Sources Sought Notice - Recreation Permitting & Transactions Digital Platform

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Contract Opportunity

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE
1. NOTICE TYPE
This is a Sources Sought Notice issued solely for market research purposes. This is not a solicitation request for proposals or commitment by the Government. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this notice.
2. PURPOSE
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is conducting market research to identify qualified contractors capable of providing a secure, FedRAMP Moderate authorized SaaS platform to manage limited-use recreational opportunities across multiple national wildlife refuges. The Government is seeking information from small and large businesses regarding capabilities, technical solutions, and capacity to perform the work described below.
The Government seeks capability statements from interested firms able to provide a turn key SaaS platform that:
- Processes 40,000 - 80,000 annual transactions.
- Supports up to 60 public sites with optional add on features for 35 sites.
- Meets required FedRAMP Moderate, FISMA, NIST, MFA, and other federal security requirements.
This information will help determine the appropriate acquisition strategy and whether a competitive procurement is feasible.
3. BACKGROUND
FWS public lands receive more than 71 million annual visitors, including 2.8 million hunting visits (FY 2025). Many refuges must limit the use of popular areas by managing access through permits, lotteries, reservations, and related fee transactions. FWS seeks a scalable, national solution to provide a consistent public experience and efficient administration by refuge staff.
4. Required Capabilities
Interested sources must demonstrate their ability to provide:
A. SaaS Platform Capabilities
- FedRAMP Moderate authorization authorized SaS platform.
- Multi-site administration and role-based dashboards.
- Mobile-responsive public and admin interface.
- Workflows: applications, reservations, lotteries, permit issuance.
- Real-time reporting; prevention of duplicate applications.
- Pay.gov integration; GIS mapping using federal datasets.
B. Transaction & Inventory Management
- Support for first come, first served inventory and configurable quotas.
- Handling of approximately 80,000 annual permit transactions.
- Digital permits with QR or unique codes
C. Optional Add-on Features
- Lottery capability; preference points; checks-in/out.
- Harvest reporting; regulations certification.
D. Security Requirements
- FedRAMP Moderate controls (NIST SP 800 53r5).
- FISMA compliance (NIST SP 800 37).
- Phishing-resistant MFA (OMB M 22 09).
- .gov registration and usage (OMB M 23 10).
- Monthly continuous monitoring.
E. Support Requirements
- External user support during business hours and weekends.
- 24/7 platform operations with 99% uptime.
- Annual reporting and backup services.
5. REQUESTED INFORMATION FROM INDUSTRY
Interested vendors should provide the following information:
1. Company Information (name, UEI, CAGE Code, size standards, POC).
2. Capability Statement addressing all functional, technical security requirements.
3. Evidence of FedRAMP Moderate authorization or path/timeline to obtain it.
4. Experience with similar federal or state systems, including examples.
5. Description of customer support capabilities.
6. Available add-on features relevant to this requirement.
7. Rough order of magnitude (ROM) pricing including:
- Per-transaction fees
- Add-on/feature pricing
- Onboarding costs
6. SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS
Responses shall be submitted via email to:
Lorenzo Aragon
Email: lawrence_aragon@ios.doi.gov
Subject Line: Sources Sought Response - Recreation Permitting & Transactions Digital Platform
Response Deadline: Friday May 15, 2026, 5PM EST
Recommended response length: No more than 10 pages.
7. IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS
This notice is issued for market research and planning purposes only.
The Government is not obligated to award a contract or proceed with a solicitation.
Respondents will not receive individualized feedback.
All proprietary information must be clearly marked.

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