Department of Energy awards $7.98M contract to ORCID, Inc. for research data identification API services
Contract Overview
Contract Amount: $79,835 ($79.8K)
Contractor: Orcid, Inc.
Awarding Agency: Department of Energy
Start Date: 2026-04-01
End Date: 2027-03-31
Contract Duration: 364 days
Daily Burn Rate: $219/day
Competition Type: NOT COMPETED
Number of Offers Received: 1
Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE
Sector: Other
Official Description: OPEN RESEARCHER AND CONTRIBUTOR IDENTIFICATION (APPLICATION PROGRAMMING INTERFACE) CONTRACT
Place of Performance
Location: OAK RIDGE, ANDERSON County, TENNESSEE, 37830
Plain-Language Summary
Department of Energy obligated $79,835 to ORCID, INC. for work described as: OPEN RESEARCHER AND CONTRIBUTOR IDENTIFICATION (APPLICATION PROGRAMMING INTERFACE) CONTRACT Key points: 1. Contract awarded on a sole-source basis, raising questions about potential cost efficiencies and market alternatives. 2. The fixed-price contract structure aims to control costs, but the lack of competition may limit price discovery. 3. Performance period of one year with options for extension suggests a need for ongoing services. 4. The contract supports the Department of Energy's mission to advance scientific research and data accessibility. 5. Services fall under 'All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services,' a broad category. 6. The award to ORCID, Inc., a known entity in research identification, suggests a focus on specialized expertise.
Value Assessment
Rating: fair
The contract value of $7.98 million for a one-year period for an API service is substantial. Without comparable sole-source contracts or detailed service level agreements, a precise value-for-money assessment is difficult. However, the lack of competition suggests that the government may not have secured the most competitive pricing available in the market. Benchmarking against similar API development or data management contracts, especially those competed openly, would be necessary for a more robust evaluation.
Cost Per Unit: N/A
Competition Analysis
Competition Level: sole-source
This contract was awarded on a sole-source basis, meaning it was not competed among multiple vendors. This approach is typically used when a specific contractor possesses unique capabilities or when urgency dictates a direct award. The lack of a competitive bidding process means that the government did not benefit from the price reductions and service innovations that often arise from open competition. This raises concerns about whether the government obtained the best possible value.
Taxpayer Impact: Sole-source awards limit taxpayer benefit by foregoing the potential for lower prices and better terms that competition can drive. This means taxpayers may be paying a premium for the services rendered.
Public Impact
Researchers and scientific institutions globally will benefit from improved access to and identification of research data. The contract facilitates the development and maintenance of an Application Programming Interface (API) for research data. The geographic impact is likely global, given the international nature of scientific collaboration and ORCID's reach. Workforce implications may include support for IT professionals and data scientists involved in API development and maintenance.
Waste & Efficiency Indicators
Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10
Warning Flags
- Lack of competition may lead to higher costs for taxpayers.
- Sole-source award raises questions about the availability of alternative solutions or providers.
- The broad nature of the 'All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services' category could mask specific performance risks.
Positive Signals
- Award to ORCID, Inc. leverages an established entity with expertise in research identifiers.
- Fixed-price contract type provides cost certainty for the government.
- Contract supports critical infrastructure for scientific data management and accessibility.
Sector Analysis
This contract falls within the professional, scientific, and technical services sector, specifically focusing on IT and data management. The market for research identifiers and data APIs is specialized, with ORCID being a prominent player. Comparable spending in this niche area is difficult to benchmark without more specific service details, but overall government spending on IT services and data management solutions is in the billions annually.
Small Business Impact
This contract does not appear to involve a small business set-aside. Given the sole-source nature of the award to ORCID, Inc., there are no direct subcontracting implications for small businesses stemming from this specific award mechanism. The focus is on a specialized service provided by an established organization.
Oversight & Accountability
Oversight will likely be managed by the Department of Energy's contracting officers and program managers responsible for the research data initiatives. Transparency regarding the specific deliverables and performance metrics will be crucial for accountability. While no specific Inspector General jurisdiction is mentioned, the DOE IG typically oversees agency spending and program effectiveness.
Related Government Programs
- Department of Energy Research Data Management
- Scientific Data Infrastructure
- Open Science Initiatives
- Research Identification Services
- Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
Risk Flags
- Sole-source award lacks competitive pricing.
- Potential for higher costs due to lack of competition.
- Broad service category may obscure specific performance risks.
Tags
department-of-energy, orcid-inc, sole-source, purchase-order, professional-scientific-technical-services, api, research-data, tennessee, firm-fixed-price, it-services, data-management
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this federal contract paying for?
Department of Energy awarded $79,835 to ORCID, INC.. OPEN RESEARCHER AND CONTRIBUTOR IDENTIFICATION (APPLICATION PROGRAMMING INTERFACE) CONTRACT
Who is the contractor on this award?
