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The New Mexico Commission for the Blind is pursuing a sole source procurement for maintenance and support of their AWARE case management system through Alliance Enterprises, Inc. The contract covers comprehensive software services including at least two major annual software upgrades, technical and user documentation, software defect corrections, and comprehensive telephone and remote technical support. Support services will feature detailed error classification with response times ranging from 4-hour critical responses to longer-term resolution schedules based on severity levels. The procurement is structured as four consecutive one-year contracts spanning from September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2029. The contract opportunity is specifically associated with Catron County and Rowe CDP jurisdictions in New Mexico, with a total contract value of $270,874.79 before tax, and an estimated additional $22,177.88 in tax expenses.

The procurement is a sole source contract with no competitive bidding, exclusively available to Alliance Enterprises, Inc., due to their proprietary ownership of the AWARE software system. The company currently serves 40 vocational rehabilitation programs across 34 states with over 12,000 end users, providing a scalable platform that allows cost-sharing among participating states. Alliance Enterprises holds exclusive rights to the source code and technical documentation through non-disclosure agreements, making them the only authorized vendor for updates and technical support. The Commission argues that alternative vendor selection would necessitate building an entirely new case management system, which would incur prohibitive costs, cause significant service delays, and result in losing customized features developed specifically for New Mexico's vocational rehabilitation operational model. The contract has been successfully utilized by the agency for over 20 years with minimal cost increases, further justifying the sole source determination.