Compiled Uniform Vendor Interview Notes -Final.docx

Compiled Vendor Interview Notes Contract Description

This is an approximately 120-million-dollar contract per year over 8 years. CBP orders about $65 Million dollars’ worth of items, TSA orders about $47 Million dollars’ worth of items, and the remaining agencies such as ICE and USSS make up the rest. Multiple DHS agencies order through this contract including: CBP, TSA, ICE, FLETC, USSS, USCG, FPS, FEMA, CISA, and FDA. The contract has 1600-1800 items or SKUs (Stock Keeping Units), and we order approximately 2,000,000 items per year. The RFP issued in 2019 is still online and we recommend looking at it as it contains a lot of relevant information.

The upcoming RFP will be similar. There are currently two primary ways of ordering uniforms through the contract. The first is through allowance accounts. CBP and TSA are the larger entities that use allowance accounts, the remainder of the components order via bulk. TSA uses a hybrid model where they issue 3 sets of uniforms and provide an allowance for employees. CBP provides an average allowance of $1,100 for the 50,000 employees who receive an allowance. As mentioned second method of placing orders is through one-off bulk purchases. Bulk purchase orders are placed by UMC to fulfill a large and immediate need from dozens, hundreds, or thousands of employees in the workforce. For example, we will place a bulk order when large amounts of uniforms need to be replaced due to a design update, or to fulfill certain additional items at the academy not covered under the contract. These orders are typically shipped to a single location and are placed with a Delivery Order that will specify the timelines for delivery. Allowance orders have to be shipped within 7 calendar days. The contract requirement is that 90% will have to be shipped within 7 calendar days. Other contract highlights:

· For DHS, most items on the contract are Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) items.

· DHS is subject to the Kissell Amendment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which requires DHS to honor trade agreements, so the number of countries is reduced, but not to the point of Berry requirements for DOD.

· The vendor is required to provide Quartermaster Services for the 4,500 CBP students at the Artesia, NM and Glynco, GA FLETC locations.

Individual Allowance Accounts, Bulk Purchase Orders, and Uniform Distribution

1. Vendor: How are uniforms ordered by DHS employees? Can you talk about the difference between allowance account orders vs. bulk purchases?

UMC: There are two types of uniform orders: bulk purchases, individual allowance account purchases. Bulk purchases account for $30-$40 million dollars’ worth of orders annually (for all of DHS), and individual allowance purchases account for $75-$80 million dollars’ worth of orders annually. In addition, initial issuance at the academies is another $9 million dollars’ worth of orders. Bulk purchases are large, one-off purchases made by the field, often when there is a change in uniform. When this occurs, the previous uniform will continue to be sold until its inventory is depleted. CBP academies also utilize bulk purchases when uniform items need to be ordered for graduating classes. Individual allowance purchases are purchases made by the employees using the ordering portal to order individual uniform items to their respective duty locations.

2. Vendor: What are the delivery time requirements for bulk purchases vs. individual allowance account purchases?

UMC: Bulk purchase delivery times are negotiated on a case-by-case basis. For allowance orders, 90% of them must be shipped within 7 calendar days of an employee placing the order.

3. Vendor: Where are the uniforms distributed?

UMC: Individual allowance account orders are delivered to the employee’s office. The employee’s office is a pre-identified secure location. The delivery location for bulk purchases varies and is negotiated on a case-by-case basis. The government would expect a discount on bulk-orders that need to be shipped to few locations.

4. Vendor: Who manages the receival of bulk orders?

UMC: The receival of bulk orders is managed by the entity who placed the order. The entity can be located anywhere in the United States.

5. Vendor: What is each employee’s allowance account amount?

UMC: On average, CBP employees have $1,100 per person. TSA employees have approximately $400 per person. The allowance amount varies depending on the type of role an employee is fulfilling. Additionally, there can be changes to these amounts over the period of performance of the contract depending on each agency’s situation. IN most cases, these changes will be an increase to the amount.

6. Vendor: How much of their allowance amounts do agents typically spend?

UMC: On average, employees spend 97% of their allowance allocation. 40% of allowance amounts will be spent during the first 40 days of the website opening, and another 20-30% will be spent during the last 30 days that the website be open.

