Network of Quality Improvement and Innovation Contractors (NQIIC)

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services awarded the Network of Quality Improvement and Innovation Contractors (NQIIC) Master IDIQ on February 1, 2019, for the full spectrum of quality improvement work across healthcare settings and programs, with a shared ceiling of $25 billion and ordering open through January 31, 2029. The vehicle carries no set-aside at the vehicle level, and 16 distinct primes hold orders under it.

Ordering authority runs 2 years 3 months from the date of this summary. The vehicle has 61 task orders, the most recent awarded August 3, 2026. Recorded orders were 11 in 2020, 21 in 2021, 2 in 2023, 8 in 2025, and 7 in 2026. Obligations total $1.36 billion against $1.4 billion in combined task-order potential value, or 97%. The originating opportunity was sources sought notice 75FCMC18R0016, posted December 29, 2017.

Scope has shifted toward ESRD Network work. Recent orders fund numbered ESRD Networks, the ESRD National Coordinating Center, and Kidney Community Emergency Response (KHARES). Earlier orders covered QIN-QIO work, Hospital Quality Improvement Contractor (HQIC) efforts, American Indian and Alaska Native healthcare quality, and technical assistance. Several 2021 and 2023 ESRD orders carry an EO 14222 de-scope notation.

Competition is concentrated at the top. Health Services Advisory Group, Inc. (12 orders, $219.7 million) and Island Peer Review Organization Inc. (10 orders, $208.1 million) account for 22 of 61 orders. Comagine Health (5 orders, $120.4 million), Alliant Health Solutions, Inc. (5 orders, $104.9 million), and Quality Insights, Inc. (6 orders, $60.3 million) round out the leading order-count group, which covers 62% of orders. By potential value, TMF Health Quality Institute, Telligen, Inc., and Health Quality Innovators each hold three orders above $128 million. A wider field of 11 other primes holds the remainder.

CMS is the only customer agency and accounts for 100% of orders. Sixty orders (98%) carry no set-aside. One order (2%), the $1,162,968.00 PALS special innovation project awarded in 2023, is Total Small Business.

Economics are wide. Task-order potential values range from $589,745.89 to $85.4 million (TMF NQIIC TO, $85,412,330.00, November 2019). Recent mega-orders include 75FCMC19D0026-75FCMC25FJ046 at $80,595,263.00 and 75FCMC19D0029-75FCMC26F0040 at $49,419,219.26 (cost plus fixed fee, March 2026). Recent ESRD Network orders run about $1 million to $8 million each. Most current orders run roughly five years to completion.

This IDIQ supports quality improvement efforts across settings and programs to maximum impact to healthcare and value to taxpayers, entitled the NQIIC. The IDIQ contract allows for the full spectrum of quality improvement work that is in operation under the current various networks. This work currently includes the QIN-QIO work, the ESRD Network work, the hospital focused large scale improvement work, clinician-focused technical assistance work, and other quality improvement work.