Inactive

*Please see the below questions asked by industry with FEMA's answers provided. Additionally, the RFI response deadline has been extended to 12/31/2024. Question 1: Are there specific technical standa... *Please see the below questions asked by industry with FEMA's answers provided. Additionally, the RFI response deadline has been extended to 12/31/2024. Question 1: Are there specific technical standards or integrations FEMA expects for this system? Answer 1: The program is looking to establish a system within the agency to notify FEMA employees and mission partners of emergencies and events. Notifications will be via email, phone calls, and SMS. We put the RFI out for a COTS product to see what is available to meet our requirements in the SOW. Technically, the program wants to ensure the system is capable of notifying thousands of individuals within a short time frame (10 to 30 minutes based on infrastructure). The program does not see this system integrating with any other at this time, but will utilize FEMA infrastructure to include local PBX, Exchange servers, and network resources. Question 2: What are the key objectives FEMA hopes to achieve with OPENS? Answer 2: The Key objective is to obtain and implement an on-premises notification system for nationwide internal notifications. Much to point 1 above, the program wants to ensure notifications are sent out in a timely manner. Question 3: Is there an opportunity for industry to provide additional feedback or participate in a technical exchange meeting to refine the requirements? Answer 3: At this time, the program is looking at what is readily available in the market. If they do not find a COTS product or customizable COTS product, they will explore other avenues to meet these requirements. Question 4: Could you share the anticipated timeline for the release of a solicitation or further updates? Answer 4: The program is in the early stages of this process, brainstorming and gathering information. They don’t expect an acquisition until later in 2025/2026. *This is a new requirement and not a follow-on to an existing contract. 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 5:00pm ET on 12/31/2024. Please see the attached RFI questions.