ELECTRONIC RECORDS SCANNING AND WAREHOUSING SERVICES

1. 0 Introduction

This Request for Information (RFI) (hereinafter Notice or RFI) seeks to identify commercially available opportunities for a potential single-award contract for non-personal services to provide records management services and possible electronic records warehousing for the Department of the Army. Services would support the secure storage and warehousing of Army hardcopy and electronic records. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, request for bids or quotations, nor a promise to issue a solicitation in the future. This RFI is solely for informational and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation or firm requirement.

2.0 Background

The Department of the Army maintains large volumes of civilian and service member records that must be managed and stored in compliance with federal, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) regulations, and Army policy. These records require secure management, storage, and legally compliant disposition or transfer to the NARA.

This RFI supports the Army’s need for commercial, NARA-compliant electronic storage and warehousing solutions with enterprise-level reporting and oversight.

3.0 Scope of Services

The Department of the Army is seeking information on commercial capabilities to provide comprehensive services for the retrieval, short-term storage, inventory, and digitization of military and civilian personnel and medical records. The objective of this RFI is to understand industry's ability to meet the Army's requirements and to gather insights that may inform a future Request for Proposal (RFP).

The Contractor shall provide all cleared management, supervision, labor, facilities, systems, transportation, equipment, and materials necessary to perform the services required. Services must include, at a minimum:

• Secure Transportation – Vehicles and processes suitable for the transportation of Army records.
• Secure Warehousing – Secure, climate-controlled commercial storage facility for all hard-copy records, compliant with all federal standards for records storage.
• Electronic Inventory Management and Metadata Control - Web-based Inventory Management Application that will enable Army personnel to track records, monitor receipt, movement, control, and accuracy of the entire transaction process from the NPRC to contractor facility.
• Digitization – Scan hard copy files to electronic images ensuring a quality image follow production procedures and completing internal documentation & tracking indexing.
• NARA Transfer – Prepare and electronically transfer all permanent records and associated metadata to NARA in full compliance with NARA standards.
• Disposition of Paper Records – Conduct appropriate records disposition and irreversible destruction of records eligible under approved retention schedules.

Ideally, a commercial solution would also include:

• Web-based access for authorized users (Government and the Public) to search, view, and retrieve electronic records.

• Electronic records inventory management, metadata control, and lifecycle tracking.
• Records access and retrieval services, including audit logging of all user activity.

4.0 Service Requirements

4.1 Secure Transportation and In-Processing of Physical Records

The service provider shall provide transport of Military and Civilian personnel records and medical records.

• Securely retrieve and transport hard-copy records from specified NARA location in St. Louis, Missouri to a contractor-provided facility.
• This scope is specific to Military and Civilian personnel records and associated medical records.
• Upon receipt, conduct a comprehensive inventory and formally in-process all records into a management system.

4.2 Secure Warehousing – Records Storage and Hosting

The service provider shall store Army records within a commercial, secure electronic and hardcopy storage environment that supports temporary holding of records until digitization.

• Store records in a climate-controlled, logical, segmented repository with controlled access.
• Implement administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the records.
• Support Unclassified/ CUI records, with the capability to scale to higher classifications if authorized by the Government.
• Ensure data integrity, availability, and protection from unauthorized alteration or deletion.

                                                                                                                          

4.3 Electronic Inventory Management and Metadata Control

The service provider shall maintain a web-based electronic records inventory management system to:

• Track electronic record ingestion, logical location, metadata, lifecycle status, and disposition eligibility.
• Provide a customer-facing portal for authorized Army users to view inventories, submit requests, and generate reports.
• Is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year, excluding scheduled maintenance.
• Support role-based access controls (RBAC) and detailed audit logging of all system and user activity.
• Provide an initial response to system errors or outages within one (1) business day of notification.

4.4 Digitization – Scanning, Storage, and Destruction

The service provider shall sort and/or prepare hard copy records for document scanning.  Scan hard copy files to electronic images ensuring a quality image follow production procedures and completing internal documentation & tracking indexing.

The service provider shall:

• Assume physical custody and be responsible for the appropriate care of the records storage for the duration the records are in the Contractor’s custody.
• Remediate issues experienced during the initial receipt such as damaged materials, missing records, or incorrect labels.

