Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of community-based Epidemics (ESSENCE) and

The Florida Department of Health, Division of Disease Control and Health Protection Bureau of Epidemiology is seeking to procure single-source hosting services for the Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-based Epidemics (ESSENCE) and EpiCom systems from ISF, Inc. The procurement is specifically for a three-year term of hosting services, software maintenance, and support related to complex database systems that track epidemiological data. The services fall under UNSPSC codes 81112200 and 81112210, covering software maintenance and system management software support. The procurement is focused on maintaining a critical public health infrastructure that requires specialized technical expertise, with ISF being identified as the sole provider due to their unique development of the original systems. The solicitation was posted on February 27, 2025, with a response deadline of March 20, 2025, requiring vendors to demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the existing ESSENCE ecosystem, including interconnected databases, servers, environments, and proprietary processes.

The single-source procurement does not explicitly mention set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. ISF, Inc. is the incumbent and sole qualified vendor, having created the original database systems now owned by the Department of Health's Bureau of Epidemiology. The estimated total procurement value is $632,736.00 for the three-year term, covering all hosting services, software, and maintenance. The procurement specifically requires vendor expertise in custom ingestion scripts and maintenance applications unique to the FL-ESSENCE system. Technical qualifications center on ISF's proprietary knowledge of the system's architecture, with the company's technical staff having developed the specialized scripts and maintenance tools essential to system operation. The purchase has been pre-approved by Allegra Small, the Purchasing Director, indicating a streamlined procurement process for this mission-critical public health technology infrastructure.