Vendor Q and A.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 23 KB Posted
- Attached to
- Civil Surgeon Credential Verification
- Solicitation number
- 70SBUR25Q00000057
About this file
The document is a Vendor Questions and Answers (Q&A) spreadsheet for Solicitation Number 70SBUR25Q00000057, a competitive procurement for Civil Surgeon Credential Verification services by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The solicitation seeks a small business contractor to provide comprehensive verification services for Civil Surgeons (MDs and DOs), including monthly and quarterly license monitoring, manual license verifications, and continuous monitoring of derogatory information through the National Practitioner Data Bank. The base period is from 06/01/2025 to 05/31/2026, with potential for up to 60 months of performance, and the previous incumbent was Verisys Corporation under Order 70SBUR20P00000019.
The Q&A document covers critical details such as verification methodologies, system access requirements, reporting expectations, and clarifications on contract line items (CLINs). Key requirements include performing all work within the USCIS network using Workplace as a Service (WPaaS), verifying up to 25,000 Civil Surgeon licenses annually, manually processing up to 1,000 license verifications, and conducting continuous monitoring of physician credentials. The solicitation is set aside for small businesses with a size standard of $19.5 million, and quotes are due by May 9, 2025, at 1 PM ET. Pricing will be based on actual volumes, with both mandatory and optional CLINs covering various verification and monitoring services.
View the file
Other files
On GovTribe
Work with this file
- Download the original file
- Contacts named in this file
- Similar government files
- Ask GovTribe AI about this file
Text version
Sheet1
| 70SBUR25Q00000057 - Civil Surgeon - Vendor Q & A | ||||||
| # | Question | Part # | Section | Page # | USCIS Response | Change to Solicitation? |
| 1 | What is the name of the incumbent contractor currently providing these services? The contract number and award value? The period of performance, including exercised option years? | N/A | N/A | N/A | Order 70SBUR20P00000019 was awarded to Verisys Corporation in the amount of $1,079,250.00. The period of performance was 2/1/2020 - 1/31/2025 including all exercised option years. | No |
| 2 | Will the Government provide incumbent staff information to the awarded vendor to ensure compliance with Executive Order 14055, "Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers Under Service Contracts," established a right of first refusal for service employees in federal service contracts? | N/A | N/A | N/A | Executive Order 14055 was rescinded on January 20, 2025. | No |
| 3 | Would [vendor developed software] be an acceptable solution to meet CLIN 0001 requirements in place of manual processing? | Solicitation | CLIN 0001 | 1 | No, Vendor shall not retain any data after the verification process is complete and the report has been received by USCIS. The contractor shall provide a written certification that the information has been removed from their system and all hard copies have been destroyed by an approved shredder. Under no circumstances shall Vendor share any data provided by USCIS, or data acquired in the verification process, with any other agency, entity or service. | No |
| 4 | Could you kindly elaborate on what is included in the "Full Analysis" of the 25,000 Civil Surgeon Licenses? Additionally, are there licenses referenced in other CLINs within this solicitation part of the same 25,000 licenses listed under CLIN 0002, or are these separate records? | Solicitation | CLIN 0002 | 1 | For the "Full Analysis" please refer to Attachment C - Statement of Work, Section 5- Scope. There are 4 states/territories that charge an additional fee and must be charged to 003-003AD and are included within the 25,000. | No |
| 5 | For CLIN 0003, would the 1,000 licenses referenced be separate from those listed in CLINs 0003AA through 0003AD, or are they included in the same pool? | Solicitation | CLIN 0003 | 1 | There are four (4) states /territories that charge an additional fee and must be charged to 0003-0003AD and are included within the 1,000 licenses. | No |
| 6 | We understand that CLIN 0005 and 0006 are optional, but we currently verify and send expirable reminders for items beyond board certifications including education, training and CPR/BLS renewals for other clients. Would we be permitted to include costs for these services, regardless of the optional note in the solicitation? | Solicitation | CLIN 0005/0006 | 1 | No. Until the regulations are published, no further information can be verified. | No. |
