This is not a request for quotations or an announcement of a forthcoming
solicitation, but merely notification of the Social Security Administration's
(SSA) intent to issue, on a sole-source basis, a firm fixed-price purchase order
to the Wolters Kluwer Legal Publishers for access to their online
subscription to the Aspen Legal Treatise collection. Under the authority of
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 6.302-1, the Contracting Officer
has determined that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one
responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency
requirements. The required Aspen Legal publications are copyright protected
and thus Aspen Legal Publishers is the only known source for the updates and
supplements to the SSA's existing Aspen Legal publications.. The period of
performance will be for twelve months, beginning October 1, 2019 through
September 30, 2020.

The Aspen Legal publications contain copyright protected information that is used
by the SSA attorneys and administrative law judges for research and trial/hearing
preparation. These publications contain primary law, narrative analysis, criticism or
evaluation of current legal issues, case law and/or statutes, which are organized and
indexed for research. The required Aspen Legal publications are copyright protected
and thus Aspen Legal Publishers is the only known source for the updates and
supplements to the SSA's existing Aspen Legal publications.

This requirement is utilizing procedures in FAR Part 12 in conjunction with
procedures in FAR Part 13. A determination by SSA not to compete this
proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the
discretion of SSA. Information received will be considered for the purposes of
determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. The government
does not intend to pay for information provided in response to this notice.

Written responses to this notice shall contain sufficient documentation to
establish a bona fide capability to fulfill this requirement. Responses shall be
submitted by 9:00AM ET on September 25, 2019 to [email protected].
 If SSA does not receive an acceptable response to this announcement by
September 25, 2019, in accordance with FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), negotiations will be
conducted with the Wolters Kluwer Legal Publishers. as the only source and a purchase
order will be issued without any additional notices being posted. Respondents should
refer to 0919-19-1005 in their responses.

Bid Protests Not Available