer. The USGS considers employee signatures to be Personal Protected Information, and therefore all employee signatures have been redacted. By posting this document, the Contract Specialist attests all appropriate signatures have been obtained. SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION STATES THE FOLLOWING PART: The following information is provided to demonstrate the proposed contractors unique qualifications: Ecosystems Mission Area (EMA) is seeking the procurement of the E&E Publishing, LLC online copyrighted subscription service. This subscription is a comprehensive site that provides daily current and relevant information on a host of topics including environmental and energy politics and policy of significant importance to the USGS scientific and administrative community. This subscription includes all Science Centers within the Ecosystems Mission Area. As one of the preeminent scientific governmental organizations in the US, USGS EMA has a requirement to access real time political and policy discussions and decisions affecting environment and energy as they relate to our mission and the conduct of our work. USGS needs to know when EMAs issues are on the congressional agenda and who supports and opposes these issues. For instance, USGS needs to be able to identify committee schedules; access easy-to-read explanations of the content in appropriations bills; understand how key players are spinning our issues; receive clear, concise side-by-side analysis of major bills; get "Breaking News" alerts when there are important, timely developments; and see all the pieces in the environmental and energy political and policy picture. E & E Publishing, LLC, is the only service that provides real time (daily), congressional updates and comprehensive coverage of environmental and energy politics and policy, with an emphasis on application and how this will be affected by the current political atmosphere. They further provide time-saving analyses of how these discussions and votes will impact Federal agencies, the industries they regulate and specifically for the USGS, the anticipated actions and reactions from both industry and conservation organizations, including Federal, State and non-governmental conservation groups and organizations and what this means for the USGS ability to fulfill their mission. Competition does not currently exist in the marketplace. As this is anticipated to be an annual procurement, EMA will continue to monitor the market and future needs will be competed to the maximum extent practicable.