This parent contract for HHS One Professional Services Solution (HOPSS) will enable HHS, and on a case-by-case basis other Federal agencies, to obtain professional services required to implement HHS’s current strategic plan, which is updated every four years. The FY2022-2026 strategic goals are to protect and strengthen equitable access to high quality and affordable healthcare; safeguard and improve national and global health conditions and outcomes; strengthen social well-being, equity, and economic resilience; restore trust and accelerate advancements in science and research for all; and advance strategic management to build trust, transparency, and accountability.
The HOPSS contract program will provide services HHS-wide. HHS is currently comprised of the Office of the Secretary, Regional Offices, and 13 operating divisions (OPDIVs), including 10 agencies in the U.S. Public Health Service and 3 human service agencies. Each of these divisions administer health and human services and conduct life-saving research for the nation. The 13 current OPDIVs include:
Administration for Children and Families (ACF) – human services,
Administration for Community Living (ACL) – human services,
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) – health services,
Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) – health services,
Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) – health services,
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) – health services,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – health services,
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – human services,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – health services,
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) – health services,
Indian Health Services (IHS) – health services,
National Institutes of Health (NIH) – health services, and
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) – health services.
The HHS website (https://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/index.html) provides the most up-to-date information on the HHS organization, including: (1) the HHS Office of the Secretary, which is responsible for operations and coordination of the work of the Secretary and includes the staff divisions (STAFFDIVs); (2) the 13 OPDIVs; and (3) the 10 Regional Offices that directly serve state and local organizations with each region of the United States.
The incumbent professional services contract program has been in place at NIH since 2003 and is currently administered by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The current contract is titled “Scientific Operations and Administrative Resources Contract (SOAR)”.). Task orders under the current SOAR contract currently provide services to all 29 NIH organizations, including the Office of the Director, the 27 Institutes and Centers (ICs), and the ARPA-H. The contract is a multiple-award indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity services contract with a maximum value of $3.6B and five contract-holders: (1) Axle Informatics LLC, contract 75N95021D00010; (2) Kelly Services, Inc., contract 75N95021D00012; (3) Guidehouse Digital LLC, contract 75N95021D00013; (4) Gap Solutions Inc., contract 75N95021D00011; and (5) 22nd Century Technologies, Inc., contract 75N95021D00019. The five-year ordering period ends June 2026, and task orders currently provide services from an estimated 2,150 contractor staff. It is a technically complex and high throughput requirement that necessitates the contractor to have scientifically fluent and robust management resources to recruit and manage an ample pool of highly specialized labor categories (e.g., Bioinformatics Scientists, Statisticians, Molecular Biologists, Clinical Research Coordinators, and Registered Nurses) in a fast-paced environment. Prior to the SOAR contract, the contract program was titled “Scientific, Technical, and Other Professional Services (STOPS)”. Between 2003 and 20221, the NIDA awarded 11 successive contracts for these professional services on behalf of the NIH.
