SOLE SOURCE SPECIAL NOTICE
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 U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Office of the Secretary, Office of Public Affairs, has issued a Sole Source Special Notice for a planned acquisition of a three-year subscription to Politico Pro and Energy & Environment News services. This acquisition, valued at approximately $64,780.00, is deemed necessary to provide specialized news coverage and legislative tracking essential for fulfilling statutory and regulatory responsibilities. Other interested parties must submit a Statement of Qualifications by June 19, 2026.
Purpose
The Office of Public Affairs requires a specialized news coverage service to monitor legislation, amendments, policy negotiations, regulatory actions, and appropriations activity in real-time. This service is critical for preparing leadership briefings, decision memos, testimony, and responding to congressional oversight effectively.
Scope of Work
The required services from Politico Pro and Energy & Environment News include a single, mission-support platform integrating:
- Original, specialized policy journalism from a large newsroom.
- Federal and state legislative tracking with historical archives, bill analysis, and policy data visualizations.
- Regulatory tracking by docket, RIN, and CFR citation.
- Appropriations monitoring across major funding vehicles.
- Rapid-turnaround congressional hearing transcripts.
- Daily-updated congressional and agency directories.
- Customizable alerts, team workflows, and shared project tools.
- White-glove customer success support. The subscription will support 1 user for Politico Pro and 3 users for E&E News.
Contract Details
- Type: Planned Sole-Source Acquisition (Special Notice)
- Duration: One Base Year plus two Option Years, approximately June 20, 2026, through June 19, 2029.
- Estimated Value: Approximately $64,780.00 (aggregate grand total).
- Set-Aside: Not applicable; this is a sole-source action.
- Place of Performance: Washington, DC 20590 (DOT Office of Public Affairs).
Sole-Source Justification
The DOT asserts that Politico Pro and Energy & Environment News is the exclusive provider uniquely qualified to meet the Office of Public Affairs' requirements for in-depth coverage of legislative and regulatory environments. Market research indicated few companies offer full implementation services. Switching vendors would require substantial duplication of time and resources, which would not be offset by competition. The agency cites statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition.
Opportunity to Respond
Any entity other than Politico Pro and Energy & Environment News service that believes it can fully meet DOT's needs and requirements may submit a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ).
- Submission Deadline: 12:00 PM Eastern Time, June 19, 2026.
- Email To: Melinda.Riddick@dot.gov and l.johnson-keelan@dot.gov.
- Subject Line: "693JK426R600004 Politico Pro and Energy & Environment News".
Future Considerations
If further work is required after the completion of the option years, the Government intends to issue a solicitation that will include a transition plan to encourage competition.