7. Vendor: Do most allowance account orders go to duty stations?

UMC: Yes, all allowance account orders are sent to authorized duty locations. There are about 2,000 duty stations. Employees order uniform items online using their allowance accounts, and these items are shipped to authorized duty locations. In emergencies, orders are processed through a separate tool that the government maintains in-house called the Non-Website Ordering system.

8. Vendor: If an employee is transferred to a different duty location, will they have access to products specific to their new role?

UMC: Employees will only have access to products relevant to their job requirements. The allowance account designation will indicate which items they can access, as documented on a list.

Current Challenges

9. Vendor: Are there any issues or challenges with the current contract?

UMC: There are issues with PFAS legislation in New York and California. Additionally, there is difficulty finding an extreme cold weather kit because we do not order enough to meet most minimum buy requirements. Additionally, the biggest challenge has been the supply chain due to COVID-19. We’re also experiencing various challenges with Cold Weather gear, poly wool cotton, and PFAS. Finally, we have difficulty with properly fitting female employees, in fact a significant portion of females wear male uniforms as they fit them better.

10. Vendor: Is the contract subject to restrictions?

UMC: We are subject to restrictions due to international trade agreements, Kissell and the HOPR Act. TSA items have additional restrictions as TSA is subject to NAFTA and the Chilean Agreement. When NAFTA was recently renegotiated as USMCA, TSA items could no longer be sourced from Mexico (or Canada).

11. Vendor: What are some challenges you face when it comes to agreements or state law?

UMC: Unlike DOD, the Berry Amendment does not apply to this contract. However, we are regulated by Kissell. We must treat countries that are TAA compliant the same way we would treat domestic suppliers. TSA items are unique because they must almost all be sourced domestically, which has increased prices recently (moving from NAFTA/Mexico to USMCA/Domestic resulted in a 90% increase in pricing). Regarding state laws, PFAS has been an issue as California and New York outlaw products with PFAS. Remember that the vendor is responsible for the distribution of uniforms. Finally, we are also regulated by the Homeland Procurement Reform (HOPR) Act, which directs DHS to ensure 30% or more of obligations go to small businesses and has some additional reporting requirements for DHS.

12. Vendor: As we bid on this contract, should we assume that all items must exclude PFAS?

UMC: The vendor is responsible for shipping items to their respective locations, and sometimes that includes locations in New York and California where PFAS is banned. Some of our uniform items such as PPE, waterproof items, cold weather gear, have PFAS chemicals and we have not been able to find a good alternative. However, the vendor is still required to ship to these areas, so finding acceptable PFAS alternatives would be recommended so the vendor can comply with the terms of the contract.

13. Vendor: Does the workforce go through more uniforms due to PFAS issues?

UMC: Not necessarily. Most of our uniform items do not contain PFAS. The durability of items is always on top of mind, but at this point it is unclear how PFAS will affect this.

14. Vendor: How important is PFAS compliance?

UMC: PFAS is an issue and is already impacting us in states like California and New York. It is the vendor's responsibility to find alternatives, as this issue affects manufacturers and the market space.

15. Vendor: Can we receive PFAS exemptions or Kissell exemptions for certain items?

UMC: Only 3 of our 1,600-1,800 items have exemptions from Kissell. It is very difficult to receive exemptions. However, if you will require exemptions, feel free to identify those in the solicitation. Regarding PFAS, DHS is not requesting or requiring uniforms to contain PFAS.

16. Vendor: Regarding the PFAS issue, is contracting with a fabric manufacturer and obtaining certification sufficient, or is more required? What is required?

UMC: That is all that is required. Some items do not have PFAS-free alternatives.

17. Vendor: Regarding Kissell, is there a benefit to items being made domestically?

UMC: No, there is no advantage. We cannot source all uniforms domestically as we must abide by existing international trade agreements. If we source all uniforms domestically, we would be in breach of these agreements. We can’t discriminate against our trading partners.