| 7 | Can a subcontractor be used for license verification if they obtain verifications from the Pimary Licensing Verification Sources as defined in the solicitation? | Attachment A- Terms and Conditions | FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation | 40 | Yes. However, if a subcontractor is utilized for license verification, submitted response must indicate whether the contract references provided for Factor #1 - Experience are contracts managed by the Prime or the subcontractor. Vendor shall also indicate which tasks will be completed by the Prime and which will be handled by the subcontractor. | No. |
| 8 | Will the Government accept commercial experience for Factor 1? | Attachment A- Terms and Conditions | FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation | 40 | The Government has not mandated that Government experience is required (reference Addendum (1) to 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS). However, offerors should note that their experience will be evaluated based on providing equivalent or similar services, which the solicitation has implied as government contracts providing similar scope and services under Factor 1 - Experience (reference FAR 52.212-2 EVALUATION - COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (NOV 2021)). | No. |
| 9 | The SOW states that Report A is due “each Monday following the date the TPOC provides data for upload.” For quarterly verification cycles involving over 6,000 Civil Surgeon records, does this mean the vendor must submit the entire Report A within, at most, 5 business days of receiving the upload file? Please clarify as this does not seem feasible. Confirmation of the intended timeline is essential for staffing and operational planning. | Attachment C - Statement of Work | Section7 - Deliverables | A-8 | Yes, Report A is due as specified in Section 7- Deliverables | No. |
| 10 | Can USCIS confirm whether Excel macros, browser-based automation tools (e.g., autofill extensions), or repetitive task aids are permitted within the WPaaS environment for preparing Report A and other deliverables? These tools would only be used to streamline actions within publicly accessible websites, not for data transfer or external scripting. | Attachment C - Statement of Work | Section 6 - General Requirements, subsection 6.2 | A-7 | Excel Macros could work within WPaaS environment. Browser based automation tools may need a USCIS IT request to be utilized. | No. |
| 11 | Given the requirement that all work must be performed within the USCIS network and no data may be transferred externally, can USCIS confirm whether or not API-based scripts or tools that connect to external licensing databases or board certification platforms are permitted under this contract? | Attachment C - Statement of Work | Section 6 - General Requirements, subsection 6.2 | A-7 | API-based scripts or tools are not permitted. | Yes. Attachment C- Statement of Work, Section 6 - General Requirements, subsection 6.2 has been revised |
| 12 | Can USCIS confirm whether the license numbers provided in the quarterly verification file will exactly match the license number formats used by the respective state medical boards? This would ensure compatibility for any automated or semi-automated cross-reference methods involving downloadable state board datasets. | Attachment C - Statement of Work | Section 5- Scope, subsection 5.3 | A-6 | The license numbers are provided by civil surgeons. USCIS inputs them in the verification files based on what they submit. If they are not submitted in the formats that exactly match the individual state medical boards, the license numbers in the verification files may not exactly match the formats used by the respective state medical boards. | No. |
| 13 | As a private vendor, we understand that direct querying of the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) is restricted and typically limited to authorized entity types under federal regulations. The SOW requires continuous monitoring of derogatory information via the NPDB, but does not specify how vendors will be authorized or credentialed to query. Will USCIS designate the vendor as its agent or otherwise facilitate access credentials to legally enable continuous NPDB monitoring and compliance with Section 5.2? | Attachment C - Statement of Work | Section 5 - Scope, subsections 5.2 and 5.2.1 | A-3, A-4 | Yes, the vendor will be given access to the National Benefits Center's NPDB account to administrate. | No. |