• Provide pallets (if necessary) for the physical delivery of boxes to be loaded and taken to their designated processing place within the facility.
• Prepare permanent electronic records and associated metadata for transfer to NARA.
• Ensure transfers meet NARA electronic record transfer requirements, including format, metadata, and validation standards.
• Provide documentation confirming successful accessioning and acceptance by NARA.
• Identify and destroy records that have met retention requirements and are eligible for disposition.
• Maintain complete documentation and audit trails for all disposition and destruction actions.

Additional optimal requirement:

4.5 Records Access and Retrieval

The service provider shall:

• Provide mechanism for authorized users (Government and the Public) to search, view, and retrieve electronic records through the system interface.
• Ensure all retrieval actions are logged, traceable, and auditable, including user identity, date, time, and action taken.
• Meet Army defined electronic retrieval and access timelines, as specified by the Government.
• Ensure retrieval activities do not compromise record integrity or retention controls.
• Develop electronic records inventory management, metadata control, and lifecycle tracking.

5.0 Requested Information.

The Department of the Army is seeking information on commercial capabilities to provide comprehensive services records as described in sections 3.0 through 4.5 for the retrieval, short-term storage, inventory, and digitization of military and civilian personnel and medical. The objective of this RFI is to understand industry's ability to meet the Army's requirements and to gather insights that may inform a future Request for Proposal (RFP).

1. 1.  Direct Response against the below items

• • Securely retrieve and transport hard-copy records and conduct a comprehensive inventory and formally in-process all records into a management system.
  • Store records in a climate-controlled repository with controlled access; implement safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the records; support Unclassified/ CUI records, with the capability to scale to higher classifications; and ensure data integrity, availability, and protection.
  • Track electronic record ingestion, logical location, metadata, lifecycle status, and disposition eligibility; provide a customer-facing portal for authorized users to view inventories; and support role-based access controls (RBAC).
  • Create permanent electronic records and associated metadata; prepare electronic records for transfer to NARA; and transfer to NARA meeting electronic record transfer requirements, including format, metadata, and validation standards.

Additional optimum requirement:

• • Provide permanent digital mechanism for authorized users (Government and the Public) to search, view, and retrieve electronic records through a system interface.

5.2 Information Required by All Respondents.

• • Respondent’s UEI number, CAGE code, organization name, address, points of contact by role, type of business (large or small) and socio-economic status (e.g., 8(a), HUBZone, etc.) pursuant to the applicable NAICS code, and contract vehicles (i.e., CHESS,GSA).
  • Respondent’s capabilities (section 5.1)
  • Respondent’s technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses.
  • Leadership POCs, emails and phone numbers.
  • Indicate your company ability to quickly follow-up with the Army regarding migration and environment landscape.   

6.0. How to submit a response.

The point of contact for this Notice is:

ESA – RFI Response Team:

usarmy.pentagon.hqda-cio.mbx.ESA-RFI@army.mil

Email responses to this Notice shall be sent to the attention of individual(s) listed in this Notice. 

Responses should be submitted electronically in PDF format no later than April 6, 2026. 

Terms and Conditions regarding this Notice:

Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. The USG will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate.  Further, the Government may contact the vendor for additional information regarding the information submitted as part of this market research effort. 

Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s qualifications to perform the work.  Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted.  After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Government Point of Entry or other similar source (e.g. GSA E-buy).  However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.

Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract or agreement.  The Government will not be obliged to pursue any acquisition alternative because of this notice.  Responses to the notice will not be returned and questions are not being taken.  Not responding to this notice does not preclude participation in any future solicitation if one is issued.

No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in responses to this Notice, unless otherwise appropriately marked by the Respondent. 

The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information received in response to this Notice in any resultant solicitation(s). 

Do Not Submit any Proposals/Offers in response to this Notice.

Place of Contract Performance: Fort Belvoir, Virginia; St. Louis, Missouri; and Contractor site.

Primary Points of Contact:

Mr. Sammy Hill

usarmy.pentagon.hqda-cio.mbx.ESA-RFI@army.mil

Ms. Joyce Luton

usarmy.pentagon.hqda-cio.mbx.ESA-RFI@army.mil