A08 RFI - Retailer Investigations 3-8-2021.docx

United States Department of Agriculture

Food and Nutrition Service

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), Retailer Operations and Compliance (ROC)

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

(SNAP)

Retailer Investigation Project

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

Version 1.0

March 8, 2021

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION/ MARKET RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE

1.0 Description

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), Retailer Operations and Compliance (ROC) is seeking experienced vendors/contractor sources for certified/licensed investigators to perform retailer investigations, simultaneously or redeployed as needed, in all 50 States and other U.S. territories for stores currently authorized to accept benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The objective of the Retailer Investigation Project is to reduce the number of fraudulent retailers and increase the awareness of zero tolerance toward fraud within the retailer communities. See DRAFT Performance Work Statement attached.

The vendor/contractor shall deploy certified undercover investigators to:

1) Investigate retailers ,through undercover investigations, stores that have been identified and reviewed by FNS and are suspected of committing SNAP fraud;

2) Suggest ways of identifying new methods of investigating possible fraudulent retailers;

3) Determine other stores in the neighborhood, if any, that might be committing fraud; and work with state and local law enforcement and government partners in investigating SNAP fraud as directed by FNS.

The USDA is seeking information from the industry regarding nation-wide and State- licensed undercover investigation services. Companies responding to this RFI should be currently providing program integrity and compliant undercover investigation services and have experience providing these services in an undercover capacity to similar large and complex nation-wide entities or nation-wide government agencies.

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes - it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This RFI does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, the USDA is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Responders are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party's expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this requirement.

Part I. Business Information Please provide the following business information for your company/institution and for any teaming or joint venture partners:

· Company/Institute Name:

· Address:

· Point of Contact:

· CAGE Code:

· Phone Number:

· Email Address:

· Web Page URL:

· Which North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code do you believe is most appropriate for this requirement?

· Are you able to provide a cataloged price list of your products?

· Does your company have a current GSA Schedule? If so, please provide the GSA Contract number.

Based on the above NAICS Code, state whether your company is:

Part II. Capability Survey Questions

Please review the draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) and provide responses to the following questions:

1. Briefly describe your company’s capabilities to perform services as it relates to the Draft PWS (i.e. current capabilities to conduct undercover investigations by State individually licensed undercover investigators in all 50 States and U.S. territories concurrently).

2. Briefly describe the experience of current staff (not contracted or 1099 staff) as it relates to licensed undercover investigations.

3. What services can your company provide? What service packages are offered?

4. What is the optimal cost model for this type of work?

5. Is the current PWS detailed enough to provide a Firm Fixed Price?

6. Briefly describe the experience of current staff as it relates to undercover investigations.

7. Demonstrate that your company has sufficient and comprehensive diversity among your staff to blend into the local market and community where an investigation will occur anywhere in the nation. Examples would include rural areas, urban areas, and ethnic communities.

8. For safety, security, and operational purposes, demonstrate that your company can track your licensed investigators’ activities and location throughout the undercover investigation.

9. To avoid disruption of services, provide demonstrate that your company can adapt its comprehensive undercover investigations to changing environments (e.g., adapt your comprehensive undercover investigations to a COVID19 type environment.

10. For agility and mission needs, demonstrate that your company can conduct between 5,500 and 5,700 comprehensive undercover investigations per year, anywhere in the country, and if needed, can also conduct a majority of the comprehensive undercover investigations in a particular geographic region such as the west coast or the northeast.

Interested parties must submit responses, via email, to Contract Specialist, Vanessa Boger-Wallace, Contractor at vanessa.boger-wallace@usda.gov and cc Contracting Officer, Antoine Boissonniere at antoine.boissonniere@usda.gov. The subject of the email shall be titled RFI “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Retailer Investigation Project,” no later than 12:00 pm NOON ET, Monday, March 22, 2021. Respondents will not be notified of the result of the review.

Do NOT send proprietary information. All submissions will become Government property and will not be returned.

PLEASE NOTE: INFORMATION OBTAINED IN RESPONSE TO THIS RFI WILL BE USED TO ASSIST THE GOVERNMENT IN DEFINING ITS REQUIREMENT AND DEVELOPING A REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT.

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