RFI - NCIS Case Management System

Justification and Approval for Other Than Full and Open Competition

This document justifies the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Headquarters' decision to award a contract on a sole source, brand name basis for the Appian Starter Kit License Subscription. This subscription is required to continue the modernization of NCIS's Consolidated Law Enforcement Operations Center (CLEOC 2.0) using the Air Force Office of Special Investigations' (AFOSI) ORION solution, which is built on the Appian technology.

• Appian Starter Kit License Subscription for the ORION solution.

• The procurement will be a Firm Fixed Price Task Order (TO).

• Period of Performance: 12 months total, with an MVP deliverable in 8 weeks from award, and maintenance/support for 10 months from MVP delivery.

• Total Estimated Value: Not explicitly stated, but the document references a "Total Estimated Value of the Requirement" for Fiscal Year 2026.

• Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price Task Order (TO).

• Not applicable, as this is a justification for other than full and open competition.

• Not applicable, as this is a sole source justification.

• The acquisition is justified under FAR 8.405-6(b) because the required software is manufactured by and proprietary to Appian Corp.

• Appian's software is the only product that can meet the Government's current investigative and case management requirements using existing source code.

• The ORION solution, developed by AFOSI, relies on Appian's specific low-code platform, and no other provider's platform is compatible.

• Appian is the sole owner of the intellectual property and the only entity that can provide necessary maintenance and support.

• No other LCAP has FedRAMP IL V certification, which Appian possesses.

• Market research was conducted, including an RFI issued on SAM.gov, which received 51 submissions.

• The review determined that a specific brand-name product (Appian) is the most viable solution.

• Appian solution is available under GSA Advantage, SBIR III, and DoD ESI via a BPA with three resellers.

• No other sources were found through internet queries or mandatory/preferred sources (e.g., AbilityOne, UNICOR, NASA SEWP).

• A market review will be conducted for future procurements to maximize competition.

• The document includes technical cognizance and contracting officer certifications.

Request for Information (RFI)

This RFI seeks market research to define requirements and assess the availability and technical capability of large and small businesses (including various small business subsets) to provide a commercially available software solution for a Case Management System (CMS). The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) requires a robust CMS to improve its operational capabilities for investigations, law enforcement, counter-terrorism, counter-intelligence, and cyber matters.

NCIS is looking for a proof of concept (POC) for a minimally viable product (MVP) using a no code/low code platform. The initial contract will be for a two-month POC period. Key requirements for the new user interface (UI) include:

• Creating and managing investigations (criminal and non-criminal)
• Managing criminal initiative operations
• Managing protective orders
• Generating unique case identifiers
• Managing registrations for property and persons
• Documenting offense information, case entities, and investigative techniques
• Handling special victim investigations, pseudonym titles, and references
• Distributing reports and managing distribution lists
• Identifying high interest cases and managing 'Be on the Look Out' information
• Case disposition, user manuals, and workflows
• Producing law enforcement and investigative reports
• System homepage, user dashboard, and quick links
• Spell check, separation of user accounts, and official record time
• Help desk and system support
• Data model, dictionary, and entity relationship diagram
• NIBRS compliance and data submission
• Role-based access and case access restriction
• Managing case information, participating agents, and system administrators
• Supporting 800 concurrent users (scalable to 1,500)
• Managing victim status (sexual assault) and system warning banners
• Providing case summaries and electronic case notes
• Crime scene sketching and management
• Workflow capability and searching incident/investigation data
• Document content search and upload/manage files
• Maintaining a document library for forms and reports
• Browser-based application compatibility

The initial contract is for a two (2) month proof of concept period. A follow-on contract is anticipated for enterprise-wide CMS implementation. The anticipated NAICS code is 541511 – Custom Computer Programming Services, with a $34M small business size standard.

Vendors are requested to provide responses to specific questions regarding labor categories, timelines, missing technical details, past implementations, and rough order of magnitude/pricing structure. Responses are due by 12:00 PM EDT on September 5, 2025. Submissions should include business name and address, company representative details, Cage Code, UEI, business size and classification, a capability summary (5-10 pages), and available contract vehicles.

NCIS is seeking feedback from large and small businesses, including Small Disadvantaged Businesses, HUBZone Firms, Certified 8(a), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, and Woman Owned Small Business. Vendors are encouraged to provide information on joint venturing (JV) or partnering plans. Responses must demonstrate the company's ability to perform in accordance with the Limitations on Subcontracting clause.

This is an RFI for informational purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation or commitment to award a contract. All submitted information becomes Government property. Proprietary information must be clearly marked. Security requirements include U.S. citizenship for contractor personnel and appropriate Cyber Security Workforce (CSWF) certification for work within MS Azure at IL5 platform.