The Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Enterprise Digitalization and Case Management Office (EDCMO), as part of the Pilot IRS Program, has shared information on Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 procurement needs with industry partners and intends to issue solicitation for three technology solutions verticals.
The three technology verticals that support digitalization include:
- Extracting machine-readable data from low-resolution and poor-quality images;
- Digital intake and high-speed scanning, including as-a-service approaches; and
- AI, machine learning, and robotic process automation solutions.
“This posting will highlight potential use cases for each of the three technology verticals; these use cases are neither finalized nor the only examples of potential use cases,” wrote IRS. “They do, however, represent the types of challenges that the IRS is facing.”
The tax agency is aiming to accomplish three goals through these digitalization efforts, including: reducing its reliance on paper; increasing access to machine-readable data; and managing digital data to shift from low-value to high-value work and improve the taxpayer experience.
IRS notes that the first two goals in this mission address legacy and existing images and paper documents, “as well as new sets of images and paper that come to or are generated by the IRS during its normal course of business.” The third goal works to improve the efficacy and efficiency of IRS operations.
On procurement needs for FY21, those will fall into three major categories for EDCMO, including:
- Expiring contracts and re-compete needs, especially within the Case Management space;
- New contract needs, especially within the Enterprise Digitalization space; and
- Pilot activities, especially within the Enterprise Digitalization space.
“When combined, these needs total roughly $25-$50M in FY 2021. For many of these needs, EDCM will work to craft pricing and contract structure approaches that will reflect the flexibility and incentivization structure needed to be successful,” IRS wrote of these procurement needs.
Currently, IRS and EDCMO are not soliciting proposals or requesting comment on the information. Interested parties should instead monitor beta.sam.gov for updates.
