DC10--FY23: University of Florida IT Services Data Storage Services Contract

The Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Network Contracting Office (NCO 8), on behalf of North Florida/South Georgia VHS, intends to award a Sole Source a Firm-Fixed-Price Contract with a base year and four (4) one-year option periods with one Large Business (L.B.), University of Florida Research Computing. The Contractor shall provide active long-term data storage, and consultation services for the VA Brain Rehabilitation Research Center (BRRC), at the North Florida/South Georgia VHS. In accordance with 38 U.S Code 8127 the Veteran's First Contracting Program, this requirement does not meet the Rule of Two. Therefore, this requirement will be awarded using other than competitive procedures when such concern is determined to be a responsible source for fulfilling this requirement. The North American Industry Classification (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 518210, Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services and has a size standard $40 Million and, Product Service Code (PSC) DC10, IT and Telecon-Data Center as A Service. This acquisition will be made under the statutory authority permitting an exception to fair opportunity Section 41 U.S.C. 4106(c) as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 16.505(b)(2)(i)(B): Only one awardee is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services ordered are unique or highly specialized. The anticipated award date is on or after September 1, 2023. Please note that this is not a request for competitive quotes and is being posted for informational purposes only. Interested parties may identify their interests and capability to respond to this requirement in accordance with closing date of this notice. Any response to this notice must show clear and convincing evidence that competition would be advantageous to the Government. Interested parties shall submit clear evidence with an AUTHORIZATION LETTER from University of Florida (UF) Research Computing (RC) and the Academic Health Center (AHC) to provide secure data storage with back-up, and secure network services for the Brain Rehabilitation Research Center (BRRC). Interested parties shall submit clear evidence to provide achieve the following: Hardware Purchase on HiPerGator Active Data Storage TSM Long-Term Data Storage Computation Cores Data Consulting Services The delivery of gray market items to the V.A. in the fulfillment of an order/award constitutes a breach of contract. Accordingly, the V.A. reserves the right enforce any of its contractual remedies. This includes termination of the contract or, solely at the V.A.'s election, allowing the Contractor to replace, at no cost to the Government, any remanufactured or gray market item(s) delivered to a VA facility upon discovery of such items. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotes. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement and submit capability statement and authorization letter no later than 2:00 pm., ET, July 17, 2023, to: phillip.james@va.gov. Subject Line: FY23: University of Florida Data Storage, & Consulting Services (36C24823Q1380). Responses received will be evaluated; however, a determination by the Government not to compete the proposed procurement based on responses received to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. If no written response is received within the closing date of this notice, a sole source award will be made to University of Florida without any further notice. Disclaimer and Important Notes: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or pay for the information provided in response to this notice. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a notice.