The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires contractor support to provide procurement software and associated support services for use by volunteer tax preparers under the IRS Electronic Tax Software Application (ETSA) project.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is seeking contractors to provide procurement software and associated support services for volunteer tax preparers under the Electronic Tax Software Application (ETSA) project, through a combined synopsis/solicitation numbered 2043FY-26-R-00007. This procurement, governed under FAR Part 15 and Subpart 12.6, is unrestricted and falls under NAICS code 541511 for Custom Computer Programming Services, with a size standard of $34 million in annual receipts. The contract structure includes a one-year base period beginning August 17, 2026, and four additional one-year option periods, extending potential performance through August 16, 2031. The primary place of performance is the contractor’s facility, with work also expected at IRS, Treasury, VITA, or TCE sites as needed. The contractor must deliver virus-free desktop, web-based, and self-preparer electronic tax software, along with comprehensive training materials, helpdesk support, and documentation compliant with IRS Publication 3112, 4164, 4812, and Section 508 accessibility standards. Software must be distributed on CD/DVD media, with printed user guides provided, and all deliverables must be labeled with the contract number. A minimum of 8,500 perpetual software licenses are guaranteed across the base and option periods. Proposals are due by May 28, 2026, and must be submitted via email to designated IRS officials, with software delivered separately on a USB flash drive if it exceeds email size limits. Offerors must submit a technical section limited to 25 pages, a fully functional version of their software for government testing, a pricing section, and past performance data with three corporate project profiles, at least two of which must be from the offeror’s role as primary contractor. Evaluation is based on a best-value trade-off approach, emphasizing technical capability, relevant experience, software functionality, and past performance, with no lowest-price technically acceptable (LPTA) evaluation used. Software must achieve full operational capacity by the start of the 2027 filing season and support training for up to 96,000 volunteers annually. Contractors must comply with stringent security protocols including mandatory IRS-specific training, encryption of sensitive data, nondisclosure agreements, and flow-down of security requirements to subcontractors. All deliverables and data become the property of