Inactive

Intent to Sole Source The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), intends to award a short-term sole-source contract under the authorit... Intent to Sole Source The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), intends to award a short-term sole-source contract under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1), as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source, to Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) to award a short-term sole-source contract under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source, to Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) (a small business), 701 Park Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415. This interim action is necessary to ensure critical operation of the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) while HRSA completes a full and open competitive procurement for the long-term requirement. This notice is not a solicitation, and HRSA is not requesting or accepting proposals. The SRTR is required by the National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA) and the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Final Rule, which require continuous and independent analysis of transplant outcomes, organ allocation policies, and the performance of transplant programs and organ procurement organizations. The SRTR provides critical data, modeling, and reporting used to evaluate the OPTN, support transparency for patients and families, and uphold fairness and accountability within the national transplant system. Any interruption in SRTR operations would prevent HRSA from meeting statutory and regulatory obligations and would undermine Federal oversight of the OPTN. Continuous SRTR operation is therefore both legally mandated and operationally essential. To ensure critical uninterrupted performance through the transition to a future competitive award, HRSA intends to issue an interim bridge contract beginning March 19, 2026, with a base period continuing until September 18, 2026, and two optional three-month periods that could extend performance through March 18, 2027. HRSA may also use FAR clause 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services, if circumstances outside the agency’s control require a brief extension to prevent a lapse in SRTR operations. Any use of this clause will be limited to the minimum amount of time necessary. Under this interim bridge contract, HHRI will continue providing the full range of services it already delivers as the incumbent SRTR contractor. These services include, but are not limited to, the following activities. HHRI will maintain the analytical, statistical, and epidemiological work needed to evaluate how the national transplant system is performing. It will continue preparing transplant program and organ procurement organization performance reports that support oversight of the OPTN, as well as managing core SRTR data assets such as the Standard Analysis Files, the Living Donor Registry, and other linked datasets. HHRI will also continue conducting routine data quality checks, responding to approved data requests, and updating the national organ allocation simulation models known as the Liver Simulated Allocation Model, the Thoracic Simulated Allocation Model, and the Kidney and Pancreas Simulated Allocation Model. These models help HRSA and the OPTN understand how potential policy changes may affect patients. HHRI will also continue operating and maintaining both the public SRTR website and the secure portal used by transplant programs and OPOs. These websites provide vital access to national transplant statistics, program specific performance data, research tools, patient friendly information, and risk adjusted outcomes that support transparency and informed decision making. HHRI must ensure that these sites remain accurate, secure, accessible, up to date, and compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. In addition, HHRI will continue providing the information technology support needed to run the SRTR during this interim period, including maintaining secure computing environments, managing data ingestion and processing systems, supporting authentication and access controls, and ensuring consistent system performance. Together, these analytic, modeling, website, and information technology services remain essential to sustaining uninterrupted SRTR operations and ensuring HRSA and the OPTN can continue meeting their oversight responsibilities during this interim period. As part of the OPTN Modernization Initiative, HRSA is developing a government-owned Transplant Data Services (TDS) platform to modernize how transplant data are stored and managed. TDS will be a secure cloud-based Federal system that brings together transplant data from the SRTR, the OPTN, and other partners to improve data quality, analytics, and transparency. Because TDS will take over hosting and data-ingestion functions, these information-technology elements will not be included in the future SRTR competition. The long-term SRTR contract will instead focus on analytics, modeling, epidemiology, reporting, and data-access work that will rely on the TDS platform. Maintaining uninterrupted SRTR operations through this transition is critical to supporting OPTN modernization. Market research for the long-term Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) requirement was conducted through industry responses to the Request for Information (RFI) titled “Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (RFI-HRSA-HSB),” which was published on the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) on July 24, 2025, with responses due August 11, 2025. The information received showed that the long-term SRTR requirement aligns well with commercially available services and that there is strong marketplace capability to support a future competitive acquisition. At the same time, the research indicated that no other responsible source was reasonably able to take over SRTR operations by March 19, 2026, without posing unacceptable risk to national transplant data, mandated reporting, and oversight of the OPTN. HRSA is issuing this notice to provide any additional interested sources the opportunity to demonstrate otherwise. Based on these findings, HRSA plans to compete the long-term SRTR requirement through the General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program in Government Fiscal Year 2026. This notice further advances that market research by allowing vendors to demonstrate their ability to perform the short-term interim work. Capability statements submitted in response to this notice will help HRSA determine whether any additional responsible sources exist and will ensure full compliance with FAR 6.302-1 before proceeding with a sole-source award. In accordance with FAR 8.4, Requests for Quotations (RFQs) for MAS acquisitions are not posted on SAM.gov and must instead be electronically provided to GSA Schedule vendors, such as through GSA eBuy or by direct electronic transmission. Therefore, all future SAM.gov postings related to this acquisition will pertain only to this interim bridge action. Vendors who wish to participate in the future competition must hold a MAS contract with the appropriate Special Item Number (SIN) at the time the RFQ is issued. Organizations wishing to respond must submit a capability statement that includes firm identification information (name, address, point of contact, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code, and business size), intended contracting role (e.g., prime contractor, subcontractor, or member of a teaming arrangement), relevant experience, and a clear explanation describing how the respondent would assume full SRTR operations beginning March 19, 2026, without relying on incumbent infrastructure. Capability statements must be no more than ten pages, use Times New Roman 12-point font with one-inch margins, and be submitted in Microsoft Word or PDF to Emily Graham at egraham@hrsa.gov and Nancy Lee at nlee@hrsa.gov no later than 12:00 PM EST on December 29, 2025. Capability statements received after the deadline may not be considered. Respondents should use the email subject line: “SRTR Interim Bridge – Capability Statement – [Organization Name]”. Capability statements will be used solely to determine whether additional responsible sources exist. Submission does not obligate the Government, and respondents are responsible for all costs. Proprietary information must be clearly marked; unmarked information may be used for planning purposes. Information marked as proprietary will be handled in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, including the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). HRSA will not provide feedback or individualized assessments. All updates related to this interim procurement will be posted on SAM.gov. This notice does not commit the Government to award a contract or obligate funds. Responses will not be accepted as proposals. This is not a solicitation.