RFI: Sexual Assault Hotline Services

Peace Corps, operating under the Department of the Interior's Interior Business Center, is seeking a global anonymous sexual assault hotline solution to support approximately 3,000 Peace Corps Volunteers serving across 61 countries. The procurement requires a comprehensive 24/7/365 confidential crisis counseling service accessible through multiple communication channels including telephone, online chat, text, website, and mobile applications. Counselors must have a minimum of 40 hours of rape crisis counseling training, while supervisors must be licensed psychologists or social workers with specialized crisis counseling experience. This Request for Information (RFI) is designed to help the government better understand available market solutions and finalize its requirements and acquisition strategy rather than serve as an immediate solicitation for proposals. Vendors must submit their detailed capabilities statements electronically to hanna_mershman@ibc.doi.gov by December 11, 2025 at 5 PM Eastern, with the government prioritizing responses from small businesses that can demonstrate expertise in low-volume hotline programs and cost-effective service delivery.

No set-aside designations have been applied to this procurement, and no current contractors or incumbents have been identified in the pre-solicitation documentation. The anticipated contract structure includes a base year followed by four 12-month option periods, providing a potential five-year engagement timeline. Historical call volume data indicates between 10-21 calls per year across all communication channels, characterizing this as a low-volume but mission-critical service requirement mandated under the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011. Specific award values or budget ranges have not been disclosed in this RFI phase, as the government is still in the information-gathering stage to inform final pricing and contracting approaches. The solicitation is classified under NAICS 624190 (Other Individual and Family Services) and PSC R499 (Support—Professional: Other).