Florida Offender Alert System (FOAS)

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) intends to award a single-source contract for the continued maintenance and operation of the Florida Offender Alert System (FOAS), a proprietary email notification service managed exclusively by Watch Systems, LLC dba OffenderWatch. This system serves approximately 300,000 subscribers by delivering automated alerts when registered sexual predators or offenders change their residence within Florida, fulfilling statutory mandates under Florida Statutes 775.21 and 943.0435, and administrative rules such as Rule 60A-1.045. The service is critical for ensuring public safety and compliance, having generated over 40 million alerts to date. The contract covers a two-year term with an estimated total value of $150,000 and is justified as a sole-source procurement due to the vendor’s exclusive licensing rights and proprietary system architecture, leaving no commercial alternatives available. This procurement is being publicly advertised as required by Florida statute but does not follow a competitive bidding process. It lacks formal FAR clauses and typical evaluation criteria since the award will be made based on statutory and proprietary justifications rather than price or technical competition. The scope includes ongoing system maintenance, reliable alert delivery, subscriber management, and support for high-volume notification distribution. No physical goods, packaging, or labeling requirements apply as this is a software-based service. Contract administration details specify FDLE contacts for correspondence, but no designated contracting officers or electronic invoicing methods are provided. The procurement aligns with NAICS code 541511 for custom computer programming services, with performance and acceptance taking place within the state of Florida. The contract documentation emphasizes compliance with relevant Florida laws and data sensitivity associated with offender information but does not detail specific security clearances or personnel requirements. Overall, this procurement secures uninterrupted operation of a vital public safety tool under a legally mandated single-source arrangement to maintain the unique FOAS platform.