70RSAT26RFI000029 (RSLF-26-00109) - RFI.pdf

NOTICE ID: 70RSAT26RFI000029

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

Department of Homeland Security(DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate

Identity Documents Validation

FY26

NOTE: THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and market research planning purposes. This RFI shall not be construed as an obligation on the part of the Government. This is NOT a Request for Quotations or Proposals. No solicitation document exists, and the Government may or may not issue a formal solicitation as a result of the responses received to this RFI.

The Government will not pay for any response or demonstration expenses. All costs incurred responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party's expense. Failure to respond to this RFI will not preclude participation in any future solicitation. Any information received will become the property of the Government and will not be returned to the submitter. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or sensitive information.

The Government’s explicit intent, in this request for information, is to not receive from respondents any proprietary data, trade secrets, business sensitive information, or information considered CONFIDENTIAL under 18 U.S.C. §1905. The Government’s constraint does not in any way relieve contractors from their responsibility to properly mark proprietary data when it is provided, nor does it alleviate any requirement for the Government to protect marked data. The Government is not obligated to protect unmarked data.

The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. All submissions become the property of the Federal Government and will not be returned.

Government technical experts drawn from staff within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other federal agencies may review responses. The Government may use selected support Contractor personnel to assist in the review of the RFI responses. These support Contractors will be bound by appropriate non-disclosure agreements to protect proprietary information.

I. PURPOSE OF THIS RFI

The purpose of this RFI is to collect information from qualified and interested sources with the capability and experience of providing services identified in the RFI.

II. BACKGROUND/DESCRIPTION

The U.S. DHS is committed to using cutting-edge technologies and scientific talent in its efforts to make the United States of America safer. In achieving this vision, the mission of the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) (under the umbrella of the S&T) is to serve as a federal laboratory for the applied research, development, integration, and validation of leading-edge science and technology for first responders around the United States.

NUSTL seeks to maintain their International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 Certified Laboratory Single Site – Single Certificate. The current certification is due to expire on August 30, 2026.

Refer to the “Requirements” section of the scope of work for a more detailed breakdown of dates. This requirement includes one (1) recertification in year 2026, one (1) surveillance audit in year 2027, and one

(1) surveillance audit in year 2028 for a total of three years. The scope of certification is the provision of research and development services and testing, evaluations, and operational assessments of security technologies for the national first responder community.

III. QUESTIONS FOR INDUSTRY

CAPABILITY AREAS RESPONSE

YES NO BRIEF COMMENTS (300

words or less) Have at least one year experience with auditing federal laboratories, business practices and quality management systems

Demonstrate an understanding of the differences between R&D and T&E work as separate and distinct service offerings

Be versed in service driven outputs and auditing practices – not solely manufactured goods, to be considered qualified based on NUSTL’s business practices

Conduct re-certification audit during week of August 24th thru 28th, 2026

Lead auditor shall be an ISO:9001 Certified Lead Auditor

IV. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Responses from all interested sources are encouraged to respond. Responses shall be a maximum of three

(3) pages and shall include a cover letter with the following information:

1) Response to RFI Notice 70RSAT26RFI000029

2) Company Legal Business name and Physical address;

3) Identify business socio-economic status to include 8(a) status;

4) Recommend the NAICS Code most aligned with the requirement;

5) Company points of contact including phone numbers and email addresses;

6) A comprehensive response that addresses Section II and Section III as delineated above;

7) Identify if your firm currently holds any Government contracting vehicles to include Best-in-

Class (BIC) vehicles (e.g. 8 (a) STARS III, Alliant 2, VETS 2, POLARIS, NITAAC, and GSA MAS contracts, etc.), to include the applicable contract number; and

8) Identify if your company would be interested in competing for this requirement as the prime contractor;

9) Provide resume(s) of qualified auditor(s) for review.

Submissions shall be made using Microsoft Office applications. Font shall not be smaller than 12-point Times New Roman.

All Responses shall be submitted to the Office of Procurement Operations (OPO) at the following email address: Contracting Officer (CO) Jason Rios (jason.rios@hq.dhs.gov) and Contract Specialist (CS) Dorothy Woolfolk (dorothy.woolfolk@hq.dhs.gov) no later than August 3, 2026.

Note: The Government reserves the right to hold one-on-one meetings as a result of responses received from this RFI as part of its market research. Meetings may be held with companies who provide comprehensive and relevant responses to the topic and questions in this notice.