RFI Enterprise License for Biometrics Matching Software.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) 70RDA126RFI000003

Enterprise License for Biometrics Matching Software

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY.

This RFI is for planning purposes only and shall not be construed as an obligation on the part of the Government. This is NOT a Request for Quotations or Proposals. No solicitation document exists, and a formal solicitation may or may not be issued by the Government as a result of the responses received to this RFI.

The Government will not pay for any response or demonstration expenses. All costs incurred responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party's expense. Failure to respond to this RFI will not preclude participation in any future solicitation.

The Government’s explicit intent, in this request for information, is to not receive from respondents any proprietary data, trade secrets, business sensitive information, or information considered CONFIDENTIAL under 18 U.S.C. §1905. The Government’s constraint does not in any way relieve contractors from their responsibility to properly mark proprietary data when it is provided, nor does it alleviate any requirement for the Government to protect marked data. The Government is not obligated to protect unmarked data. The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. All submissions become the property of the Federal Government and will not be returned.

Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Those who respond to this RFI should not anticipate feedback concerning their submission. All submissions will become the property of the Government and will not be returned. Responding to the RFI is completely voluntary and will not enhance or adversely affect responses to any resulting solicitation if such solicitation is issued at a later date. There is no competitive advantage gained by any of the respondents to this RFI.

BACKGROUND

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is seeking an enterprise-wide, scalable, and secure biometric matching software solution to support mission-critical identity verification, vetting, and investigative operations across all DHS Components, including CBP, ICE, TSA, USCIS, USSS, and Headquarters. The contractor will provide a DHS-wide enterprise license for multi-modal biometric matching software, along with all associated services, integration support, maintenance, and technical assistance necessary for full operational deployment.

PURPOSE OF RFI

DHS is looking to acquire an enterprise-wide biometric matching software solution, including all licenses, services, and technical support necessary to enable seamless integration with all DHS biometric systems. The scope of this effort includes delivering and maintaining a scalable, multi-modal biometric matching capability; configuring and integrating the software with DHS interfaces, data formats, and cloud environments; supporting all required testing and accreditation activities; and providing training, documentation, maintenance, security updates, and help desk support. The contractor shall ensure the solution meets DHS performance, security, privacy, and interoperability requirements and remains fully functional and compliant throughout the period of performance in accordance with the draft Statement of Work (SOW) (Attachment I).

The anticipated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this request is:

513210 “Software Publishers”

REQUIREMENT SUMMARY:

The solution must support multiple biometric modalities, such as facial recognition, fingerprint and palm print matching, iris recognition, voice (if applicable), and biographic matching and enable real-time and batch processing. It must support search (1:N), verification (1:1), identification, duplication, configurable watchlists, scoring thresholds, and multimodal fusion.

High performance is essential, with demonstrated accuracy meeting DHS-defined false accept and false reject rate thresholds, as well as strict requirements for latency, throughput, scalability, and uptime in high-volume environments.

Security, privacy, and compliance are central requirements. The system must comply with DHS policies and applicable federal and international frameworks (e.g., CJIS, HIPAA, GDPR where applicable), align with ISO biometric standards, and implement robust encryption (data at rest and in transit), role-based access controls, secure key management, and SIEM integration.

Comprehensive audit logging, chain-of-custody reporting, and support for NARA-approved records retention schedules are required. Biometric data must remain the exclusive property of the Government, with strict controls on data use, portability, and export in non-proprietary formats.

Technically, the solution must support on-premises, cloud, hybrid, and optional edge deployments, integrate with existing DHS systems via standardized APIs, and minimize vendor lock-in. It must include capacity planning, high availability, redundancy, disaster recovery with Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO), and elastic scalability without punitive licensing cost increases. The enterprise license must permit broad DHS use across environments and support integration and configuration without restrictive limitations.

Finally, vendors must support proof-of-concept validation, integration testing, and security reviews. Ongoing sustainment including updates, troubleshooting, training, documentation, and help desk support is required to ensure operational readiness and long-term performance.

Overall, DHS is procuring a secure, high-performing, interoperable, and enterprise-licensed biometric matching capability with strong governance, data ownership protections, and lifecycle support.

RESPONSE TO RFI

DHS appreciates responses from all capable and qualified sources. Responders are requested to provide a full written Capability Statement to this RFI to provide the following information:

Each response shall contain a Cover Page identifying:

a) RFI Title

b) Company Name, Mailing Address, and Unique Entity Identifier;

c) Business size (Large or Small), Socio-Economic Status (i.e., 8(a), small dis-advantaged business, HUBZone small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, Woman-Owned Small Business, etc.) and associated NAICS code under which the company conducts business

d) Any existing contractual vehicles and its related information that the company has in place that can be used by the federal government for ALL services requested. (i.e., GSA Schedule and SIN, NASA SEWP, small business, or large business concern etc.)

e) Company overview

f) Description of the products or services a company provides.

g) Statement and assurance about what the client can expect from your company.

h) A list of former and/or current clients

i) Contact person telephone number, address, and e-mail address to inquire about services or products offered by your company.

3. Each response shall address the RFI Questions (Attachment II). Responders are also requested to indicate any sections with the Statement of Work that the responder would not be able to provide or comply with.

The page limit for the response is ten (10) pages excluding cover page and any supporting attachments. Only one submission will be reviewed per vendor for this RFI. Only electronic submissions will be accepted. Your response must be delivered via email to Ms. Ydelisa Cervantes, Contract Specialist, email: Ydelisa,Cervantes@hq.dhs.gov, and Christopher Carroll, Contracting Officer, email: christopher.carroll@hq.dhs.gov by the response due date below.

Responses are due no later than Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at 10:00 AM Eastern Time to the individuals identified above.

Attachments:

- Attachment I - Enterprise License for Biometrics Matching Software Draft SOW

- Attachment II - License for Biometrics Matching Software RFI Questions