18. Vendor: Can we talk about the HOPR Act?

UMC: Yes, we are subject to restrictions according to the HOPR Act as previously mentioned in the response to question 10.

19. Vendor: Do you want to move away from Poly Wool?

UMC: Poly Wool is a challenge for TSA. Poly Wool has a lot of benefits including comfortability, etc. However, it is difficult to acquire Poly Wool domestically. The DOD has absorbed a lot of the material, and a lot of it comes from countries that we can’t source from including Turkey. This can lead to certain items needing exemptions from Kissell, but it is very difficult to get exemptions, and you need to go through high levels of government, including DHS HQ and OMB.

20. Vendor: Are there any other challenges we have not discussed?

UMC: Boots are often an issue, especially the cold weather boots that contain PFAS. Some of the holsters can also be a challenge because they contain PFAS. We expect the vendor to provide us their real-time data such as on-time deliveries, back-ordered items, etc. We also expect the vendor to provide us with an online ordering system. These details will be in the RFP. Additionally, ensuring an accurate fit for females has been a challenge, and we hope that the vendor will have a solution to offer more sizing options for women. Answer is similar to question 8.

21. Vendor: Is there an ongoing conversation about removing the need for TSA uniform items to be made in the USA?

UMC: No, TSA uniform items must be made in the USA.

Product Specifications

22. Vendor: Do you have COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) items?

UMC: Most of the items for DHS are COTS items (well over 95%). Some items are made specifically for us, but most items are purchased from the marketplace and modified to fit our needs. Modifications could be related to branding, deeper pockets, belt loops, etc.

23. Vendor: Do COTS items have stringent specification documents?

UMC: No, they will be generic enough to enable the vendor to look at a variety of options. There is a lot of flexibility due to the DHS specification documents being so broad, which would provide for enhanced competition to meet our requirements.

24. Vendor: How detailed are your specification documents?

UMC: Our specifications documents vary for each item, but they are generally 3-4 pages long. Similar to question 22.

25. Vendor: Are there any items on the contract made specifically for you?

UMC: Some items on the contract are specifically made for us, like our honor guard uniforms for all three services. Vendors will receive the CAD patterns and very detailed specifications, much different than our COTS items.

26. Vendor: How do uniforms get laundered?

UMC: Employees are responsible for laundering their uniforms. However, FLETC does reissue uniform items, but they have their own laundry facilities. There will be no requirement to launder the uniforms in the contract.

27. Vendor: How is pricing determined for a modified item?

UMC: Pricing for the items on the initial award is submitted as part of the response to the RFP. After award, it is based on actual costs plus a markup established by a coefficient. The coefficient applies only to items added or modified after the initial offer. Vendors must provide subcontractors' actual costs for any new item added to the contract along with the negotiated coefficient. When submitting the RFP, vendors should include their pricing, which will be evaluated as part of the offer. See also responses to 28, 29, and 30.

Sizing

28. Vendor: Can we talk about sizing?

UMC: At the academies, the vendor must provide quartermaster services which includes measuring students and issuing uniforms for their size. There will be occasionally tailoring of uniforms, but this is mainly related to hemming unhemmed pants, or similar services. There will not be a need to tailor each garment to each student. Beyond the academies, the employees will select their uniform’s size when they purchase their uniform item through the ordering portal. Item sizes must be displayed on the ordering portal. We also recently started a new made-to-measure process for uniformed employees who require uniforms of a unique size that would be beyond standard COTS sizes. We are working to create a process where uniformed employees can measure themselves from home and order uniforms of unique or rare sizes, but these examples are infrequent. CBP does purchase footwear to meet sizing requirements that are beyond standard sizing like small sizes ranging down to a child size 4, to large sizes including size 18 EEEE. As those sizes are beyond what vendors typically provide, those purchases are done via Purchase card outside the contract.

Pricing

29. Vendor: If an agency wishes to modify an item after the contract is awarded, would the vendor be able to provide a new quote?

