COMMERCIAL RETAILER-SUPPLIER COMMUNICATION PLATFORM

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only. This RFI may or may not result in a future requirement. The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) is conducting market research to identify qualified and responsible sources to establish a prototype Other Transaction (OT) agreement for a commercial retailer-supplier communications platform. The primary objects of this platform are to connect commissary stores with direct-store delivery (DSD) vendors and to automate service alerts, such as out-of-stock notifications, escalations, and vendor compliance tracking. This prototype is directly aligned with enhancing mission effectiveness by improving product availability and vendor response times at DeCA stores. This initiative is consistent with 10 U.S.C. § 4022(a)(1), which focuses on prototype projects that are directly relevant to enhancing DoD mission effectiveness.

Scope:

DeCA aims to achieve key supply chain objectives, including reducing out-of-stock (OOS) levels, improving on-time-in-full (OTIF) delivery, and enhancing vendor compliance. DeCA would like to leverage industry-based communication protocol leveraging a communication hub or portal the enables DeCA to communicate individually with all DSD suppliers and in a way that those DSD suppliers can respond back to DeCA via that portal and take corrective action. To ensure the pilot's effectiveness and gather reliable data, DeCA will leverage a vendor’s established commercial framework.

This strategic approach minimizes onboarding time and accelerates execution by utilizing an existing network of vendors and retailer-driven standard operating procedures (SOPs), already implemented with major grocers. A no-cost model for the platform delivery is preferred.  

Requirements:

1. Service Collaboration Platform
2. Automated out of stock supplier-criteria notifications
3. Digital check-in and checkout process
4. Vendor schedule management
5. Supplier-to-Retailer service disruption message platform

Technology Areas:

The vendor will provide the commercial network, software and vendor-engagement services.

Request for Information:

Vendors interested in this opportunity should submit a capabilities statement addressing the scope and requirements specified in this announcement.  All questions regarding this RFI shall be submitted by November 13, 2025 at 12pm EST. All responses to this RFI are due November 20, 2025 at 12pm EST. The point of contact for this announcement is Alicia Taylor, Alicia.taylor@deca.mil.

Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED.  Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned.