RFQ - Software platform (ESChat)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation seeks a Firm Fixed Price quotation for 860 annual ESChat licenses over five years (Base Year September 30, 2026 through September 29, 2027, plus four option years), with quotes due September 25, 2026 at 11:00 am CT. This is a sole-source brand-name procurement under 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1); quoters must be either the ESChat manufacturer or an authorized reseller with documented reseller status.

Place of performance is the United States; software and documentation are delivered electronically to the FBI enterprise network environment. ESChat is a FedRAMP-certified, secure subscription-based push-to-talk platform transforming smartphones and specialized smart devices into encrypted communication devices, with support for multimedia messaging, Common Operating Picture functionality, and external interfaces including Land Mobile Radio, dispatch consoles, and logging recorders.

The requirement supports multi-agency interoperability testing for the LA28 Olympic Games (July 14–30, 2028), justified under the Bona Fide Need Rule Lead-Time Exception. Technical requirements include carrier-agnostic solution (AT&T FirstNet minimum), device-agnostic platform (Android, iPhone, Windows minimum), cloud-based FedRAMP-certified architecture, and license management via DEA's custom portal. The FBI market-tested ITSSS-2, GSA schedules, and GWACs; all were determined technically unfeasible or unavailable. Authorized resellers identified include San Luis Aviation, Inc. (ESChat prime holder), Cellco Partnership (Verizon Wireless), and EFJohnson Technologies.

The contract is Firm-Fixed-Price with tiered license pricing at 3.5% annual escalation across five years. Evaluation uses Lowest Price Technically Acceptable methodology; only technically acceptable quotations proceed to price evaluation, with award to the lowest-priced compliant quoter. Quoters must submit five-year firm fixed pricing with unit and cumulative totals, reseller status evidence, technical and deployment capability confirmation, delivery and activation timelines, contract administration and technical support contacts, UEID and CAGE Code, completed ARQ/KMPL documentation, and written acceptance of draft SF 1449 terms. Active SAM registration is required at submission and award. The NAICS code is 513120, Periodical Publishers; PSC is 7A21, IT and Telecom—Business Application Software.