UMC: The price for existing items on the contract is fixed for 3 years after the contract is awarded. If an item is added or modified, the vendor has the ability to negotiate a new price for the item. We will buy-out the old item before transitioning to the new item. In addition, if a vendor identifies an item that would save DHS money, the contract would allow for the vendor to keep their current coefficient so that their margins will be maintained while still providing DHS the opportunity to save money. Similar to response on question 26, 29, and 30.

Product Modifications

30. Vendor: Can you talk about the process of modifying a product? Who initiates the modification of a uniform item? Are the unions involved?

UMC: We have a process to modify an item, it is called the Uniform Change Management process. That would be a part of our Uniform Change Management process, which can be triggered for any number of reasons including an item being discontinued, a new item coming to market, customer driven feedback (the most common), or vendor driven suggestions. In this next contract, we would like to see the vendor propose modifications more often.

When a new product is proposed, we require multiple quality assurance tests. We also require three samples, we test those samples, and we price those samples through a modification coefficient. We are working to incentivize the vendor to suggest product changes by adding in benefits for the vendor in the contract. Item modifications must be agreed upon by UMC, the unions, leadership, and the Vendor, giving the vendor the ability to negotiate. Similar to response for questions 26, 28, and 30.

31. Vendor: What is the percentage markup allowed by the coefficient when modifying an item?

UMC: We’ve received feedback that the current coefficient percent may be too low, we’re in the process of evaluating that. See responses to 26, 28, and 29.

32. Vendor: How are discontinued or obsolete items replaced?

UMC: When uniform items are replaced, we will compare pricing, we will ask for samples, alternatives, etc. Before implementing a change, we will conduct a wear-test. We will also do lab testing on a new item. If this is a DHS forced discontinuation due to a replacement item being proposed by DHS, the vendor has the ability not to move forward with the contract modification until existing inventory of the old, discontinued item is addressed in the modification language. See response to question 47.

33. Vendor: Are there modifications occurring as of January 15, 2025? Will you pause modifications between the release of the solicitation and the award of the contract?

UMC: Yes there are modifications occurring currently, and we expect that modifications will continue to occur until the end of our current contract in January 2027. We will not pause modifications. However, we are limiting changes to the items so we can capture everything on the new RFP.

34. Vendor: Will UMC be proposing most of the uniform changes?

UMC: That is not how we want to operate. We would like for the vendor to propose modifications that would include new technologies, or opportunities to save money. However, we want to maintain the ability to propose modifications as our user requirements do change periodically.

35. Vendor: Could we put some designer and developers in the field with the agents to gather field employee feedback?

UMC: No. Not without approval of CBP leadership and only to address a specific need. If the vendor went directly to the field, bypassing leadership, you risk offering uniformed employees options and setting expectations that cannot be met, which could lead to union grievances. Uniformed employees will often request changes that leadership will disagree with because the desired modification will not have the intended benefit. Wear tests and lab tests are an important piece of our quality assurance testing.

36. Vendor: How often are there style or uniform changes, or requirement changes?

UMC: There are 40-50 ongoing changes at any given time for CBP each year.

37. Vendor: How long does it take to modify an item?

UMC: It takes 1-3 years.

Extreme Cold Weather Gear

38. Vendor: You talked about extreme cold weather gear and considered adopting it. Can you speak to that?

UMC: The industry standard is 7 layers and right now we’ve chosen 4 due to cost. It’s also hard to avoid PFAS materials for extreme cold weather gear. We typically would like to buy 25-50 kits rather than the typical minimum buy of 400. Female sizing that works is also hard to find, along with side zippers for firearm access.

Sales Data

39. Vendor: Will we receive a detailed sales report that includes the sales history of each item?

UMC: We do not think we will be able to provide that, but we will have an estimated ordering forecast based on a 4-year average in the RFP. However, we may provide some additional information as part of the reposes to the questions from the RFI and the CBP First Article Closet Q&A. See response to question 39.

40. Vendor: Can you talk to us about the usage of each item? Having actual usage in the sales data would help us submit a competitive bid. Any ability to predict future increases in sales, what items might be coming obsolete, what items are currently going through modifications, would be helpful.

