Special Procurement Notice- ORCHARDS Background Check System Services

The Oregon Department of Human Services is notifying the public of the approval of Special Procurement Amendment No. 2 for ORCHARDS Background Check System Services, with a seven-day protest period ending June 8, 2026. This is a notice of an approved sole-source extension to an existing contract, not a solicitation for competitive bids.

The amendment extends the contract with Innovative Architects, LLC through June 30, 2027 for continued operation of the ORCHARDS system, which provides data hosting, reciprocity services, and technical assistance to the Oregon Health Authority and more than 3,000 Qualified Entities statewide. The system processes background checks for approximately 9,800 Oregon Department of Human Services staff, 4,381 Oregon Health Authority staff, and approximately 180,000 providers of care across multiple human services sectors.

Amendment No. 2 increases the maximum not-to-exceed compensation by $498,000 for the period July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, with a cumulative estimated total cost of $3.398 million across all amendments. The annual breakdown includes $180,000 for data hosting services, $30,000 for reciprocity services, and $288,000 for technical assistance services.

The procurement was approved based on findings that Innovative Architects is the sole vendor capable of maintaining the proprietary ORCHARDS system and that system replacement would cost an estimated $5 million to $7 million. The original contract began July 9, 2019; Contract Amendment No. 1 was executed in September 2021. The State Chief Procurement Officer approved Amendment No. 2 on May 29, 2026, contingent upon completion of the seven-day public notice period without sustained protests.

Questions may be directed to Enrique Rodriguez, Procurement & Contract Specialist, at 503-569-8279 or enrique.rodriguez@odhsoha.oregon.gov.