NLETS Secure Access

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has published a Special Notice regarding a sole-source contract award to the National Law-Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS). This is not a request for proposals, but rather notification of the government's intent to negotiate directly with NLETS, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation owned and operated by the 50 states, districts, and territories. NLETS is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, and the ATF has determined it is the only vendor capable of fulfilling the requirement. The posting was made on March 30, 2026, with a due date of April 1, 2026, indicating this is an informational notice rather than an open competition opportunity.

The purpose of this contract is to provide the ATF with secure access to NLETS's nationwide computerized message-switching network, which facilitates information exchange among law enforcement, criminal justice, and public-safety entities. The proposed contract period runs from May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2031, consisting of a base year and four option years under a firm-fixed-price agreement. Since this is a sole-source award justified under 41 U.S.C. § 3304 and Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.103-1, the government has determined through market research that no other viable competitors exist capable of providing the required interagency data access and network reliability. No contractors are eligible to participate in this opportunity as the award is non-competitive; however, the Contracting Officer may issue a future Request for Information to identify additional potential competitors for subsequent contracts.