UMC: We will look at providing data similar to the RFP, or some additional ordering information. The average CBP employee’s allowance allocation has significantly increased from an approximate average of $800 per employee to $1,100 per employee over the last 4 years, so data is not consistent over that period of time. However, we may provide some additional information as part of the reposes to the questions from the RFI and the CBP First Article Closet Q&A. See response to question 38.

41. Vendor: It sounds like allowance increases from $800 per employee to $1,100 per employee resulted in a need to increase production due to the increased spending power of employees. Do you foresee another allowance account increase over the next 5 years?

UMC: Yes, CBP plans on doing another allowance study in FY 27-28. That may or may not justify another increase in allowances.

42. Vendor: What are the busiest times of the year?

UMC: Generally, the first 30 days that the website is open and the last 30 days before it closes will see approximately $20-$25 million worth of orders each for a total of $40-$50 million worth of orders during those time periods.

43. Vendor: Are there ordering patterns or spend distributions by age?

UMC: Not that we know of.

Inventory

44. Vendor: How many uniform items might CBP order daily?

UMC: CBP could easily order tens of thousands of uniform pieces in a day. The entire contract orders approximately 2 million pieces of uniform annually.

45. Vendor: If the next vendor is not the incumbent, will they be awarded the incumbent’s inventory, or will there be language in the contract facilitating or mandating that the next vendor purchase the incumbent’s inventory?

UMC: It is difficult for us to force the sale of inventory because the government cannot legally own inventory, therefore we cannot be placed in a position where we would be responsible for inventory. However, we will consider adding language in the contract to encourage the next vendor to purchase the incumbent’s inventory if the next vendor is not the incumbent.

46. Vendor: Is there currently non-consigned inventory? Will the winning Vendor be awarded this inventory?

UMC: We bought a very small amount of inventory for some unique items whose lead times or scarcity required that we buy inventory in order for the items to be delivered to an employee within a reasonable timeframe. However, the level of inventory that we hold is so small that it is insignificant. The winning Vendor will not be awarded this inventory.

47. Vendor: One recommendation would be to add a clause in the contract to force the incoming vendor to purchase the last vendor’s inventory at the end of their contract. This would not only impact the incumbent vendor, but it would also impact the next vendor as the next vendor’s contract will end as well, and when that contract ends, we would want to know that our inventory will be purchased. Without an outlet either directly from the government or from elsewhere, the current and future vendor could be stuck with a large amount of inventory. At a minimum, we would very much recommend including language in the contract that encourages the purchasing of the incumbent vendor’s inventory.

UMC: Thank you for the feedback. We will look into it. However, there will be no government owned inventory at the end of the last contract or the next contract, nor will there be any language the forces the new vendor to buy inventory from the incumbent vendor. We would no longer have privity to the previous contract holder and therefore cannot mandate such a change.

48. Vendor: What happens to the inventory of an item that is modified?

UMC: The vendor and the Contracting Office (with support from the UMC) will work out on a case-by-case basis how the inventory that remains is disposed of (or otherwise used). This is usually handled through a modification to the respective delivery order. CBP will work with any vendor to try to minimize the impact of inventory created by the changes to the item requirements. The vendor is also expected to do everything in their power to minimize excess inventory as part of their contract management responsibilities.

49. Vendor: Are you looking for the contract or vendor to supply non-textile items as well?

UMC: Yes. All items of the uniform to include the items that attached to the duty belt like holsters, handcuff cases, mag pouches, flashlight holders, etc. The vendor would not be responsible for providing the equipment that would go into the holders, so no guns, ammo, handcuffs, flashlights, batons, etc.

50. Vendor: Are quantities relatively consistent?

UMC: Agents consistently spend 97% of their uniform allowance. The mix of what they buy does and can vary greatly from year to year.

51. Vendor: Must all products be delivered within a 7-day timeframe?

UMC: 90% of individual allowance account orders must be shipped within a 7-day timeframe, not necessarily delivered.

52. Vendor: How are quantities and sizes of items determined?

UMC: We do not track this information at a detailed level. It is the vendor's responsibility to ensure inventory covers various sizes and meets the 7-day shipping requirement.

