DOD HEALTH AND WELLNESS SUBSCRIPTION

NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD SOLE SOURCE

The United States Air Force (the Government) intends to issue a Firm-Fixed-Price Purchase order to a single source, Cengage Learning, Inc. Under the authority of AFFARS 5313.501(a)(1)(ii), 10 U.S.C. 2302b, Implementation of Simplified Acquisition Procedures (41 U.S.C. 1901), on or about 24 September 2025. The base period of performance (PoP) will be from 30 September 2025 – 29 September 2026. The resulting award will also include two (2) 12-month options, extending the term of the contract to 29 September 2028.

PSC/FSC: AF11

NAICS: 519210

Size Standard: 1,000 employees

Subscription name: Gale Health and Wellness Resource Database Subscription  

Supplier name: Cengage Learning, Inc.

Product description: DoD Libraries require access to a database that provides current, general health information that covers diseases and conditions, drugs, diagnostics and tests, therapies, treatments, and surgery options. Health coverage should be highly comprehensive with access to peer-reviewed, full-text academic journals, magazines, periodicals, reports, books and videos. The database needs to have a discovery layer, the ability to sort by source types and publication date, subject thesaurus, and viewed in HTML or PDF. Health documents should cover more than seventy-five (75) topic portals and offer reference, journal coverage, news, and peer reviews in full text. Customer convenience services should include online help, option to save, print, email, save search histories and results, streaming audios and videos, download, annotate, cite, and save available information. Access to information should be seamless, minimal response time between query initiation and query results, and search results within 5-10 seconds.

This requirement is a follow-on to contract FA860420P5040.

This is a twelve (12) month base subscription with two (2) 12-month option years to Cengage Learning, Inc. (CAGE:) for Gale Health and Wellness Resource Database.

Product characteristics an equal item must meet to be considered:

1. Must provide current, general health information that covers diseases and conditions, drugs, diagnostics and tests, therapies, treatments, and surgery options.

2. Must also provide content on community health, fitness, health insurance, mental health, nutrition, stress, etc.

3. Must provide content on current health trends and medical news.

4. Must provide updated daily and browsable health information with the most popular and searchable health and wellness topics for in consumer-friendly language.

5. Health coverage should be highly comprehensive with access to peer-reviewed, full-text academic journals, magazines, periodicals, reports, books and videos.

6. Must provide resources in multiple languages.

7. Must have a discovery layer, the ability to sort by source types and publication date, subject thesaurus, and viewed in HTML or PDF.

8. Must have health documents cover more than seventy-five (75) topic portals and offer reference, journal coverage, news, and peer reviews in full text.

9. Must have customer convenience services should include online help, options to save, print, email, save search histories and results, streaming audios and videos, download, annotate, cite, and save available information.

10. Must provide access to information should be seamless, minimal response time between query initiation and query results, and search results within 5-10 seconds.

11. Must be able to provide password embedded URL’s for access through Library OPACS.

12. Must work with contract POC to establish authentication methods to provide optimal accessibility for all eligible patrons.

13. Security between the Website and server must be Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.3.

14. Must be able to supply or allow retrieval of database usage statistics by Branch of Service (Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Military OneSource/Other, and Navy).

15. Must have HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) with long duration deployed on the servers to mitigate/prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.

16. Website certificates should be RSA 2048-bits (SHA256withRSA).

17. VCL must be able to test the platform to evaluate if it meets requirements. Must provide username and password to view content on platform.

This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations. However, all responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation, which shall be considered by the Government. The Government will consider responses received within 5 days of issuance of this notice. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a full and open competitive procurement or a small business set aside competitive procurement. The Government will not pay for any information received in response to this announcement.

If the Government decides to compete this requirement, a synopsis shall be issued utilizing the combined synopsis/solicitation procedure identified in FAR 12.603. If this effort becomes a Small Business Set Aside, FAR 52.219-14, Limitation on Subcontracting, will apply. Therefore, small businesses that want to be considered for a small business set-aside should demonstrate how they intend to comply.

A determination not to compete this requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.

Contractors should be aware of the following information:

1. Contractors must include the following information:

            a. Points of contact, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers.

            b. Identification as a large U.S. business, a small U.S. business, or a foreign business.       Please note that size indicated should be based on the NAICS code for this effort listed            above.

            c. Identification of any other socioeconomic status including: Women-Owned Small         Business, Economically Disadvantaged Small Business, 8(a), Service-Disabled Veteran        Owned Small Business, Veteran Owned Small Business or HUBZone.

            d. Company CAGE Code or DUNS Number.

2. If this posting specifically references brand name products, offerors are encouraged to suggest products other than those specifically referenced. Responses must address how the alternate product meets the product characteristics specified above.

3. Submitted information shall be UNCLASSIFIED.

4. Responses are limited to 10 pages in a Microsoft Word compatible format.

Any questions should be directed to Mary Cobb via email mary.cobb.7@us.af.mil.