FNS RFI Sources Sought Notice USDA National Hunger Hotline support services.pdf

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION to determine the availability and capability of small businesses (including certified 8(a), Small Disadvantaged, and HUBZone firms; veteran and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, and women-owned small businesses) for a “Draft” Performance Work Statement (PWS) in support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food Nutrition Service (FNS) support services for a non-governmental organization to operate and promote the USDA National Hunger Hotline, USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse texting service, and USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse database. Companies are encouraged to respond if they have the capability and capacity to provide the identified services.

Interested small business potential Offerors are encouraged to respond to the notice.

However, be advised that generic capability statements are not sufficient for effective evaluation of respondents' capacity and capability to perform the specific work as required.

Responses must directly demonstrate the company's capability, experience, and/or ability to marshal resources to effectively and efficiently perform each of the tasks described above at a sufficient level of detail to allow definitive assessment; and evidence that the Contractor can satisfy the minimum requirements listed. Failure to definitively address the PWS requirements will result in a finding that a respondent lacks capability to perform the work.

Responses to the capability notice shall be limited to 8 pages, and must include:

1. Company name, mailing address, e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers, website address (if available), and the name, telephone number, and e-mail address of a point of contact having the authority and knowledge to clarify responses with Government representatives.

2. Name, title, telephone number, and e-mail addresses of individuals who can verify the demonstrated capabilities identified in the responses.

3. Business size for NAICS 561422 with size limitation standards of $25,500,000.00 and status, if qualified as an 8(a) firm (must be certified by the Small Business Administration (SBA), Small Disadvantaged Business (must be certified by SBA), Woman-Owned Small Business, HUBZone firm (must be certified by SBA), and/or Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (must be listed in the VetBiz Vendor Information Pages).

4. DUNS number, Tax Identification Number (TIN), and company structure (Corporation, LLC, partnership, joint venture, etc). Companies, also, must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov to be considered as potential sources.

5. Identification of the firm's GSA Schedule contract(s) by Schedule number and contract number and SINs that are applicable to this potential requirement are also requested.

6. If the company has a Government approved accounting system, please identify the agency that approved the system.

Please submit copies of any documentation, such as letters or certificates to indicate the firm's status (see item #3 above).

Teaming arrangements are acceptable, and the information required above on the company responding to this announcement shall also be provided for each entity expected to be teammates of the respondent for performance of the work.

To the maximum extent possible, please submit non-proprietary information. Any proprietary information submitted should be identified as such and will be properly protected from disclosure.

Interested Offerors should submit their capability statement not exceeding eight (8) pages in length, excluding standard brochures. SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE no later than 10:00am, Eastern Time, July 14, 2025. The capabilities response shall be e-mailed to:

Monifa.Coleman@usda.gov.

The RFI notice is for planning purposes only, and does not constitute an Invitation for Bid, a Request for Proposal, Solicitation, Request for Quote. This notice is not to be construed as a commitment on the part of the Government to award a contract, nor does the Government intend to pay for any information submitted as a result of this notice. The Government does not reimburse respondents for any cost associated with submission of the information being requested or reimburse expenses incurred to interested parties for responses to this Request for Information. Any responses received will not be used as a proposal.

INTRODUCTION

The Government seeks a qualified Contractor to provide food and nutrition assistance program information; and other social services information to low-income individuals and communities, to support food security, improve their lives, and reduce reliance on the Federal, State, and local governmental for assistance.

The USDA, FNS works to end hunger and obesity through the administration of 16 federal nutrition assistance programs including WIC, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and school meals. In partnership with State and Tribal governments, FNS programs serve one in four Americans during the course of a year. Working with its public, private and non-profit partners, FNS’ mission is to increase food security and reduce hunger by providing children and low-income people access to food, a healthful diet and nutrition education in a way that supports American agriculture and inspires public confidence.

BACKGROUND

Section 26 of the National School Lunch Act was added to the Act by section 123 of Public Law (P.L.) 103-448 on November 2, 1994. Section 26 mandated that the FNS of the USDA enter into a contract with a non-governmental organization to establish and maintain an information clearinghouse for groups that assist low-income individuals or communities with nutrition assistance programs and other social services or assistance.