| 14 | For verification of board certifications through ABMS, AOA, or ABPS, should vendors register under their own organizational name and bear the subscription/access costs? Or will USCIS provide access credentials, or allow registration as an official agent of the government? Please also confirm if vendors should assume public-facing per-record fees (e.g., $40 per ABPS record), or if alternative pricing is available or expected. | Attachment C - Statement of Work | Section 5 - Scope, subsection 5.3.2 | A-6 | Vendors should register under their own organization and assume any subscription / access fees | No. |
| 15 | If the proportion of records requiring manual follow-up (Report B), expired/non-renewed status (Report C), or unresolved exceptions (Report D) is higher than the typical average (e.g., above 15% combined), will USCIS consider extending the reporting deadlines to allow sufficient time for accurate resolution and documentation? | Attachment C - Statement of Work | Section 7 - Deliverables | A-8 | This has historically never been an issue, and can be presented and discussed with the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and the Office of Contracting (OCON) should the problem arise. | No. |
| 16 | For optional CLINs 0005 and 0006 related to MD and DO board certification verifications, can USCIS clarify whether vendors are expected to obtain full physician certification profiles (including certification dates, specialties, and issuing board) or if a yes/no confirmation of current board certification status is sufficient? | Attachment C - Statement of Work | Section 5- Scope | A-5 and A-6 | Refer to Subsection 5.3.2 | No |
| 17 | Will vendors be permitted to use basic data processing and analysis tools such as Excel formulas (e.g., VLOOKUP), PowerQuery, or CSV merge functions within the WPaaS environment to facilitate comparison of USCIS records against state-published license datasets, where available? | Attachment C - Statement of Work | Section 6- General Requirements, subsection 6.2 | A-7 | Excel formulas, PowerQuery or CSV functions could work within WPaaS environment | No. |
| 18 | How many unduplicated licenses - included those in Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Mariana Islands are covered in this solicitation? | Attachment C - Statement of Work | Section 5- Scope, subsection 5.1.2 | A-3 | Refer to Question #26 - Historical Amounts. | No. |
| 19 | Will the Government provide reimbursement for travel to pick up PIV cards? What office(s) will be used to obtain PIV cards? | Attachment C - Statement of Work | Section 6 - General Requirements, subsection 6.2 | A-7 | Travel within 50 miles of a USCIS office will not be reimbursed. An appointment will be scheduled at the closest available USCIS office. | No |
| 20 | Will Program Management be expected to attend meetings in specific locations or will all meetings have a virtual option? | Attachment C - Statement of Work | Section 6 - General Requirements, subsection 6.2 | A-7 | Meetings will be held virtually; the only in-person requirement will be appointments to pick up PIV cards. | No |
| 21 | What equipment will the contractor be required to provide and what will be Government furnished equipment (GFE) | Attachment C - Statement of Work | Section 6 - General Requirements, subsections 6.2 and 6.4 | A-7 | Please refer to Attachment C - Statement of Work, Sections 6.2 and 6.4 regarding GFE and contractor provided equipment. | No |
| 22 | Will the Government supply a dedicated telephone number, or will the Contractor need to obtain and maintain one? | Attachment C - Statement of Work | Section 6.2 - General Requirements | A-7 | Please refer to Attachment C - Statement of Work, Sections 6.2 and 6.4 regarding GFE and contractor provided equipment. | No |
| 23 | Does the Government have position descriptions associated with this effort? If so, can you please provide. | Attachment C - Statement of Work | Section 6.4 - General Requirements | A-7 | The Government does not have position descriptions for this effort. | No |
| 24 | What is the number of anticipated personnel needed for this effort? | Attachment C - Statement of Work | Section 6.4 - General Requirements | A-7 | Appropriate staffing levels are up to the discretion of the vendor. | No |
| 25 | We assume that when the solicitation (Attachment A, page A-7) says that contractors are not "permitted to transfer files outside of the USCIS network for processing" and that "[u]nder no circumstances shall the Contractor share any data gathered/obtained with any other agency, entity, or service," that the "files" and "data" under consideration here are the work products, reports, and results of verifications in this work. We assume that, since our solution uses a data service outside of the USCIS network, we will necessarily need to use data from USCIS to perform our verification tasks. Is our assumption correct? | Attachment C - Statement of Work | Section 6.2- General Requirements | A-7 | The vendor will use Work Place as a System (WPaaS) to obtain data and perform the tasks on the USCIS network. | No. |
