Emergency Notification System

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, through the Department of Corrections (DOC), is seeking proposals for a comprehensive emergency notification system to serve correctional and public safety agencies across the state, including jurisdictions in Worcester County and New Bedford City. The required system must have the capability to immediately contact up to 3,000 recipients per hour via phone, email, text, and social media to notify the public, staff, and agencies of emergencies or other critical situations. Key technical requirements include the ability to make simultaneous calls, integrate with existing agency systems, and provide real-time reporting. The DOC will evaluate responses based on criteria such as price, prior experience, training capabilities, technical support, contract management, web-based data entry, and years of experience. Bid responses are due by June 4, 2019, and the DOC seeks a single contractor for an initial 3-year term with three 2-year renewal options.

This procurement is targeted towards verified small businesses participating in the Commonwealth's Small Business Purchasing Program (SBPP), but may be awarded to non-SBPP vendors if there is insufficient SBPP capacity. The DOC requires a minimum of 10% participation from certified minority, women, veteran, and other diverse businesses as part of the Supplier Diversity Program requirements. The incumbent contractor is unknown, as this appears to be a new requirement. The annual budget for the current emergency notification system has been $5,500, but the DOC has not set a specific budget amount for this RFR.