CDC - Formative Research Assessment Data for Expansion of the Rural Outreach Testing Evaluation

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for a sole-source requirement.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office of Acquisition Services intends to award a sole source contract to Nuru Consortium LLC (Nuru) for services to provide utilize Social Cognitive Theory to assess how individual cognition, community influence, and structural factors affect adoption of self-collection behaviors. The research will build specifically on the outcomes of the field implementation component of the existing TrueLevel Feasibility Study, performed under CDC Contract 75D30123C18336, and conducted in South Carolina, Mississippi, Missouri, and Alabama, with emphasis on reported specimen collection self-efficacy as well as environmental facilitators and barriers, including digital enrollment access, mail-based specimen transport infrastructure, and availability of trusted community health intermediaries. The study will also assess feasibility in priority expansion states, such as South Carolina (new sites), Kentucky, Oklahoma, Missouri (new sites), and Arkansas. These services will support the the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative and are in support of the CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention.

The anticipated period of performance is for one year from September 17, 2026 through September 16, 2027.

The NAICS Code is: 541720, Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities

The PSC is: B599 – Special Studies/Analysis-Other

As indicated above, this contract action is for services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of Revolutionary FAR Overhaul 12.102(a), Restricting competition. Nuru is the only source available to satisfy the Government's minimum requirements because the current requirement is a continuation and geographic expansion of the TrueLevel Feasibility Study previously performed by Nuru and depends upon specialized experiential knowledge developed through that effort. The predecessor effort required more than a year of formative research, iterative field implementation, community engagement, and trial-and-error to identify and overcome structural and operational barriers and establish the community relationships and trust necessary to successfully implement self-collected specimen testing in rural populations.

No solicitation will be published for this requirement. This notice is issued solely to determine whether there are any responsible sources capable of meeting the Government’s requirements.

Interested parties may identify their interest and submit documentation of their capability to respond to this requirement. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations/proposals; however, all responses received within the issuance period of this notice will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to competitively solicit for the proposed contract action based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.

Responses should be emailed to the Contracting Officer, Serina Allingham, xog9@cdc.gov, by 9:00a.m. on September 16, 2026.