RFI for Social Security Television (SSTV) Network
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION.SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION.SSA OFC OF ACQUISITION GRANTS · Response deadline: Thu, 22 Oct 2026
What the government is buying
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for the Social Security Television (SSTV) Network. This is a market research tool rather than a formal contract award, designed to help the agency understand industry capabilities, available solutions, and potential approaches before developing a full solicitation.
The SSTV Network relates to broadcasting and video distribution services—work that falls under information technology and telecommunications professional services. NAICS 541519 covers "Other Computer Related Services," which includes specialized IT consulting, systems integration, and technology infrastructure support not classified elsewhere. For this notice, that points to technical design, implementation, and management of video content delivery systems. See the solicitation for specific technical requirements, scope, and any anticipated contract structure.
Key facts
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Agency | Social Security Administration, Office of Acquisition & Grants |
| Notice type | Solicitation (RFI) |
| Solicitation number | 28321327RI0000002 |
| NAICS | 541519 — Other Computer Related Services |
| Set-aside | None specified |
| Response deadline | October 22, 2026, 1:00 PM EDT |
| Place of performance | Not specified in metadata |
Who can bid
This opportunity carries no small-business set-aside, meaning it is open to all businesses regardless of size. Both large and small businesses may submit RFI responses.
Small businesses without set-aside protection will face direct competition from large firms with extensive broadcasting and IT infrastructure experience. However, the RFI format offers value: even if your firm is not selected for eventual award, your response shapes requirements and positions you for the follow-on solicitation. Consider whether you qualify for other SBA programs (8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB) that might apply to future set-aside versions of this requirement.
Firms with capabilities in IP television systems, content delivery networks, video encoding/transcoding, SSA studio operations, or federal broadcast infrastructure should evaluate whether to respond. The lack of set-aside suggests SSA anticipates a complex, enterprise-scale requirement requiring substantial technical and organizational capacity.
How to put together a competitive bid
For an RFI on a television network, focus on demonstrating relevance and capability rather than detailed pricing:
Demonstrate federal broadcast or video delivery experience. Highlight contracts with civilian agencies, military broadcast services (AFRTS), or other government video networks. Describe your experience with secure, closed-circuit, or internal television distribution systems if applicable.
Address operational scale. SSA operates nationwide with field offices, teleservice centers, and hearings offices. Describe how your proposed architecture would scale to hundreds or thousands of endpoints, support live and recorded content, and integrate with SSA's existing IT infrastructure.
Emphasize reliability and accessibility. Federal agencies require high availability and Section 508 compliance. Detail your approach to redundant systems, captioning, multilingual support, and assistive technology compatibility.
Propose flexible acquisition approaches. RFIs often seek feedback on contracting strategies—firm-fixed-price, task-order vehicles, shared services, or government-owned/contractor-operated models. Offer informed recommendations with trade-off analysis.
Request follow-on engagement. Use your RFI response to secure a one-on-one industry day, capabilities briefing, or draft RFP review opportunity.
Next steps
Read the full solicitation on SAM.gov using solicitation number 28321327RI0000002. Confirm response format requirements, any security clearance needs, and whether SSA will host an industry briefing. Note that responses are due October 22, 2026, by 1:00 PM Eastern Time—verify whether electronic submission through SAM.gov or another portal is required, as this metadata does not specify submission method. Monitor SAM.gov for issuance of a draft or final solicitation following this RFI.
View the official notice on SAM.gov →