53. Vendor: Is there a requirement to distribute uniforms to global locations or are all shipping locations domestic?

UMC: Generally, we ship to any U.S. State or Territory, but only to duty stations.

Service Level Agreements & Non-Compliance Penalties

54. Vendor: How do you track Service Level Agreements (SLAs)?

UMC: There is a requirement that the vendor send us real-time ordering data. Our team will review and analyze the data.

55. Vendor: Is the current vendor in compliance with the SLAs?

UMC: Compliance fluctuates depending on the volume of orders, and issues that may rise from global pandemics.

56. Vendor: Will there be a penalty on the vendor when SLAs are not met?

UMC: Yes, there will be financial penalties for non-compliance in the new contract. You can look at the old RFP and see the clause that addresses the Key Performance Indicators.

57. Vendor: What are the financial penalties?

UMC: They will be in the solicitation. Generally, we deduct 1% of the monthly invoice for every KPI not met, which could be up to five KPIs. For example, if 4 of 5 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are met in any given month, then we would deduct 1% of that month’s invoice for the one KPI not being met. Performance and penalties are added and removed monthly; they are not annual penalties, nor are they cumulative. If the vendor meets all KPIs the next month, then there will be no deductions for that month.

Markups and Uniform Modification Coefficient

58. Vendor: Do the mark-ups on various items differ?

UMC: When you bid on the contract, you will submit a price for each item on the contract. There is no individual uniform item mark-up requirement. There is currently a coefficient that regulates the price charged for uniforms items that are added after award, but the coefficient on the current contract is typically lower than what we (CBP) have been told during market research would constitute “acceptable margins” and therefore does not incentivize any vendor to suggest any changes to items on the contract. By revising the language to allow the vendor to maintain the coefficient/margin when brining lower cost items or new technologies we anticipate more opportunities for change.

59. Vendor: Will the coefficient or mark-up be known before hand?

UMC: No, we are in the process of reviewing the coefficient and how it will be handled on the new solicitation.

Unique Products

60. Vendor: Would UMC consider longer lead times for unique or scarce items?

UMC: Yes, we can discuss longer lead times for items that are unique or scarce.

61. Vendor: Which branch uses the extreme cold weather kit?

UMC: The Border Patrol uses the extreme cold weather kit.

62. Vendor: Are there any special fabrics or flame-resistant (FR) materials required?

UMC: Yes, FR fabric is used for Air and Marine items, and there are FR socks and FR boots required.

Component Samples

63. Vendor: Will competitors be able to look at the other 11 components’ samples?

UMC: We will not be granting access to uniform samples from all components, but we will discuss giving you access to TSA samples.

Product Access

64. Vendor: Can we obtain a sample of the existing uniforms?

UMC: We cannot give you a sample to take, however you can view samples that are here, in our Uniform Closet. These samples are for CBP only.

New Administration

65. Vendor: Are you anticipating changes due to the new administration?

UMC: Yes, but we don’t know what the changes will look like. There could be a hiring freeze, there could be a significant plus-up. Academies may have an increase in classes because CBP is forecasting a large wave or retirements in 2028. There could be additional requirements to source uniforms domestically. All that being said, we are subject to Kissell, and an executive order cannot override that.

Quality Assurance

66. Vendor: How will you approach the testing of samples submitted when responding to the solicitation?

UMC: We will ask for approximately 18 samples when the solicitation is submitted. These samples will need to represent the general mix of uniforms on the contract. We will ask to see all first article samples 60-90 days after awarding the contract.

67. Vendor: Can you talk about your Quality Assurance process?

UMC: We have two Quality Assurance teams. One team lives within the UMC program and the other team comes from the uniformed employee workforce. Our UMC team will pull uniform samples randomly and ensure that they meet their requirements. Our team also uses the return rate of a uniform to identify issues. Our current return rate for a uniform item is 3%. If an item experiences a 10% return rate, then we know there’s an issue. Finally, we investigate every complaint from the field.

