Sources Sought Notice - Risk–Benefit Assessment of Stopping Antibiotics in Rapid Respiratory Viral Panel (RVP) Positive Inpatients with Non-Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia
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 OMAS Strategic Buying Center - HHS Mission, has issued a Sources Sought Notice for a project titled "Risk–Benefit Assessment of Stopping Antibiotics in Rapid Respiratory Viral Panel (RVP) Positive Inpatients with Non-Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia." This notice aims to identify qualified businesses, including small businesses, capable of conducting a large-scale pragmatic randomized trial. Responses are due by April 27, 2026, at 3:00 PM EST.
Purpose
This is a market research notice, not a solicitation. Its purpose is to gather information on the availability and capabilities of qualified business sources (including various small business categories) and their size classification relative to NAICS code 541715. The government will use this information to determine the appropriate acquisition method, including potential set-asides.
Project Description & Objectives
The project addresses the issue of unnecessary antibiotic use in patients hospitalized with non-severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) who test positive for a respiratory viral pathogen. AHRQ proposes a large-scale, pragmatic randomized trial to evaluate the risks and benefits of continuing versus stopping antibiotics in these patients. Key objectives include:
- Conducting a pragmatic, randomized controlled trial comparing continuation vs. discontinuation of antibacterial therapy.
- Establishing trial sites in at least three geographically distinct health systems.
- Enrolling approximately 1000 patients across these sites.
- Developing a clinical framework to identify patients who can safely discontinue antibiotics.
- Evaluating patient outcomes and antibiotic-associated adverse events.
- Conducting subgroup analyses by viral pathogen and patient characteristics.
- Disseminating study findings through publications and presentations.
Period of Performance
The anticipated period of performance is 39 months (non-severable), comprising a 12-month preparatory period, an 18-month intervention phase, and 9 months for post-intervention data analysis.
Capabilities Sought
The government is seeking contractors with expertise in:
- Effective implementation of large-scale antibiotic stewardship in acute care settings.
- Supporting large multicenter clinical trials, including site commitments, coordination, data collection, safety monitoring, and analysis.
- Strong plans for recruiting 1000 patients with contingency plans.
- Operationalizing Electronic Health Record-based interventions in multiple health systems.
- Secure data storage and management, including PII and PHI.
- Experience in large-scale pragmatic trials utilizing EHR-based interventions and antibiotic stewardship research.
- Performing multiple tasks in parallel and meeting deadlines.
- Proficiency with federal government public posting requirements (e.g., Section 508).
- Project management expertise in trial conduct, IT intervention, data management, and federal requirements (e.g., OMB PRA, IRB).
- Developing and executing comprehensive management plans.
Submission Requirements
Interested organizations should submit a tailored capability statement (not exceeding 15 single-sided pages, 12-point font) electronically to Kori Best (Kori.Best@hhs.gov). The cover page must include UEI, organization name, address, size/type of business (per NAICS 541715), and technical points of contact. Participation agreement statements from partner organizations are encouraged and do not count towards the page limit.
Contract & Timeline
- Type: Sources Sought / Market Research
- Set-Aside: None specified (market research stage)
- Response Due: April 27, 2026, 3:00 PM EST
- Published: April 10, 2026
Additional Notes
This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or pay for information provided. Responses will not be considered adequate responses to a future solicitation. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included.