Special Procurement- Community Referral Services

The State of Oregon, through the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) State Procurement Services, is conducting a special procurement to extend an existing Price Agreement for Community Information and Referral Services under a sole source designation. This is not a competitive bid opportunity but rather formal notification of an approved special procurement pursuant to Oregon Revised Statutes 279B.085(5) and 279B.400, with a seven-calendar-day protest period from the first date of publication (deadline: March 4, 2026). The services encompass comprehensive community referral services that link individuals and families to vital community resources throughout Oregon, including referrals for food and clothing, shelter, rent and utility assistance, health insurance and medical information, financial assistance and job training, language translation services, elderly care services, and childcare and educational programs. The procured services will utilize the 211 telephone dialing system, a federally recognized service providing 24/7 non-emergency social service access to callers who cannot navigate traditional help-seeking channels. The contractor must operate a statewide call center with qualified referral specialists, maintain a comprehensive up-to-date database of available community resources, provide multilingual support accommodating non-English speakers and individuals with limited literacy, and serve multiple state agencies including the Department of Human Services, Department of Early Learning, Agriculture, and Oregon Emergency Management, as well as city and local governments. The sole source selection is justified by the Federal Communications Commission's exclusive authorization of the incumbent provider to operate the 211 service within Oregon.

This special procurement is restricted to 211INFO, an Oregon nonprofit corporation, which is the sole entity authorized by the Federal Communications Commission to provide community information and referral services through the 211 telephone number in Oregon. The current Price Agreement (PA No. DASPS-2431-15) originated in February 2015 and has been in continuous operation, establishing 211INFO as the incumbent provider meeting all statutory and operational requirements for the statewide system. The contract amendment will extend service delivery for an additional ten-year term from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2036, with total estimated costs exceeding $5 million based on cumulative spending since the original 2015 agreement. The special procurement justification emphasizes the essential and unique nature of the services, which are critical for state agencies to meet immediate and ongoing needs for technical assistance and emergency response during weather-related situations and ongoing community support operations. Interested parties may file written protests with the State Chief Procurement Officer, Kaliska King (503.798.1907 or Kaliska.king@das.oregon.gov), at the Department of Administrative Services, EGS-State Procurement Services, 1225 Ferry Street SE, Salem, OR 97301, with protests subject to the same seven-day deadline. Upon conclusion of the protest period and pending legal sufficiency approval from the Oregon Department of Justice, the contract amendment will proceed to execution.