Section 26 was amended several times to extend Clearinghouse services and increase funds. The last amendment under P.L. 117-328 provided the following extensions and funding: $250,000.00 for FY 2010 through 2024. In accordance with the National School Lunch Act sec. 26(d), the funding level for this scope of work is determined by legislation and cannot be modified.

Relevant Legislation:

Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, Sec. 26, as amended through Public Law 117-328 “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023,” available at https://www.fns.usda.gov/nsla.

OBJECTIVES/SCOPE OF WORK

A non-governmental organization shall operate and promote the USDA National Hunger Hotline, USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse texting service, and USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse database. The Contractor shall provide and maintain the facilities and equipment needed to operate and promote the Hotline, Texting Service, and Database.

https://www.fns.usda.gov/nsla

The USDA National Hunger Hotline (1-866-3-HUNGRY and 1-877-8-HAMBRE) is a toll-free hotline that serves as a valuable resource for food and nutrition assistance and social services to low-income individuals or communities to help improve their lives. The general public shall be able to call the hotline to receive basic information about FNS programs such as state hotline numbers; summer meals; food banks; food pantries; soup kitchens; and other social services in their area.

The USDA texting service is an automated service that aids low-income individuals or communities by providing food assistance and other nutrition and social services information. The customer shall, at a minimum, be able to text to the texting service with a question that may contain a keyword such as “food,” “summer,” “meals,” etc. The customer shall then receive an automated response from the texting service asking, “Looking for summer meals?” etc. with a link to click for summer sites. To get information for a specific area, the customer shall enter the address and/or zip code and the automated service provides sites, pantries, food banks, and other social services available to customers.

The Contractor provides customers with information that meets the needs using the USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse database, and other reliable resources identified by USDA and the Contractor. The Contractor shall analyze inbound Hotline calls, inbound texts from the texting service, and organizations submitted to the database with comprehensive reporting metrics.

The Contractor shall maintain and update the USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse database file at the Contractor’s site for the Government. The Contractor shall perform quality control, as defined in required tasks, on existing data and information submitted by the organizations.

The Contractor shall increase awareness of the USDA National Hunger Hotline, automated texting service, and Clearinghouse database (Sec. 26(b) (5)).

CORPORATE EXPERIENCE

The non-governmental organization shall (Sec. 26(b)) –

(1) be experienced in the gathering of first-hand information in all the States through onsite visits to grassroots organizations in each State that fight hunger and poverty or that assist individuals in becoming self-reliant;

(2) be experienced in the establishment of a clearinghouse similar to the clearinghouse described in subsection (a);

(3) agree to contribute in-kind resources towards the establishment and maintenance of the clearinghouse and agree to provide clearinghouse information, free of charge, to the Secretary, States, counties, cities, anti-hunger groups, and grassroots organizations that assist individuals in becoming self-sufficient and self-reliant;

Under 2 CFR 200.96 Third –party in-kind contributions mean the value of non-cash contributions (i.e., property or services) that –

(a) Benefit a federally assisted project or program; and

(b) Are contributed by non-Federal third parties, without charge, to a non-

Federal entity under a Federal award.

(4) be sponsored by an organization, or be an organization, that –

a. has helped combat hunger for at least 10 years;

b. is committed in reinvesting in the United States; and

c. is knowledgeable about Federal nutrition programs;

(5) be experienced in communicating the purpose of the clearinghouse through the media including radio and print media, and be able to provide access to the clearinghouse information through computer or telecommunications technology, as well as through the mails; and

(6) be able to provide examples, advice, and guidance to States, counties, cities, communities, anti-hunger groups, and local organizations regarding means of assisting individuals and communities to reduce reliance on government programs, reduce hunger, improve nutrition, and otherwise assist low-income individuals and communities become more self-sufficient.

In addition, the non-governmental organization shall-

1. Be able to gather first-hand information from all the States through other means beyond onsite visits (emails, conference calls, webinars, social media, etc.)

2. Be experienced managing large projects similar in scope and size such that FNS has confidence the Contractor will be successful in establishing and maintaining a clearinghouse

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The Contractor shall perform the work at a location that has the capabilities that are needed to successfully execute all required tasks.

