Nlets - Computer Controller Message Switching Network

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has issued a statutorily mandated fifteen business day advertisement of an intended single source procurement for continued access to the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (Nlets). This procurement is not a request for bids or proposals but rather formal notice of FDLE's intention to enter into a five-year contract with Nlets, effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031, for online database information retrieval services providing access to the International Justice & Safety Network. The services to be procured include real-time consolidated access to governmental security databases encompassing criminal histories, driver licenses, and driver histories, which are essential to FDLE's law enforcement requirements and international justice telecommunications capabilities. The primary objective is to maintain FDLE's operational capacity to exchange law enforcement, criminal justice, and public safety information at both the interstate and international levels. Prospective vendors are invited to submit information regarding their ability to supply comparable services by April 21, 2026, with FDLE reserving the right to determine in writing whether the commodities and services are available only from a single source before proceeding with contract award. The procurement has received approval from Julia Lycett (Chief of General Services), Joey Hornsby (Director of Information Technology Services), and Lucy Saunders (Director of Criminal Justice Information Services).

FDLE justifies this single source acquisition by identifying Nlets as the only interstate justice and public safety network in the nation capable of providing the required exchange of law enforcement, criminal justice, and public safety information, with no commercial providers offering equivalent data due to the inherently governmental nature of the security information possessed and required by the agency. The estimated contract value for this procurement is $906,134.00 over the five-year term. No specific set-aside designations or restrictions on the types of organizations that can respond are indicated in the procurement notice. Nlets appears to be the incumbent vendor and existing infrastructure provider, as this procurement represents continued access to established systems rather than a transition to new service providers. The notice does not identify alternative vendors or specify technology integration requirements beyond the existing Nlets platform capabilities.