Request for Information (RFI) - Large-Scale Fixed Systems - Multi-Energy Portal and Low-Energy Portal

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is requesting information by May 21, 2026 regarding a draft solicitation for Multi-Energy Portal and Low-Energy Portal large-scale fixed non-intrusive inspection systems for vehicle and cargo scanning at ports of entry. This RFI is market research only and does not constitute a commitment to procure; responses may inform subsequent solicitation design but are not binding offers.

The anticipated contract structure is a multiple-award IDIQ spanning five years (FY26–FY31) with an additional ten years of maintenance. Minimum guarantee is one system; maximum buy is 60 systems with a ceiling of $1.4 billion. The contract will employ firm-fixed price and time-and-material pricing across separate equipment, design, civil works, installation, training, preventive maintenance, corrective maintenance, and warranty CLINs. No set-aside applies. NAICS 334517; PSC 6665.

Systems must be deployed at multiple CBP ports of entry along the Southwest and Northern borders, with delivery beginning within 60 days of task order execution and FOB destination for CONUS locations. The contractor is responsible for design, civil construction, installation, operator training (one class per unit on-site, limited to 12 operators), system acceptance testing including 40-hour burn-in, and lifecycle support including 96% operational availability for pre-primary systems and 95% for secondary systems over a minimum 10-year lifespan. Warranty is a minimum of one year.

Functional requirements for MEP systems specify 80 vehicles per hour throughput (threshold) or 100 (objective), nine-inch steel penetration threshold or 12-inch objective, and radiation dose limits of 25 microRems per scan. LEP systems include three portal types with throughput minimums of 100 vehicles per hour (Type 1) or 20 (Types 2 and 3). All systems must support license plate reading, RFID readers for trusted traveler programs, traffic control, CCTV with 30-day recording, and real-time data export to CBP cloud platforms per specified Interface Control Documents (LSX ICD and POV ICD vendor endpoints). Systems must operate across −40°C to +60°C, up to 98 percent relative humidity, and 125 mph winds.

Hardware must be Large Scale X-Ray Interface Control Document compliant and architecturally separable from analyst interfaces. Network integration requires hardwired connections to a standalone local area network with fiber-optic cabling (minimum 24-strand with redundancy), CBP Virtual Routing and Forwarding router support, and firewall segregation. IT security requirements mandate encryption (FIPS 197 AES-256, FIPS 140-2/140-3), DHS STIGs compliance, PIV credential authentication, audit trail retention for seven years, and Authority to Operate status within six months of award. Systems must integrate with CBP's Border Security Deployment Program infrastructure including CAVSS camera validation and control center workstations with 27-inch monitors and 43–86 inch video walls.

The contractor must submit an Acceptance Test Plan, Factory Test Reports, Material Discrimination Test results (90 percent success on color-coded material differentiation across twelve scans), and radiological surveys signed by a Radiation Safety Officer annually and at system delivery, all compliant with ANSI N43.3-2008, N43.14-2011, and ANSI N42.46-2008 standards. Deliverables include design review documentation at Concept, 50%, 95%, and Issued for Construction stages (each with 14-day government review periods and 14-day contractor response timeframes), certified as-built construction drawings in AutoCAD, equipment installation data, training materials (instructor and student guides, system user manuals, operational checklists, service manuals, software licenses valid for system life), and technical documentation with unlimited government rights. Training software must be upgradeable to operate on future CBP workstations.

Responses must include four volumes: Technical Acceptability with 10-minute maximum video, Technical Narrative (30-page limit), Past Performance (10-page limit), and completed Attachment 8 IDIQ Pricing Tables with firm-fixed-price or time-and-materials unit pricing across tiered quantity brackets (less than 5, 5–10, 11–20, more than 20 units), detailed labor cost breakdowns, and justification and assumption tabs. Incomplete Attachment 8 submissions will be deemed non-compliant. All RFI submissions are due electronically by May 21, 2026, 12:00 PM EST. The anticipated award effective date is May 21, 2026.