REQUIREMENT TASKS

Tasks include but are not limited to:

Task 1 – Post-Award Meeting Task 2 – Operate the USDA National Hunger Hotline:

The Contractor shall operate and maintain the USDA National Hunger Hotline (1-866-3- HUNGRY and 1-877-8- HAMBRE) by performing the following tasks:

a. Provide live phone coverage in English and Spanish for all customers in all U.S. Time Zones (Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, Alaska, and Hawaiian- Aleutian) from 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (excluding Federal holidays). The Contractor shall be prepared to respond to at least 20,000 calls annually; however, these numbers could increase or decrease significantly depending upon seasons of the year (See chart below with fluctuating data based upon data from 2023). The Contractor shall direct SNAP-related calls to the SNAP State Hotline that corresponds to the callers’ state of residence, and e-mail SNAP informational materials upon request.

Month/2023 Calls Texts January 1,673 79 February 1,385 129 March 2,089 245 April 1,237 318 May 1440 760 June 1,751 1813 July 1,412 2118 August 1,194 711 September 739 337 October 979 432 November 863 492 December 708 409

TOTAL 15,470 7,843

MONTHLY AVERAGE 1289 654

The Contractor shall be prepared and adequately staffed during higher-than-normal call volume surrounding peak months, summer, and natural disasters. This means additional seasonal staff may need to be hired during unusually high call volume periods.

b. Set up an interactive voice response (IVR) system that allows customers to wait for a representative in a caller queue and allows the Hotline to call back the customer if a representative is not available.

c. Set up an automated message for customers who call the Hotline after operating hours. Information in the message shall include but is not limited to: the Hotline’s operating hours, services provided by the Hotline, and the Clearinghouse website. There shall also be customized messages for each Federal holiday. The Contractor shall not call back customers who call outside of the Hotline’s operating hours but shall encourage the customers to call during its operating hours.

d. Establish a backup system that maintains the Hotline’s operations during times when phone and internet access could be compromised.

e. Provide customers with up-to-date food and nutrition assistance and social services information using the USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse database and other reliable sources identified by USDA and the Contractor.

f. Answer general questions about FNS programs, as permitted by USDA, and provide contact information for local offices that administer FNS programs, and non-governmental resources that can also provide food help (i.e. food banks, food pantries, etc.).

g. Provide customers with website links to appropriate food and nutrition assistance and social service resources, including but not limited to: FNS, State and local government, non-profit organizations, and community organizations.

h. Inform FNS of any issues that the Contractor becomes aware of, including but not limited to State contact information that is incorrect or no longer valid.

i. Communicate with customers in plain language – in English and Spanish – and provide quality customer service.

Task 3 – Operate the Texting Service Task 4 – Quality Control of the USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse Database Task 5 – Increase Awareness about the USDA National Hunger Hotline, Texting

Service, and USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse Database Task 6 – Reporting Task 7 – Audit (3rd party) Task 8 – Furnish Core Documentation to USDA Task 9—Property Disposition and Proprietary Rights:

The USDA Government owns all products created for and in support of the contract.

USDA will own the rights to both 1-866-3-HUNGRY and 1-877-8-HAMBRE, (914) 342-7744 (the texting service), and the USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse database and all information therein. All products created under the contract are property of the United States Government. Therefore, at the conclusion of the contract, all designated numbers, the USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse Database, and related products shall be provided to the Government.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance shall be for a 1-year Base Period and four 1-year Option Periods.

Responses to the notice will not be returned, nor will there be any ensuing discussions or debriefings or any responses. Information provided in response to the notice will be used to assess alternatives available for determining how to proceed in the acquisition process.

This notice is part of Government Market Research, a continuous process for obtaining the latest information on the commercial status of the industry. The information provided herein is subject to change and in no way binds the Government to solicit for or award a competitive contract.

USDA/FNS will use the information submitted in response to the notice at its discretion and will not provide comments to any submission; however, the content of any responses to the notice may be reflected in any subsequent solicitation. USDA/FNS reserves the right to contact any respondent to the notice for the sole purpose of enhancing USDA/FNS understanding of the notice submission.

This announcement is Government Market Research and may result in revisions in both its requirements and its acquisition strategy based on industry responses.

It is emphasized that this is a notice for planning and information purposes only and is not construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contractual agreement, nor will the Government pay for information solicited.