SSJ ASTO MSS RFO Redacted

2. Description of Supplies and/or Services:

ASTO MSS provides outcome-based mission support across eight performance objectives: operational continuity; administrative, data, and digital modernization; IDP advancement; governance and lifecycle accountability; financial stewardship; enterprise adoption and NIH capability building; security, privacy, accessibility, and responsible artificial intelligence (AI) compliance support; and continuous improvement and transition. The bridge continues these essential services only for the period needed to establish and transition to the competitive successor.
The estimated ceiling value is $7,143,291.50 for the initial performance period and $15,927,370.96 including the option period. These Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) ceiling amounts include both baseline and optional labor anticipated within each period, plus estimated ODCs and travel. Optional labor is not a guaranteed minimum and will be used only when authorized within the awarded scope and funding. The proposed period of performance is September 16, 2026, through March 15, 2027, with one six-month option through September 15, 2027.

3. Authority Cited and Rationale:

Authority for this Federal Supply Schedule action is 40 U.S.C. 501, as implemented by Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation (RFO FAR) 8.401(b). RFO FAR 8.401(b) directs agencies placing orders under the FSS to follow the ordering procedures established by GSA. GSA has implemented those procedures through its current GSAR deviation, Subpart 538.71, Federal Supply Schedule Ordering Procedures. Under GSAR deviation 538.7104-3(b)(1)(i), an order exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold may be placed on a sole-source basis when the Government's need is of such unusual urgency that following the otherwise applicable procedures would result in unacceptable delays in fulfilling that need.
NIH's need meets this exception. On May 7, 2026, the NIH Chief Information Officer (CIO) documented NIH's ongoing reorganization, modernization, and centralization of commodity IT. The memorandum states that migration of existing technology and implementation of the supporting acquisition strategy require significant lead time, recommends an interim 12-month sole-source action to prevent disruption of mission-critical services, and anticipates transition of the IDP to the Center for Information Technology (CIT) when it enters Operations and Maintenance (O&M) status during the bridge period. The memorandum is the acquisition-record-specific support for the ITcentralization timing underlying this bridge.