Peace Corp AI ChatBot

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is a solicitation (RFQ) for commercial products and services. The specific items or services being procured are detailed in the "Schedule of Supplies/Services" section, which is referenced as "See Schedule" and likely found in an addendum.

• The "Schedule of Supplies/Services" (Block 20) will contain the specific requirements, quantities, and unit prices.

• Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses 52.212-1, 52.212-3, and 52.212-4 are incorporated by reference, and FAR 52.212-5 is attached. These clauses will detail specific requirements and terms.

• The solicitation number is 140D042600324.

• The issue date is April 3, 2026.

• The offer due date is May 4, 2026, at 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time.

• The contract is administered by the Interior Business Center, AQD, Acquisition Services Directorate.

• Payment will be made by the Interior Business Center, AQD, Acquisition Services Directorate.

• Offers are requested via Request for Quote (RFQ) as indicated in Block 14.

• The specific submission instructions and evaluation criteria will be detailed in the "Schedule of Supplies/Services" and attached FAR clauses.

• This acquisition is set aside for Small Business (100.00%).

• Specific small business categories include HUBZone Small Business, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB), and 8(a) programs.

• The North American Industry Classification Standard (NAICS) code is 541519 with a size standard of $34.

• The document is Standard Form 1449 (Rev. 11/2021).

• The offeror must complete blocks 12, 17, 23, 24, and 30.

• The solicitation is for commercial products and commercial services.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a template for reporting on the "Limitations on Subcontracting" requirement. Bidders will use this template to report on their subcontracting activities for the contract.

• Contract Information: Fields for Contract Number (PIID), Type of Set Aside, and Total Contract Value.
• Performance Period: Dates for which the report is applicable.
• Payment Reporting: Sections to detail amounts paid to the prime contractor by the government, and amounts paid to Similarly Situated Subcontractors (SSS) and Non-Similarly Situated Subcontractors (NSS).
• Limitation Calculation: A formula is provided to calculate the Limitation on Subcontracting Percentage, though the template shows a #DIV/0! error, indicating it requires data input.

This template outlines the specific data bidders must track and report regarding their subcontracting efforts to comply with the "Limitations on Subcontracting" clause. Understanding this template is crucial for accurately preparing proposals and fulfilling post-award reporting requirements.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation (RFQ) for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chatbot Services to enhance agency recruitment efforts for the U.S. Department of the Interior, Interior Business Center (IBC), on behalf of the Peace Corps (PC), Office of Volunteer Recruitment and Service (VRS). The goal is to acquire a FedRAMP High authorized, commercially available SaaS conversational AI solution to improve recruitment, outreach, and public engagement on peacecorps.gov.

• Implement a public-facing, web-based, conversational AI agent.

• Integrate the AI Chatbot solution into the peacecorps.gov website.

• Provide training for Peace Corps staff on the new system and its upkeep.

• The solution must be FedRAMP High authorized.

• Must adhere to Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for uptime (minimum 99.9% during business hours), incident response, and issue resolution.

• Must be mobile-optimized and integrate seamlessly with the Peace Corps website.

• Utilize Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) with a curated dataset.

• Include continuous learning mechanisms.

• Support multilingual functionality.

• Provide advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP) capabilities.

• Offer seamless live agent or customer service transfer.

• Ensure scalability for future features and increased user volume.

• Comply with all relevant legal and ethical standards, including AI in Government Act, Federal Data Strategy, and privacy laws (e.g., CCPA).

• Operate in a fair and non-discriminatory manner.

• Implement emergency response and user safety protocols.

• Ensure appropriate human oversight.

• Provide comprehensive analytics and reporting, including a KPI dashboard.

• Manage AI risks effectively.

• Maintain transparency and accountability in AI operations.

• Adhere to strict data collection, retention, and usage policies.

• Comply with protected communications requirements, including HIPAA.

• Deliverables include: Chatbot, Status Reports, Contract Reports, Final Report, Project Plan, Data Protection Plan, Requirements Specification Document, Design and Architecture Documentation, Integration Plan and Report, Implementation Plan, Test Plan & Results, Usability Testing Report, User Acceptance Testing, Training Materials, and Final Chatbot Solution.

• Contract Type: Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) Purchase Order.

• Period of Performance: One-year Base Period (June 1, 2026 - May 31, 2027) with four (4) one-year Option Periods. Total potential performance not to exceed five years.

• Estimated Value: Not specified.

• Travel/Other Direct Costs (ODCs): Not anticipated.

• Submission Deadline for Questions: April 10, 2026, 12:00 PM EST.

• Submission Deadline for Quotes: May 04, 2026, 10:00 AM ET.

• Quotes must be submitted via email to Michael McGuire and Jacqueline Hernandez.

• Quote Format: Separate volumes for Technical (20-page limit), Past Performance, Assumptions/Conditions/Exceptions, Draft Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan, and Price.

• Evaluation Factors: Technical Approach, Solution, Capabilities and Understanding; Past Performance; and Price. Technical Approach, Solution, Capabilities and Understanding and Past Performance are of equal importance and combined are more important than Price.

• Award Basis: Best Value to the Government.

• Total small business set-aside.

• NAICS Code: 541519 – Other Computer Related Services (SB size standard $34M).

• PSC Code: DA10 – IT and Telecom – Business Application / Application Development Software as a Service.

• This solicitation incorporates provisions and clauses by reference (FAR Part 12).

• Full text of provisions and clauses may be accessed at www.acquisition.gov.

• Offerors must be registered in SAM.gov with an "active" status.

• Late submissions will not be considered.

• The Government reserves the right to reject any quote that is significantly non-compliant.

• Attachment 1: PWS

• Attachment 2: Limitations on Subcontracting Report