Wired Telecommunication Services for the Northern Cheyenne Service Unit, Lame Deer, Montana

Notice of Intent to Sole Source Award

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT AND IS NOT A

REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE QUOTES.

The Billings Area Indian Health Service (IHS), Northern Cheyenne Service Unit (NCSU), intends to award a firm-fixed-price sole source contract under the authority of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements, to Range Telephone Cooperative, Inc., 2325 Front Street, Forsyth, Montana 59327.

The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement is 517311 – Wired Telecommunications Carriers. Its associated Business Size Standard is $1,500.00.

The purpose of this sole source award is to obtain local and long-distance wired telecommunications services for the Northern Cheyenne Service Unit in Lame Deer, Montana. The required services include local and long-distance telephone service, fax services, business internet services for the Northern Cheyenne Service Unit, and internet and telephone services, when required by the Government, for designated Government-owned residential quarters assigned for contractor occupancy. The requirement also includes technical assistance and all labor, supervision, equipment, maintenance, and other resources necessary to provide continuous and reliable telecommunications services.

The anticipated contract will consist of a 12-month base period with two (2) 12-month option periods, if exercised by the Government.

Range Telephone Cooperative, Inc. is the only provider with the existing telecommunications infrastructure necessary to furnish these services to the Northern Cheyenne Service Unit and the designated Government-owned contractor quarters. As the only responsible source capable of providing the required wired telecommunications services in this geographic area, no other source

can satisfy the Government's requirements without substantial duplication of infrastructure, unacceptable delays in service, or additional costs to the Government. Accordingly, Range Telephone Cooperative, Inc., is the only responsible source capable of meeting the Government's telecommunications requirements.

This Notice of Intent does not constitute a solicitation. However, any interested party that believes it can meet the Government's requirement may submit a capability statement. Capability statements must be submitted in writing and must contain clear and convincing evidence demonstrating that competition for this requirement would be advantageous to the Government. Any

costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a response to this notice are the sole responsibility of the respondent and will not be reimbursed by the Government.

Capability statements shall be submitted by email only as a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF attachment to Clarette.Yellowrobe@ihs.gov no later than 3:00 p.m. Mountain Time (MT) on August 20, 2026. Telephone inquiries or offers will not be accepted. If no responsive capability statements are received by the closing date and time, the Government intends to proceed with an award to Range Telephone Cooperative, Inc..