Intent to award sole source- talktelio

The South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) has issued a sole source procurement for DetectTalk, a specialized cellular detection and monitoring system designed to identify and intercept unauthorized cellular communications within correctional institutions. The solicitation, posted on June 21, 2022, with responses due by July 7, 2022, at 10:00 a.m., intends to award the contract directly to TalkTelio, the sole manufacturer of the DetectTalk system. The technology offers comprehensive cellular interdiction capabilities, including monitoring up to 12 frequency bands simultaneously, detecting signals as brief as 2 milliseconds, and capturing various communication types such as phone calls, texts, data apps, VOIP, and encrypted communications like WhatsApp. The system's key deliverables include hardware-based detection technology, SecureStudio software for automatic operation and alerting, and the ability to adjust device coverage from 5 to 1,200 feet in radius. Sealed offers may be submitted via mail to 4530 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29210, or electronically to purchasing@doc.sc.gov, with "SOLE SOURCE" required in the email subject line.

No specific set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations are mentioned in the documentation. The procurement is unique in that SCDC justifies the sole source award by asserting that DetectTalk is the only product meeting their specific technological requirements, distinguishing itself from competing software-only solutions that cannot comprehensively detect unauthorized cellular devices. Vendors wishing to protest the intended award must submit a notice of intent to protest within five business days of posting and the actual protest within fifteen days to the Chief Procurement Officer at the Materials Management Office. While no specific budget range is provided, the procurement appears to be for a critical technological solution for cellular detection in correctional facilities. The contract will become effective after the opening date and time if no competing responses are received. TalkTelio appears to be the incumbent and sole potential vendor for this specialized technological solution.