Allowance Account Reconciliation (AAR)

68. Vendor: What is the vendor’s role in the AARs?

UMC: The AAR is an internal process we maintain ourselves at CBP. We conduct AARs twice a year. During an AAR, we ask that all local uniform coordinators validate allowances in their cost center. To include the employees assigned and shipping information. For the vendor, this may mean that there is an increase in allowance account modifications during this period. However, we will send you modifications using the same format that we send you allowance account modifications daily. Our recommendation would be to automate this process so that you are not making allowance account information updates manually and thus are not impacted by an increase of allowance account changes during AARs.

Footwear

69. Vendor: Can we suggest a footwear in our bid rather than the footwear you currently have based on your requirements if we feel that the suggested footwear will meet the requirements?

UMC: We will not conduct an in-depth analysis of each individual item included in the contract. However, you can structure your bid as you deem appropriate.

Academies

70. Vendor: Let’s talk about the academies in Glynco, Georgia and Artesia, New Mexico. How many classes and Academies are there?

UMC: There are 123 classes and 4,500 students across two locations in Glynco, Georgia and Artesia, New Mexico. The duration of the classes varies, typically 3-4 months. There are more employees at the Glynco location than there are at Artesia. This year, we anticipate 4,900 employees across both locations, and we expect our workforce to grow.

71. Vendor: How often must the quartermaster be available at the academies? Does the quartermaster need to be present at all academies?

UMC: The quartermaster must be available Monday – Friday during regular business hours. There must be a quarter master at both academies.

72. Vendor: Do the academies require inventory on-site?

UMC: There should be an inventory on-site to issue new uniforms along with a quartermaster available Monday through Friday during business hours to perform minor alterations.

Solicitation Information

73. Vendor: Will the period of performance for this solicitation be the same as the past solicitation in 2019?

UMC: We anticipate the period of performance for this new solicitation to differ. The base period for the new solicitation will be for 3-years instead of 5-years. This adjustment was made in response to feedback indicating that it would be challenging for vendors to guarantee uniform prices over a 5-year period. Following the 3-year base period, there will be a 2-year option, followed by 3 separate 1-year options. Each option period will allow for an adjustment like a CPI adjustment.

74. Vendor: Are you expecting to have the price for the option years in this solicitation?

UMC: Yes. All offerors must provide pricing for both the base and option years to be considered for award. We will prioritize pricing for the initial 3 base years of the contract. Additionally, we will require a detailed calculation or Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustment for the option years.

75. Vendor: Do we anticipate large changes to the past Request for Proposals (RFP) that already exists?

UMC: We will implement some changes to the RFP; however, the majority of the RFP will remain the same.

76. Vendor: Will all 1,600-1,800 uniform items in DHS be sourced in this solicitation?

UMC: Yes, all the items will be included in the solicitation. The 2019 solicitation detailed the scope of work and items, which included approximately 1,400 items. The current solicitation will likely include 1,600-1,800 items, reflecting a 10%-20% increase.

77. Vendor: Can we receive access to the designs, patchwork, etc.?

UMC: Artwork, designs, branding, and other visual displays will be included in the solicitation.

78. Vendor: Will this contract be awarded based on the “Best-Value”?

UMC: Yes. There will be a trade-off including a number of factors, some of which will be the same as those in the last solicitation.

79. Vendor: Do you have a scorecard? If not, will a scorecard be released before the solicitation?

UMC: We are in the process of finalizing a scorecard, which will not be formally released prior to the solicitation.

80. Vendor: Can you talk about your IT requirements when it comes to security and compliance?

UMC: Yes, this is covered in the general clause of the solicitation. IT requirements will occasionally be updated to reflect new mandates from the government as your data will contain PII. You will need to be able to comply with these updates.

81. Vendor: Will this contract be awarded to a single vendor? Do you envision any government components not being part of the bid?

UMC: The contract will be awarded to a single vendor. It is possible that we lose one agency in this new contract, but the agency in question is a very small player.

82. Vendor: Who handles billing invoices?

UMC: Billing is handled through Indication Based Pricing (IBP) or Internet Printing Protocol (IPP).

83. Vendor: Is shipping cost included in the price of the bid for allowance account orders?

UMC: Yes.

