Internet2 Membership and Network Access

Introduction This is a notice of intent, not a request for a quotation. A solicitation document will not be issued, and quotations will not be requested. Purpose The United States Department of Agriculture, Marketing and Regulatory program and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services intends to negotiate a firm-fixed priced purchase order on a sole source basis with the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development, located at 1150 18th Street NW, Ste. 750, Washington DC, 20036-3880.

The purchase order will specifically procure membership and network access to the Internet2 online network. The period of performance of membership and network access to the Internet2 network shall be effective from 8/29/2025 -8/28/2026 with option years. Authority This acquisition is being conducted under the authority of FAR Subpart 13.106(b)(1) allowing the Contracting Officer (CO) to solicit from one source.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 517311. Description USDA SCINet and APHIS MRP workflows require reliable, high-speed data movement across geographically distributed computing environments. Specifically, Internet2 (I2) provides dedicated high-capacity circuits (100GBps and scalable) supporting bulk data transfers and low latency paths optimized for high-performance computing and storage workflows.

Internet2 is an nonprofit consortium uniquely dedicated to serving the research and education community. Its network architecture and associated services are specifically engineered to meet the specialized requirements of large-scale academic and government research. Sole Source Determination The sole source determination is based on the attached Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition.

Any questions regarding this notice must be submitted in writing via email to Bryana Jordan, bryana.jordan@usda.gov. All responses to this notice of intent must be submitted via email. The notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. This synopsis is for informational purposes only.