Request for Information (RFI) - Large-Scale Fixed Systems - Multi-Energy Portal and Low-Energy Portal

This is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the Border Enforcement Contracting Division of the Department of Homeland Security to gather industry input on a forthcoming solicitation for Large-Scale Fixed Systems, specifically the Multi-Energy Portal (MEP) and Low-Energy Portal (LEP), under NAICS code 334517. The RFI is not a solicitation for proposals but serves to inform the development of a future Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, with an anticipated award period running from November 15, 2026, to November 14, 2031, comprising a base year and four one-year option periods. The associated functional requirements, integration details, design and construction standards, training protocols, testing procedures, sustainment needs, and deliverables are outlined in eleven detailed attachments, including the Functional Requirements Documents for both portal types, Integration Overview, LSX-ICD-1.0.0, and the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan. The government intends to procure systems for deployment at multiple U.S. Customs and Border Protection Ports of Entry, with installation, testing, and acceptance occurring on-site following a 40-hour burn-in period and Site Acceptance Testing, adhering to ANSI N42.46-2008 and MIL-STD-810, Method 509.4 for environmental resilience. The contract will incorporate a comprehensive set of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) specific clauses governing contractor conduct, cybersecurity, personnel security, and compliance, including mandates for U.S. citizenship for IT system access, T4/T5 background investigations for all personnel, safeguarding of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), whistleblower protections, and flow-down requirements to subcontractors. Security protocols include mandatory QR code and RFID tagging compliant with ISO-18000-63 and EPC Global/GS1 standards, while invoicing must be conducted exclusively via the Treasury’s Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) using ID.me or Login.gov authentication. Evaluation of responses to the subsequent RFP will prioritize Technical Approach as the most critical factor, followed by Past Performance and then Price, with award based on best value through trade-off analysis—not on a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable basis. Offerors must submit proposals in four mandatory volumes with strict page limits for technical and past performance sections, and a video submission hosted on YouTube, all delivered via email by the specified