Request for Information--On-Premise Emergency Notification System (OPENS)

This Request for Information (RFI) is for planning/information purposes only and shall not be construed as a commitment or a promise of a contract by the Government. This is not a solicitation. This notice does not constitute a Request for Bid, Request for Quote or Request for Proposal, nor does it restrict the Government as to the ultimate acquisition approach. The Government will not reimburse respondents for any costs incurred in preparation of a response to this notice. The Government will determine whether to set-aside this future procurement, based on the information submitted. 

1.    PURPOSE The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is conducting a market analysis with this RFI to identify businesses capable and interested in performing the services required in the Draft SOW and to collect feedback from industry on the RFI questions provided in this notice. The information collected in this RFI and industry outreach notice will be used to further define the government's requirements and create the appropriate acquisition strategy. The information will be considered in finalizing FEMA's requirements.

2.    BACKGROUND The mission of the FEMA Operations Center (FOC) and FEMA Alternate Operations Center (FAOC) is to receive, analyze, and disseminate a wide variety of all-hazards information in support of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) National Operations Center, FEMA Senior Leadership, National Response Coordination Center (NRCC), and Executive Branch Departments and Agencies.  FOC functions include maintaining 24/7 situational awareness, issuing alerts, warnings, and notifications, and coordinating operational support. The FOC and FAOC operate in Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIF) and require an on-premise (on-prem) Emergency Notification System (OPENS) to fulfill mission critical requirements to notify mission partners of information readily and effectively.

On-prem means IT infrastructure hardware and installed software applications hosted locally at the FOC and FAOC.

3.    SUMMARY OF REQUESTED INFORMATION FEMA is not seeking elaborate replies, but rather concise, meaningful responses from vendors with the requisite commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) or customized on-prem Emergency Notification System (ENS) to meet FOC Functional and Operational Requirements listed in the Statement of Work (SOW) as well as comments and questions on the Draft SOW document and answers to the RFI questions. Vendors shall identify recent projects / contracts that provide similar work. The limit is five single-sided 8.5" x 11" pages or less using 12 pt. font (title page, table of contents, and feedback on the Draft SOW document does not count against the page count. RFI Questions are contained in the attached Excel document. Please answer questions within the Excel document and submit as a separate document. Vendors may submit brochures and literature in addition to the five page limit. Vendors are requested to provide the following information:

1) Company Information

a) Company name, point-of-contact, address, UEI Number and CAGE code.

b) Business Type: (small business, woman-owned small, minority owned small, 8(a), hubzone, etc.) i) If the vendor is a large business it should state that fact. (Determination is not made by self reporting on SAM, but actual registration and acceptance from the SBA which will be checked with the SBA Dynamic Small Business Tool).

c) Current contract vehicles (such as GSA Schedules or strategic sourcing vehicles) with software package services within scope that FEMA can use to obtain the services (do not list an IDIQ specific to another agency that FEMA cannot use).

d) Experience: Summary of at least one contract of similar scope, size and complexity in the last three years. Each summary should contain:

i) Customer Name

ii) Role of your Organization (Prime or Subcontractor)

iii) Contract Number

iv) Contract Type (fixed price, labor hour, etc.)

v) Dollar Value

vi) Period of Performance

vii) Customer Point-of-Contact with telephone number and email address

viii) Number or full-time equivalents providing services under the contract

ix) Description or services provided

2) Company Capabilities

a) Describe the capabilities, features and benefits of your services in alignment with the required services in the Draft SOW document.

b)    Identify any planned subcontractors that would be used (if needed) and the area of expertise they would contribute to the team.

c)    List the labor categories of the proposed labor mix.

d)    Identify the number of full-time equivalents employed by your organization, including subcontractors, with requisite expertise for supporting FEMA.

3) Please provide feedback on the Draft SOW document provided in this notice (does not count in the 5-page limit) . The Government is contemplating the award of one contract as a result of the potential solicitation. 

SUBMISSION INFORMATION: All questions and responses are to be provided electronically in PDF or MS Word to Tara Shirley at tara.shirley@fema.dhs.gov. All responses must be submitted via email by 12:00pm ET on 12/17/2024. Please see the attached RFI questions.