SOLICITATION NOTICE
76 -- Electronic Access to Artech Access e-Book Collection
- Notice Date
- 10/2/2014
- Notice Type
- Justification and Approval (J&A)
- NAICS
- 519130
— Internet Publishing and Broadcasting and Web Search Portals
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, AFLCMC/PK - WPAFB (includes PZ, WL, WW, WI, WN, WK, LP, WF, WK), 2275 D Street, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, 45433-7218, United States
- ZIP Code
- 45433-7218
- Solicitation Number
- FA8604-14-M-7996
- Archive Date
- 10/26/2014
- Point of Contact
- Pamela S. Clark, Phone: 9376567490
- E-Mail Address
-
pamela.clark.6@us.af.mil
(pamela.clark.6@us.af.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Award Number
- FA8604-14-M-7996
- Award Date
- 9/26/2014
- Description
- JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION ARTECH HOUSE ELECTRONIC BOOKS PURCHASE REQUEST NUMBER: F4FB BD421 0A001 CONTRACTING ACTIVITY: AFLCMC/PZIEB I. DESCRIPTION OF THE SUPPLIES/SERVICES REQUIRED In accordance with FAR 6.302-1, FAR 13.106-l (b), AFFARS 5313.106-1 (b) this is a justification for other than full and open competition for a sole source acquisition. AFRL/RQW C requires access to Artech House, one of the leading technical book publishers of communications engineering, RF/microwave design, computer security, nanotechnology, biomedical engineering, and GPS/GNSS research and information. Included titles from the Artech House electronic book (ebook) collection are highly respected and frequently cited within the aerospace engineering and scientific communities. The nearly 500 titles required are essential to aerospace research. These titles enhance the broad access to scientific research that is crucial to the work done at the Ai r Force Research Laboratory. The cost for access to the Wright-Patterson AFRL Research Library for perpetual access to the A rtech House e-book collection is based upon an official quote provided by the Artech House representative. Artech House 685 Canton Street Norwood, MA 02062 Phone: 781-769-9750 Fax: 781-769-6334 Email: jwstone@artechhouse.com 2. JUSTIFICATION FOR SOLICITING FROM A SINGLE SOURCE The Artech House e-book collection is a unique resource for AFRL, not available from any other source, and supplements AFRL's collection of communications engineering, RF/microwave design, computer security, nanotechnology, biomedical engineering, and GPS/GNSS books for these subject areas. Sole source acquisition is justified because Artech House has exclusive copyright to their data. They would not allow their data to be purchased from any other sources, nor do we have the option of going directly to other publishers. Without this sole source acquisition, AFR L researchers will be forced to conduct time­ consuming literature searches in print volumes from the library's existing collection, risking the use of dated information. For those items not currently held in the library's Collection, staff must attempt to borrow the vol umes from outside libraries. Having up-to-date real-time access to these electronic books will ensure research and development dollars are not spent on wasteful, duplicative efforts. The information contained in these books is one of a kind research critical to the overall AFRL mission. AFRL would suffer considerable unnecessary financial detriment if this sole source acquisition was to be denied, with the library staff forced to purchase Artech House books on an on-demand basis. This would involve paying full market price for each book and the devotion of considerable staff time to the allocation of money to the library GPC and management approval of numerous GPC purchases. In addition, lack of full-text access to the 500 Artech House titles would resolve the often time-sensitive scientific research done by Air Force Research Laboratory scientists and engineers in support of the warfighter and the US Air Force mission. Furthermore, since fiscal year 2013, AFLCMC/PZIEB/PZIEC has solicited for full and open competition on several occasions for requirements similar to this procurement, commonly referred to as "Subscriptions". Since FY13, for each and every requirement for which full and open competition has been solicited, it has been determined the original publisher of the subscription has offered a lower price than the other offerors which have been subscription agents. A subscription agent is a third party vendor that provides the subscription to the Government from the original publisher. If the subscription agent offers the same requirement to the Government as the original publisher, it has always been at a higher price than the original publisher because typically, the agents require a service fee, which is non value added to the Government. Additionally, many competitive buys do not feature the original publisher as an offeror because these companies do not wish to submit a quote for solicitations which feature full and open competition. The primary reason for this is because the original publishers will get the business regardless of whether or not they directly submit a quote to the Government. If the original publisher does not submit a quote, the original publisher will still get the business from the agent who did submit the quote. Either way, the original publisher is satisfied, or therefore there is no incentive for the vendor to submit a quote to the Government because it is more work for them. Research has shown that on average, since FYl3, the original publisher of a subscription provides the Government with prices that are $2,318 less than a subscription agent for the identical requirement, or 2.96% less, for subscription buys which are procured competitively. Therefore, for the reasons listed above, it has been determined that even if this procurement were to be competitive, it would not lead to a lower price for the Government compared to awarding the requirement sole source to the original publisher under FAR 6.302-1. Accordingly, Artech House is the only firm capable of providing the supplies described above without the U.S. Air Force experiencing substantial duplication of cost that could not be recouped through competition. 3. EFFORTS TO OBTAIN COMPETITION Market research confirms that Artech House is the only known source for these 500 unique electronic book titles and is intended to supplement AFRL's collection of communications engineering, RF/microwave design, computer security, nanotechnology, biomedical engineering, and GPS/GNSS monograph titles. AFRL Research Library staff surveyed the market for vendors to obtain competition in aeronautics and astronautics electronic book publishing. The library used publisher's advertisements and new publication reviews in conducting its surveys, and was unable to identify publishers providing aeronautics and astronautics e-books equivalent in scope and quality to the titles published by Artech House. An intent to award on a sole source basis notice was posted on Federal Business Opportunity Net and no qualified responses were received that could meet the requirement. The proposed sole source is the only la1own source able to satisfy thee Government's requirements. 4. STEPS TO PRECLUDE FUTURE SINGLE SOURCE AWARDS AFRL D'Azzo Research library staff will keep an open dialog witl1the users/patrons and evaluate usage statistics to determine the necessity of these resources to supplement its collection of aeronautics and astronautics research materials. AFRL librarians will continue to survey the market for vendors to obtain competition for future requirements. The library also uses publishers' advertisements, interlibrary loan requests, customer suggestions and new publication review in conducting its surveys. 5. CONTRACTING OFFICER'S CERTIFICATION The contracting officer's signature on this document evidences that he has determined this document to be both accurate and complete to the best of his knowledge and belief. 6. TECHNICAL/REQUIREMENTS PERSONNEL'S CERTIFICATION As evidenced by the signatures on this document, the technical and/or requirements personnel have certified that any supporting data contained herein, which is their responsibility, is both accurate and complete.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/USAF/AFMC/ASC/FA8604-14-M-7996/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: AFRL, WPAFB, Ohio, 45433, United States
- Zip Code: 45433
- Zip Code: 45433
- Record
- SN03541362-W 20141004/141002235237-6cf817667f5f61c4bee0261e18ef7a00 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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