# SAM #7571TE26QE00291

Sole-source award for NIH START expansion and INCLUDE module development

**Buyer:** OMAS STRATEGIC BUYING CENTER - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
**Posted:** October 05, 2026
**Identifier:** 7571TE26QE00291
**NAICS:** 541511, 541512

HHS announced a sole-source award supporting NIH’s expansion of its Strategic Tracking and Reporting Tool (START).
- **Award context:** HHS’s initial notice identified the award as a sole-source expansion of the START AI Assistant. The attachment describes NIH requirements for the START platform, including an INCLUDE Project module.
- **Agency:** National Institutes of Health (NIH), including the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI), within the Department of Health and Human Services.
- **Award identifiers:** Award number 47QTCA19D00MH; delivery order number 7571TE26F80337.
- **Provider and sole-source rationale:** Plexus Scientific is identified as the service provider and as the only source with the required START access and programming privileges.
- **Services requested:** Expand and configure START for NINR and NIAMS as a knowledge-management and operational-support platform, using automation, AI-generated summaries, metadata tagging, and human quality-control workflows.
- **INCLUDE module:** Develop tailored webforms, dashboards, reports, search and filtering, and automated connections to NIH systems, including eRA modules, iCITE, and the DPCPSI Co-Funding Portal. Use START’s Evaluation module to track progress against the 2022 INCLUDE/DS Research Plan.
- **Duration:** Each requirement has a 12-month period of performance. The attachment does not provide start or end dates.
- **Not stated:** The available materials provide no quantities, part numbers, specific award value, or detailed technical specifications beyond the described services.

[View original listing](https://sam.gov/opp/fa34e53eabc64bce85d98e496df9b930/view)