The obligated recipient is ORCID, INC..
Which agency awarded this contract?
Awarding agency: Department of Energy (Department of Energy).
What is the total obligated amount?
The obligated amount is $79,835.
What is the period of performance?
Start: 2026-04-01. End: 2027-03-31.
What is the specific functionality and scope of the 'OPEN RESEARCHER AND CONTRIBUTOR IDENTIFICATION (APPLICATION PROGRAMMING INTERFACE)' being developed or maintained?
The contract data indicates the service relates to an Application Programming Interface (API) for 'Open Researcher and Contributor Identification.' This likely involves the development, maintenance, or enhancement of systems that allow researchers, institutions, and publishers to programmatically interact with ORCID's registry of unique researcher identifiers. The API would enable automated linking of research outputs (publications, datasets, etc.) to their creators, facilitating data discovery, attribution, and impact tracking. The specific scope would detail the endpoints, data formats, authentication methods, and performance standards required for the API's operation, supporting ORCID's mission to provide a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes each researcher.
How does the $7.98 million contract value compare to historical spending on similar API development or data management services by the Department of Energy or other federal agencies?
Benchmarking this $7.98 million contract value is challenging without detailed comparisons of scope, duration, and service levels. However, federal spending on IT services, including API development and data management, is extensive. For context, agencies often award multi-year contracts for enterprise-level API management platforms or custom development that can range from several million to tens of millions of dollars. A one-year contract of this size for a specialized API suggests a significant scope of work or a high per-unit cost for the service provided by ORCID, Inc. A direct comparison would require identifying contracts with similar functionalities, such as those for managing unique identifiers, metadata, or research data repositories, and analyzing their pricing structures and competitive landscapes.
What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level agreements (SLAs) associated with this contract to ensure effective delivery of the API services?
The provided data does not specify the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for this contract. However, for an API service supporting research identification, typical KPIs and SLAs would likely focus on API uptime and availability (e.g., 99.9% availability), response times (e.g., average API request latency under 500ms), error rates (e.g., less than 0.1% of requests resulting in server errors), data accuracy and consistency, and security compliance. Performance metrics related to the number of successful API calls, data throughput, and adherence to technical specifications would also be critical. Effective oversight would require clearly defined and measurable KPIs/SLAs to ensure ORCID, Inc. meets the Department of Energy's requirements for this critical infrastructure.
Given the sole-source nature of the award, what justification did the Department of Energy provide for not competing this requirement?
The justification for a sole-source award typically falls under specific exceptions to full and open competition, often citing the uniqueness of the contractor's capabilities or the unavailability of the required service from other sources. For ORCID, Inc., the justification likely stems from its established role as the global registry for researcher identifiers. Developing or maintaining such a specialized API might require unique technical expertise, proprietary data access, or integration with existing ORCID infrastructure that only ORCID, Inc. possesses. The Department of Energy would need to formally document that only ORCID, Inc. can provide the required services, potentially due to intellectual property, standardization requirements, or the prohibitive cost and time associated with developing a comparable system from scratch or qualifying another vendor.
What is ORCID, Inc.'s track record in delivering similar API services to government agencies or large research institutions?
ORCID, Inc. is globally recognized for its role in providing persistent digital identifiers for researchers and managing the associated infrastructure, including APIs. While this specific contract is with the Department of Energy, ORCID's services are widely adopted by universities, publishers, and research funders worldwide. Their track record involves maintaining a large-scale, international registry and providing APIs that facilitate the integration of ORCID iDs into various research workflows and systems. Government agencies and large institutions often rely on ORCID's established infrastructure rather than building their own, indicating a strong track record of reliability and service in this specialized domain. Specific performance data with federal agencies might be less public but their widespread adoption suggests a high level of trust and capability.
Industry Classification
NAICS: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services › Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services › All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Product/Service Code: EDUCATION AND TRAINING › EDUCATION AND TRAINING SERVICES
Competition & Pricing
Extent Competed: NOT COMPETED
Solicitation Procedures: ONLY ONE SOURCE
Offers Received: 1
Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE (J)
Evaluated Preference: NONE
Contractor Details
Address: 10411 MOTOR CITY DR, BETHESDA, MD, 20817
Business Categories: Category Business, Corporate Entity Tax Exempt, Nonprofit Organization, Not Designated a Small Business, Special Designations, U.S.-Owned Business
Financial Breakdown
Contract Ceiling: $133,055
Exercised Options: $133,055
Current Obligation: $79,835
Contract Characteristics
Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS/SERVICES
Timeline
Start Date: 2026-04-01
Current End Date: 2027-03-31
Potential End Date: 2027-03-31 00:00:00
Last Modified: 2026-04-01
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