USDA spends $1.8M on ACS journal access, a sole-source contract for electronic resources

Contract Overview

Contract Amount: $1,805,854 ($1.8M)

Contractor: American Chemical Society

Awarding Agency: Department of Agriculture

Start Date: 2022-06-27

End Date: 2027-06-30

Contract Duration: 1,829 days

Daily Burn Rate: $987/day

Competition Type: NOT COMPETED

Number of Offers Received: 1

Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE

Sector: R&D

Official Description: ELECTRONIC ACCESS VIA IP AUTHENTICATION FOR ALL USDA USERS TO AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY JOURNALS

Place of Performance

Location: WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA County, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 20036

State: District of Columbia Government Spending

Plain-Language Summary

Department of Agriculture obligated $1.8 million to AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY for work described as: ELECTRONIC ACCESS VIA IP AUTHENTICATION FOR ALL USDA USERS TO AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY JOURNALS Key points: 1. This contract provides essential access to scientific literature for USDA researchers. 2. The sole-source nature raises questions about potential overpayment and lack of competitive pressure. 3. Long-term contract duration suggests a need for ongoing access to these resources. 4. The fixed-price contract type offers cost certainty but may not reflect market fluctuations. 5. Performance is tied to the continued availability and quality of the ACS digital library. 6. This spending falls within the broader category of information and publication services for federal agencies.

Value Assessment

Rating: fair

The contract value of $1.8 million for electronic journal access appears reasonable given the specialized nature of scientific publications. However, without competitive bidding, it's difficult to benchmark against market alternatives or assess if this represents the best value for taxpayers. The American Chemical Society is a primary publisher in this field, suggesting limited alternatives, but the lack of competition prevents a definitive value assessment. Further analysis would require comparing subscription costs for similar scientific society journals or aggregated database access.

Cost Per Unit: N/A

Competition Analysis

Competition Level: sole-source

This contract was awarded on a sole-source basis, meaning the American Chemical Society was the only vendor considered. This approach is typically justified when a unique product or service is available from only one source. In this case, the ACS journals are proprietary content. The lack of competition means there was no opportunity for other vendors to bid, potentially leading to higher prices than if the contract had been competed.

Taxpayer Impact: The sole-source award means taxpayers did not benefit from price reductions that could have resulted from a competitive bidding process. This could represent a missed opportunity for cost savings.

Public Impact

USDA researchers and scientists benefit from access to a vast repository of chemical and related scientific literature. The services delivered are electronic access to American Chemical Society journals, crucial for research and development. The geographic impact is national, supporting USDA's mission across all its facilities and personnel. Workforce implications include enabling USDA's scientific staff to stay current with global research, fostering innovation and informed decision-making.

Waste & Efficiency Indicators

Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10

Warning Flags

Lack of competition may lead to inflated pricing compared to potentially available alternatives.
Sole-source awards can reduce transparency and accountability in government spending.
Dependence on a single provider creates a risk if the provider changes terms or ceases service.
The long contract duration might lock the government into a potentially suboptimal pricing structure.

Positive Signals

Ensures continued access to critical, high-impact scientific research for USDA.
The American Chemical Society is a reputable and established provider of chemical literature.
The fixed-price contract provides budget certainty for the agency.
The contract supports the core research mission of the Agricultural Research Service.

Sector Analysis

The market for scientific journal publishing is characterized by a mix of society publishers, commercial entities, and open-access initiatives. The American Chemical Society is a major player in the chemistry and related sciences domain. Federal agencies like the USDA often subscribe to extensive digital libraries to support research and development. Spending benchmarks for such subscriptions can vary widely based on the breadth of coverage and the specific disciplines included, but typically represent a significant investment for research-intensive organizations.

Small Business Impact

This contract does not appear to involve small business set-asides, as the vendor is a large, established society publisher. There is no indication of subcontracting opportunities for small businesses within this specific award. The focus is on direct access to proprietary content from a single, large entity.

Oversight & Accountability

Oversight for this contract would primarily fall under the Department of Agriculture's contracting officers and the Agricultural Research Service. Accountability is maintained through contract terms and conditions, including service level agreements for electronic access. Transparency is limited due to the sole-source nature, but contract award details are publicly available through federal procurement databases. Inspector General jurisdiction would apply if any fraud, waste, or abuse were suspected.

Related Government Programs

Federal Research and Development Funding
Scientific and Technical Information Services
Digital Library Subscriptions
Academic and Research Publishing Contracts

Risk Flags

Sole-source award
Potential for non-competitive pricing
Lack of market benchmarking data

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this federal contract paying for?

