SAM #HT942726CC0016

Sole Source Procurement of Gift Card Compensation Services for Clinical Study Participants by DHA

This notice announces a sole source procurement by the Defense Health Agency (DHA) for gift card compensation services for clinical study participants. - Agency: Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity (DHACA), Fort Detrick, Maryland - Vendor/OEM: Tango Card Inc. (sole source) - Purpose: Gift cards to compensate clinical study subjects for specimen collection and diary completion - Requirements: - Integration with existing Tango Card administrative portal - Real-time activation and digital delivery - Automated audit trails and secure tracking - Portal authorized for sensitive, de-identified participant data - Justification: No other vendors offer equivalent integrated tracking and fraud mitigation without significant manual workarounds and transition costs - NAICS Code: 541990 - No specific gift card quantities or denominations listed - Period of performance: Delivery required by end of September 2026

Description

This notice announces the intent by the Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity (DHACA) Fort Detrick, Maryland, 21702, to award a sole source Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) Contract to Tango Card Inc. under the statutory authority 12.102(a). The contract is to provide gift cards for compensation of clinical studies subjects for collection of specimens and/or completing diaries of health symptoms, IAW DHA-AI 3200.01 Research Subject Compensation.

Tango Card Inc. previously provided gift cards in support of IHD clinical studies. Through that effort, a centralized administrative portal was established to track all gift card activity, including issuance dates, access dates, and balance changes. Procuring additional cards through Tango Card would allow the new purchase to be incorporated into the existing portal without the need to create a new account or incur associated setup costs.

Using the current active portal also preserves continuity of data across ongoing clinical studies, which is critical for consistent tracking, reporting, and oversight. The portal’s existing administrative capabilities, including real-time activation, immediate digital delivery, and automated audit trail generation, are necessary to support strict federal accounting requirements for participant incentives.

Market research indicates that alternative vendors do not offer the same integrated tracking functionality needed to mitigate fraud, waste, and abuse without significant manual workarounds. Transitioning to another vendor would require duplicative administrative setup, creation of redundant tracking systems, and additional transition-related costs.

In addition, the contractor’s proprietary portal has already been reviewed and authorized for use with sensitive, de-identified participant distribution metrics associated with clinical studies. As a result, Tango Card is uniquely positioned to fulfill this requirement efficiently and without disruption to ongoing operations.

Delivery Date: 30 September 2026

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) for this requirement is 541990 and the size standard is $19.5 Million. 

This is a notice of intent to issue a contract on a sole source basis. This notice of intent is NOT a request for quotations (RFQ). Any other firms desiring consideration must fully identify their interest in and capability to provide these services to the individual listed below. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. If no written responses are received by the expiration date listed in this notice, which reflects at least fifteen (15) days after the publication of this notice, the award will be issued as sole source.

All questions and responses concerning this notice shall be emailed to Mr. Christopher L. Cook at christopher.l.cook68.civ@health.mil. 

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