Lenel BRAND-NAME-Justification / Special Notice

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Security (M-40) has published a Special Notice serving as a brand name justification for their Lenel security system support services. This notice is explicitly not a solicitation but rather an advance notice of a potential competitive small business set-aside Request for Quotations (RFQ) that may be issued in the future. The DOT has been using the Lenel-brand security system for approximately 13 years and is preparing for a fiscal year 2025/2026 procurement process. The agency published an amendment to this notice on October 10, 2025, clarifying procurement details and seeking industry input on NAICS code classification. The estimated contract value is $288,489.95 for a five-year period including a base year and four option years beginning April 1, 2026.

The primary purpose of this Special Notice is to justify the use of a brand name specification for Lenel OnGuard Physical Access Control System support services due to the proprietary nature of the existing system and compatibility requirements with current DOT security infrastructure. Interested firms, particularly small businesses, must submit Statements of Qualifications by 11:30 PM EDT on October 22, 2025, and are encouraged to provide feedback on whether NAICS Code 561621 (Security Systems Services) or 541519 should be used for this procurement. The contract scope includes Lenel OnGuard system software upgrades, 24/7 emergency support, direct customer support, HID PIVClass software support, and contractor call center services. Eligibility is primarily targeted toward small business Lenel-certified service providers, though non-Lenel-certified companies may submit qualifications if they believe they can meet DOT's security requirements. The eventual solicitation will be awarded using the lowest-priced, technically acceptable (LPTA) evaluation criteria.