Outsourced Contact Center - Temporary Surge Support

SOL #: 70FBTX26I00000001Sources Sought

Overview

Buyer

Homeland Security

Federal Emergency Management Agency

REGION 9: EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AN

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, 94107, United States

Place of Performance

Place of performance not available

NAICS

Telemarketing Bureaus and Other Contact Centers (561422)

PSC

Data Collection Services (R702)

Set Aside

No set aside specified

Original Source

https://sam.gov/opp/e1340eb5287743df8bb9bdb3a7df5811/view

Timeline

Posted

Jan 7, 2026

Last Updated

Jan 20, 2026

Response Deadline

Jan 28, 2026, 8:00 PM

Qualification Details

Fit reasons

NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.

Risks

Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.

Next steps

Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.

Quick Summary

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is issuing a Request for Information (RFI) for an Outsourced Contact Center to provide temporary surge support. This RFI seeks to identify sources capable of delivering a fully managed and scalable contact center solution to handle fluctuating applicant call volumes during disaster activity. Responses are due by January 28, 2026, at 3:00 PM ET.

Scope of Work

FEMA requires a contact center solution to augment its capabilities during periods of high disaster activity. The scope includes:

Providing a fully managed and scalable contact center or remote workforce.
Handling incoming calls, performing data entry for disaster assistance registration, providing referrals, and addressing survivor questions.
Ability to rapidly staff 100-400 personnel within 7 days (US citizens only).
Ensuring a minimum of 25% Spanish/English bilingual staff.
Supporting operations from CONUS and OCONUS locations, including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands, with options for contractor-managed facilities or remote work.
Meeting performance standards including Service Level (80% calls answered within 20 seconds), Answer Rate (95-100%), and Abandon Rate (0-5%).
Encouraging the use of automated solutions (AI, Chat Bots, RPA, IVA) as "force multipliers."

Contract & Timeline

Opportunity Type: Sources Sought (RFI)
Anticipated Structure: FEMA anticipates establishing a single multi-award Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) for up to five years.
Anticipated Period of Performance Start: June 21, 2026.
Response Due: January 28, 2026, 3:00 PM ET.
Questions Due: January 14, 2026, 3:00 PM ET.
Published: January 20, 2026.

Eligibility & Submission

Eligibility: Only Federal Supply Schedule contractors who respond to this RFI may be considered for any subsequent solicitation.
Submission: Responses must be submitted electronically to Felicia Castillo (felicia.castillo@fema.dhs.gov) and Demetria Carter (demetria.carter@fema.dhs.gov). Responses should not exceed 10 pages.
Product Service Code: R702 (Data Collection Services).

Additional Notes

This RFI is for market research purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. It aims to gather information on capabilities related to rapid staffing, background investigations (MBI or higher), teleworking, telecom capabilities, pricing methodologies, and operational readiness for surge operations. Surge requirements historically involve a 30-day base with three 30-day option periods.