Attachment 1 - VPO - SOW_20250827.doc

Fogarty International Center

Passport/Visa Services for the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services Statement of Work (SOW)

As a part of carrying out its mission, FIC supports the NIH, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and several other HHS agencies through the processing of official and diplomatic passports, as well as visas obtained through foreign embassies. The estimated volume of work is 4,000-5,000 official/diplomatic passport and visa applications per year.

Statement of Work

The contractor shall have the knowledge, capability and experience to provide passport/visa and courier services for official and diplomatic travel. The contractor will provide passport and visa consulting and courier services to assist the requesting agency with passport and visa application processing. The contractor shall provide services for the delivery and pick-up of passports, visas, and other documentation to and from various foreign embassies and consulates, federal agencies (Special Issuance Agency and Department of State headquarters), and other designated locations within the Washington, DC metro area. Return delivery method to requesting agency may be at the discretion of the contractor, e.g., contract employee, courier, or secure delivery service such as Federal Express.

A critical element of this requirement is the contractor’s ability to provide expedited handling of time-sensitive passport and visa requests to secure documents on short notice. It is important that the requesting agency staff who manage the visa/passport function be able to reach the contractor by telephone between the hours of 9:00am to 5:00pm ET weekdays to obtain immediate information, advice, and updates on pending applications.

Specific Requirements

· Daily delivery of processed passports and visas to the following HHS Agencies facilities:

John E. Fogarty International Center National Institutes of Health 31 Center Dr MSC 2220, Building 31, Room B2C05 Bethesda, MD 20892

US Food and Drug Administration – White Oak 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Building 31, Room 3504 Silver Spring, MD 20993

· Process official and diplomatic passport applications through the Special Issuance Agency (SIA), Department of State (DOS), including submission of applications and retrieval of completed passports on a biweekly schedule.

· Return DOS Special Issuance Passport Application No-Fee Transmittal (DS-7691) to agency within 2 business days of submission.

· Process visa applications through the appropriate foreign embassies or consulates, including daily delivery and pick-up, and prioritize processing based on the travelers’ departure dates or upon agency request.

· Review all visa and passport applications for accuracy and completeness. If possible, correct errors, if not, expeditiously notify requestor of missing requirements.

· Provide expedited handling of time-sensitive passport and visa requests, including those initiated upon agency request.

· Track applications to assure that passports with appropriate visas are returned to the requestor prior to travelers’ scheduled departure dates and provide Agency with prompt updates regarding any actual or anticipated processing delays.

· Keep logs of documents delivered to the Special Issuance Agency (SIA), embassies and other destinations and then, based on these logs, pick-up the completed documentation from SIA or embassy and return to the requesting agency to minimize turnaround time and delays.

· Provide visa applications or instructions (obtained from foreign embassies) as required.

· Provide expert advice on requirements for obtaining visas for all countries included in travel by any HHS employees.

· Provide and continuously update agency staff on foreign embassy visa requirements.

· Provide services for obtaining visas in foreign passports, when personal appearance by applicant is not required.

· Provide ability to accept credit card or check payments and provide their requisite receipts if a traveler pays for visa processing fees or additional services not covered by the requesting agency.

· Provide ability to send completed documents directly to traveler, upon request of agency, with agency-provided FedEx/UPS air bill.

· Provide secure handling of all documents to prevent loss, ensure privacy of information contained in documents, and provide tracking of documents.

· Provide a secure holding place for passports, passport/visa applications, and other documents, if delivery or return cannot be made during operating hours.

· Provide qualified back-up personnel as necessary to maintain continuity of operations without disruption.

· A measure of success to be used will be timely status reporting.

· Provide timely services in accordance with agency requirements.

· Provide timely response to agency inquiries.

· Demonstrate the ability to identify and solve technical problems and challenges in a timely and cost-effective manner; and demonstrate the ability to work out technical issues in a spirit of professionalism, respect, and trust.

Reporting Requirements

· Provide semiweekly status reports of passports and visas picked up and submitted, including estimated embassy pick-up dates and anticipated embassy submission dates (when advance embassy appointment required). Provide ad-hoc reports upon request.

· Provide monthly reports with a breakdown of detailed information for each request to include a summary of requested services and costs associated. Final report should include the following information:

1. Agency (NIH or FDA).

2. Agency (Point of Contact).

3. Traveler’s Name.

4. Traveler’s Institute/Center

5. Date Received.

6. Departure Date.

7. Type of Service.

8. Cost.

Contract Transition

· The contractor will work with Agency Point of Contact (POC) to finalize all open requests that are pending completion.

· Provide a list of all passport applications pending with the Special Issuance Agency.

· Closeout all pending visa application within 30 days after the completion of services.

· Forward all Agency related/relevant communications to the Agency POC.

Reviewed 08/27/2025