SAM #2027-NLS-0066

Sole-source procurement of RealSAM dialog licenses and technical support for the Library of Congress NLS

This opportunity involves a planned sole-source contract by the Library of Congress for RealSAM dialog licenses and technical support for the National Library Service for the Blind and Print-Disabled (NLS): - The contract will be awarded to RealSAM Inc./RealThing.ai, the OEM and only vendor specified. - Up to 5,000 new RealSAM dialog licenses will be procured, with technical support included. - Ongoing support, maintenance, and compliance services will be provided for 5,000 legacy RealSAM dialog licenses already owned by the Library. - The licenses enable the "My Talking Books" Alexa skill, allowing NLS patrons to access audio and braille book collections via voice interface. - Services include technical support, monthly status reports, monthly meetings, and a post-award conference. - The contract is an IDIQ (indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity) with a five-year period of performance (Dec 1, 2026 – Nov 30, 2031). - Key personnel requirements include a project manager and technical support lead with relevant qualifications. - The contract value is above the simplified acquisition threshold and will be performed at the contractor's facilities. - No competing vendors or alternative products are mentioned; RealSAM is cited as the only source due to unique technical requirements.

Description

This is a public notice prepared in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 5.2 – Synopsis of Proposed Contract Actions. The Library of Congress (Library), Contracts and Grants Directorate (CGD), intends to award a sole-source, firm-fixed-price (FFP), indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract to RealSAM Inc./RealThing.ai (1629 K ST NW, STE 300, WASHINGTON, DC 20006).  The contract’s work will be performed at the contractor’s facilities. The intended contract’s period of performance (POP) shall be for five years.  It is valued at an amount above both the simplified acquisition threshold (or SAT, defined as $350,000 and below) and public-notice threshold (defined as $25,000 and below).  The work shall consist of the following– The National Library Service for the Blind and Print-Disabled (NLS) requires both (1) up to ~ 5,000 new RealSAM dialog licenses with technical support and (2) continuing support for 5,000 legacy RealSAM dialog licenses that are already owned by the Library.  This contract will provide not only the aforementioned additional RealSAM dialog licenses and technical support for legacy RealSAM dialog licenses, but also comprehensive support for all of the Library’s RealSAM dialog licenses. The technical support includes, but is not limited to, maintenance, system documentation, and compliance with applicable laws.

This announcement constitutes the only public notice.  Proposals are not being requested from other parties and a written solicitation will not be issued. This public notice accomplishes the following: 1.    Notice of the Library’s intent to award a sole-source contract for this requirement to the business listed herein; 2.    Synopsizing the requirements in accordance with the FAR; and 3.    Publicly posting the approved Justification and Approval (J&A) to the public in advance of the contract award rather than after award.  As a result of this, a second posting of the J&A is not required after the award has been made. As a result of this public posting, this shall be the only notice issued.  A separate award notice and a separate J&A posting shall not be performed, as all public information is being accomplished via this public notice.  The following attachments are included in this notice:  Attachment 1: Statement of Work  Attachment 2: Sole-Source Justification (Redacted for Public Release) No further notices shall be pursued at this time in regard to this contracting action. Finally, the Library shall accept capability statements from other prospective businesses and review them for potential changes to its procurement direction. The Library is not, however, obligated to change directions in this procurement without ample evidence.

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