Department of Agriculture awarded $1.8 million to AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. ELECTRONIC ACCESS VIA IP AUTHENTICATION FOR ALL USDA USERS TO AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY JOURNALS

Who is the contractor on this award?

The obligated recipient is AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY.

Which agency awarded this contract?

Awarding agency: Department of Agriculture (Agricultural Research Service).

What is the total obligated amount?

The obligated amount is $1.8 million.

What is the period of performance?

Start: 2022-06-27. End: 2027-06-30.

What is the historical spending trend for electronic journal access by the USDA or ARS?

Historical spending data for electronic journal access by the USDA or its Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is not directly available from the provided data snippet. However, the current contract value of $1.8 million over approximately five years suggests an average annual expenditure of around $361,000 for this specific subscription. To understand historical trends, one would need to access past contract awards for similar services, potentially looking at prior agreements with the American Chemical Society or other major scientific publishers. Analyzing these past awards would reveal if spending has increased, decreased, or remained stable, and whether the shift towards sole-source awards has been a recent development or a long-standing practice for accessing such specialized content.

How does the cost of this ACS journal access compare to similar subscriptions from other scientific societies?

Direct cost comparison is challenging without knowing the exact scope of journals included in this $1.8 million contract and the specific subscription models used by other scientific societies. However, the American Chemical Society is a leading publisher, and its comprehensive journal packages are generally considered premium. To benchmark, one would need to identify comparable society publishers (e.g., American Physical Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science) and their institutional subscription rates for similar breadth of coverage. Given this is a sole-source award, it's difficult to ascertain if the price reflects competitive market rates. A thorough comparison would involve obtaining quotes from other societies for equivalent access levels or analyzing aggregated database pricing that might offer broader content at a potentially lower per-journal cost.

What are the specific risks associated with a sole-source contract for essential research resources?

The primary risk of a sole-source contract for essential research resources like ACS journals is the lack of price competition. This can lead to the government paying a premium compared to what might be achieved through a competitive bidding process. Another significant risk is vendor lock-in; the agency becomes dependent on a single provider, potentially limiting flexibility in negotiating terms or adopting alternative, possibly more cost-effective, solutions in the future. Furthermore, sole-source awards can reduce transparency and oversight, making it harder to ensure the government is receiving the best possible value. If the provider decides to significantly increase prices in future renewals or alter service terms, the agency has limited leverage due to the lack of alternatives.

What is the track record of the American Chemical Society as a federal contractor?

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is primarily known as a scientific publisher and professional organization rather than a traditional federal contractor providing a wide range of services. Its track record as a contractor is likely focused on providing access to its publications and databases. As a sole-source awardee for this contract, their performance would be evaluated based on the reliability and quality of electronic access to their journals, customer support, and adherence to the contract terms. Given their established reputation in the scientific community, it is reasonable to assume they have a history of providing high-quality content. However, specific performance metrics or past issues related to federal contracts would require a deeper dive into federal procurement databases and agency performance reports.

How does this contract align with the USDA's mission and research priorities?

This contract directly aligns with the USDA's mission to enhance the productivity and sustainability of American agriculture. Access to the latest scientific research published in ACS journals is crucial for USDA scientists and researchers working on a wide array of agricultural challenges, including crop science, animal health, food safety, environmental stewardship, and biotechnology. By providing access to cutting-edge information, this contract supports the agency's role in driving innovation, informing policy, and ensuring the competitiveness of the U.S. agricultural sector. The Agricultural Research Service (ARS), a primary agency within USDA, relies heavily on such resources to conduct its intramural research programs.

Industry Classification

NAICS: Information › Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers › Periodical Publishers

Product/Service Code: BOOKS, MAPS, OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Competition & Pricing

Extent Competed: NOT COMPETED

Solicitation Procedures: ONLY ONE SOURCE

Solicitation ID: 1232SA22R0020

Offers Received: 1

Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE (J)

Evaluated Preference: NONE

Contractor Details

Address: 1155 16TH ST NW, WASHINGTON, DC, 20036

Business Categories: Category Business, Nonprofit Organization, Not Designated a Small Business, Special Designations, U.S.-Owned Business

Financial Breakdown

Contract Ceiling: $1,805,854

Exercised Options: $1,805,854

Current Obligation: $1,805,854

Actual Outlays: $1,435,040

Contract Characteristics

Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS/SERVICES

Cost or Pricing Data: NO

Timeline