AI Website Search Support and Maintenance Services

Purpose

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) is seeking quotations for the provision of support and maintenance services for the AI Search capability operating on dva.gov.au. This RFQ is focused on securing vendor services to ensure continuity, stability, and optimal performance of the existing solution, beyond the initial build and implementation activities.

Background

DVA has deployed an AI-powered search solution designed to improve discoverability and accessibility of information for veterans and their families. The system combines a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) model with a web index, drawing on both structured and unstructured content (including PDFs and web pages) to provide contextual, plain-language responses.

The solution operates within the public-facing web environment, under DVA’s security, privacy, and accessibility obligations. It integrates with existing website infrastructure, including hosting arrangements, content management systems, and caching/CDN layers. The AI Search platform is dependent on regular updates to its underlying models and indexes, as well as careful monitoring to ensure relevance, accuracy, and responsiveness.

Scope

This RFQ seeks quotations for:

• Provision of vendor support services for the operational AI Search platform.
• Regular maintenance activities, including system monitoring, performance optimisation, and index refreshes.
• Application of security patches, bug fixes, and minor enhancements to sustain functionality.
• Incident response, troubleshooting, and escalation procedures.
• Highly responsive support arrangements, including telephone support for urgent issues.
• Defined minimum response times, for example:
• Critical issues (e.g., service outage) acknowledged within 30 minutes and addressed with an immediate workaround or fix within hours.
• High priority issues responded to within a few hours and resolved by the next business day.
• Lower priority issues such as cosmetic or minor functional defects resolved within the next scheduled maintenance cycle.
• Regular reporting on performance, issues addressed, and recommended system improvements.

Objectives

The objectives of this RFQ are to:

• Secure professional support and maintenance arrangements tailored to the AI Search environment.
• Ensure continuity of service and timely resolution of technical or operational issues, including urgent matters requiring immediate telephone support.
• Provide DVA with transparency regarding service levels, response times, and escalation pathways.
• Maintain alignment with evolving security, accessibility, and user experience standards.
• Sustain the AI Search capability in a way that supports DVA’s long-term digital strategy and user needs.