Notice of Intent to Award to a Single Source - InChI Trust Membership
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), specifically the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Library of Medicine (NLM) National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), intends to award a sole source contract for an annual membership to InChI Trust LTD. This notice serves as an intent to award, but interested parties, particularly small businesses, are invited to submit capability statements if they believe they can meet the government's needs.
Purpose & Justification
NCBI seeks to renew its annual InChI Trust membership to maintain unfettered access to the InChI standard software. This software is critical for NCBI's mission in chemistry, providing the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)-approved unique digital standard for small molecule "sameness" determination. The InChI standard is globally recognized with no alternative, forming a backbone for chemical information used by researchers, publishers, pharmaceutical companies, and regulators. Membership is essential for NCBI to receive timely updates, influence the standard's direction, participate in critical discussions, and demonstrate leadership in open/FAIR scientific data. Without this membership, NCBI's Chemistry Program would be severely impacted, and NIH's withdrawal could negatively affect the standard's viability.
Contract Details
- Acquisition Type: Sole Source (Notice of Intent to Award)
- Authority: FAR Part 12 (Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services), exempt from FAR Part 6.
- Proposed Vendor: INCHI TRUST LTD. (Flat 26, Twickenham Ct, Arbury Rd, Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB4 2HX, United Kingdom)
- NAICS Code: 513210 (Business size standard: $47 Million)
- Product Service Code: 7A21 (Business Application Off The Shelf Software)
Response Information
This is not a request for competitive quotations. However, any interested party, especially a small business, believing it can meet the requirement may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quote. Submissions must be in writing and contain sufficient detail for NLM to assess performance capability.
- Submission Deadline: January 23, 2026, by 12:00 P.M. EST
- Submit To: Bryan Dankanich, Contracting Officer
- Email: bryan.dankanich@hhs.gov
- Reference: Notice number 75N97026Q00003
Additional Notes
The government reserves the right to determine whether to conduct a competitive procurement based on responses. Information provided may be used for any necessary and legally appropriate purpose. Contractors must be registered and have a valid certification through SAM.gov to receive an award.