| 26 | Could the government please provide historical unit amounts of the type of reports ordered? | Attachment C - Statement of Work | Section 5.1.2 - Scope | A-3 | Historical amounts listed below. | |
| Description | Quantity | |||||
| Monthly monitoring and reporting for expiring Civil Surgeon licenses as outlined in the SOW (FFP) - Billing based on actuals | 253 | |||||
| Quarterly monitoring and reporting for full analysis of Civil Surgeon licenses as outlined in the SOW (FFP) - Billing base on actuals | 5,190 | |||||
| Civil Surgeon license verification that are manually processed as outlined in the SOW - up to 1,000 annually (FFP) - Billing based on actuals | 250 | |||||
| Civil Surgeon license verifications that are manually processed for Marina Islands which charges a manual verification fee - up to 5 annually (FFP) - Billing based on actuals | 10 | |||||
| Civil Surgeon license verifications that are manually processed for Mississippi which charges a manual verification fee - up to 50 annually (FFP) - Billing based on actuals | 45 | |||||
| Civil Surgeon license verifications that are manually processed for Puerto Rico which charges a manual verification fee - up to 50 annually (FFP) - Billing based on actuals | 50 | |||||
| Civil Surgeon license verifications that are manually processed for South Dakota which charges a manual verification fee - up to 40 annually (FFP) - Billing based on actuals | 24 | |||||
| Continuous monitoring and reporting of M.D.'s and D.O.'s derogatory information/ adverse actions through the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) as outlined in the SOW - (FFP) Billing based on actuals | 5,190 | |||||
| 27 | The Wage Determination information in Attachment A shows information for Kansas/Missouri. Is this where the current staff are located? Will the Contractor be required to work in this area or will remote work from other locations be allowed? | Attachment D - Wage Determination | The wage determination is based on the location of the program office requesting the service. Remote work is allowed under this effort. | No | ||
| 28 | Can USCIS provide an average estimated processing time for Enter-On-Duty (EOD) background determinations? This will help vendors properly plan onboarding and training timelines for core and surge staff. | Attachment F - Security Clause 5 | Fitness Determination | 1 | Timelines will vary for processing each security package. If the contract employee has already been cleared by another federal agency or is transferring from another contract, the timeframe will be shorter than a new employee. | Yes- Attachment F- Security Clause 5 has been incorporated into the solicitation |
| 29 | Please clarify the level of security clearance or security risk level (e.g., Tier 1) that would be required for vendor staff to pass a final suitability determination. | Attachment F - Security Clause 5 | General | 1 | Please refer to Attachment F - Security Requirements | Yes- Attachment F- Security Clause 5 has been incorporated into the solicitation |
| 30 | Is prior government approval required before surge support staff may access the WPaaS system? If so, should vendors anticipate additional onboarding or suitability review time for part-time surge workers, and will this affect delivery timelines? | Attachment F - Security Clause 5 | Fitness Determination | 1 | Yes, all contractor staff must receive an EOD determination prior to having access to Workplace as a Service (WPaaS). | Yes- Attachment F- Security Clause 5 has been incorporated into the solicitation |
| 31 | Can USCIS clarify the average processing timeline for issuing Personal Identity Verification (PIV) cards for new contractor personnel? If there are delays in the PIV issuance process that are outside the control of the vendor, will delivery deadlines for the required reports (Reports A–D) be adjusted accordingly to account for onboarding and system access delays? | Attachment F - Security Clause 5 | Continued Eligibility | 3-4 | Once a contrator employee has received a favorable EOD determination, an appointment will be scheduled to obtain a PIV card at the nearest USCIS office. Timelines will vary depending on the office and availability. Work will not begin on the order until the awarded vendor has staff cleared. | Yes- Attachment F- Security Clause 5 has been incorporated into the solicitation |
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .