R--Justification for Sexual Assault Hotline

This contract is a sole-source acquisition awarded to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) for the provision of a global, 24/7/365 sexual assault hotline service for Peace Corps Trainees and Volunteers, fulfilling requirements under the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011. The service must be accessible via telephone, online chat, text, mobile app, and callback options, delivering trauma-informed crisis intervention with strict confidentiality and compliance with federal protocols, including those previously successfully implemented for the Department of Defense, NOAA, and NSF. RAINN was selected as the only entity capable of meeting the non-negotiable requirement of proven, direct experience in operating sexual assault hotlines for federal agencies, with no other vendor possessing the necessary expertise, infrastructure, or institutional knowledge to deliver the service without unacceptable risk to survivor safety. The award was justified under FAR 13.501(a)(1)(ii) due to the absence of viable alternatives, and evaluation prioritized mission-critical performance over price, which was reviewed only for reasonableness against prior contracts such as RAINN’s $61.56 million DoD Safe Helpline agreement. The contract includes a base year and four optional 12-month periods, with performance occurring remotely and globally to support Peace Corps personnel worldwide, delivered from RAINN’s headquarters in Washington, DC. Services are subject to continuous performance assessment against stringent standards including immediate response capability, secure handling of personally identifiable information, adherence to survivor-centered communication, and alignment with Peace Corps Office of Health Services guidelines. While no formal line-item pricing, CLINs, or accounting data is provided, the contract is structured as a firm fixed price arrangement. The contracting officer, Michael McGuire of the Interior Business Center under the Department of the Interior, digitally signed the award on January 20, 2026, with no identified contracting officer’s representative listed for technical oversight. No specific packaging, invoicing method, payment office, or COTR contact information is included, and while the offeror’s UEI is confirmed as LP7SA1GMB3R6, no socioeconomic certifications or small business status were declared. The acquisition deliberately circumvented competition due to the unique, irreplaceable nature of RAINN’s federal hotline experience, and no alternate vendors could validate capacity to operate under the same trauma-informed, high-risk operational model without compromising service quality or survivor protection.