D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 27, r. 27-4608
Before issuing a solicitation, making a purchase, or awarding a contract, the Hospital may:
Market research is designed primarily to familiarize the Hospital with the market for the goods or services it seeks to acquire in order to develop an appropriate strategy for conducting a prompt and efficient procurement that promotes reasonable competition between qualified firms. The extent of market research will vary depending on factors such as urgency, the size and complexity of the proposed procurement, and the Hospital's existing knowledge of the market based on its (or its key personnel's) past experience in procuring similar goods or services. If the Hospital has such existing knowledge, market research is not required.
Market research, to the extent it is relevant to the particular procurement and not already known to the Hospital, generally should focus on obtaining information such as the following:
In conducting market research, the Hospital may solicit information from prospective sources on matters such as their interest in the potential procurement, the characteristics and costs of their products or services, their customary practices, and their knowledge of the industry generally. Such information may be solicited by requesting interested parties to submit written information (for example, by posting a notice on the Internet seeking information pertinent to the proposed procurement), through meetings or telephone contacts, by distributing and seeking comments on a draft solicitation, or through other prudent means.
In addition to soliciting information from prospective contractors, the Hospital may also obtain information from other sources. For example, price information that can assist in estimating the likely cost of the procurement and in evaluating price reasonableness is frequently available from sources such as catalogs, Internet sites, or records of past procurements.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 27, r. 27-4608