84. Vendor: Do you accept manufacturing from Pakistan or Dubai?

UMC: Both of those countries are prohibited due to our sourcing restrictions; we are governed by Kissell and the HOPR Act. A list of trade compliant countries is found at: TAA Compliant Countries | Trade Agreements Act (TAA)

85. Vendor: How does the contract differ from the Department of Defense (DOD)?

UMC: We differ significantly from the DOD in terms of uniform procurement. Our contract, valued at approximately $120M annually, encompasses around 1,600 unique items. Due to the smaller scale compared to the DOD, we typically purchase about 1,000 or fewer units of each unique item per year. Generally, we select existing uniform items available in the market, choose samples, and customize them to meet our specific requirements, with only a handful of exceptions. DOD will send out solicitations for a single item and order hundreds of thousands of that item. Their solicitation will have a MILSPEC and is awarded to the vendor that best meets the MILSPEC. Due to the small ordering quantities of DHS, we typically provide a very generic spec with limited information on requirements in order to maximize the items that may be available from a COTS source. There are other significant differences. Primarily we have allowance accounts which work in a method similar to an Amazon arrangement. There is too much to discuss for this answer, but a review of the PWS will explain in detail the full expectations of DHS.

86. Vendor: If over the next 3-5 years we started manufacturing more products ourselves rather than outsourcing them, would that be an issue?

UMC: We do not have issues with that if the change is cognizant of our taxpayers. Many of our changes are driven by our customers’ requirements and the best products that meet those needs.

87. Vendor: The previous contract has a sub-contractor plan. Is there a plan to keep that in the next contract?

UMC: Yes.

88. Vendor: Would each agency’s buying schedule be part of the solicitation?

UMC: No, because it depends on Congress approving the funds for the allowance accounts. However, in general, we follow the dates following dates: CBP (January – August), TSA (February -February)

89. Vendor: What are the vendor performance requirements?

UMC: Vendor performance requirements will be in the solicitation and RFP.

90. Vendor: Is the vendor responsible for patches? Is there a security requirement for the storage of patches?

UMC: Yes, and yes, this will be in the scope of work.

91. Vendor: Does UMC provide a list of Point of Contacts (POCs) that are responsible for discussing uniform changes or enhancement on behalf of each agency?

UMC: Yes, we will provide a list of POCs.

92. Vendor: How often does UMC expect to meet with the vendor?

UMC: UMC meets with the vendor often, approximately 7 times per month. UMC leadership meets with vendor leadership 3 times per month and customer representatives once per week. UMC Account Managers meet with their vendor counterparts on their own schedule as well.

93. Vendor: Are the unions involved?

UMC: Yes, the unions are involved.

94. Vendor: When the contract opens for bidding, will the bid include prices of each individual item rather than the total program cost?

UMC: Yes, the vendor will be responsible for providing pricing for each individual item. Evaluation will necessitate pricing for both individual and total prices, although the overall format is not fully defined.

95. Vendor: Which agencies are included in the solicitation?

UMC: The solicitation includes all DHS components such as CBP, ICE, TSA, Secret Service, Coast Guard, FDA, etc. See intro for full list.

96. Vendor: Will there be additional solicitation meetings?

UMC: The intent is to have ongoing discussions. If funding allows, we are open to visiting vendor facilities to gain more information about market capabilities. There will also be visits to the academies as part of the RFP.

97. Vendor: How many companies bid on the previous contract?

UMC: This information will not be disclosed. The intent is to drive competition and obtain the best value for the government.

Solicitation Timeline

98. Vendor: When will the solicitation be released?

UMC: We hope to release the solicitation in September 2025. The goal to award the contract by August 2026, as the current contract ends in January 2027. Uniformed employees will be able to place orders through the current contract until the last delivery order expires. Delivery orders can be placed up until the contract expiration of January of 2025.

99. Vendor: How much time will vendors have to respond to the solicitation?

UMC: 90 to 120 days.

100. Vendor: Is the previous solicitation able to be viewed?

UMC: The previous solicitation is available online for review. We recommend examining it to understand the context and scope of this next solicitation. The upcoming solicitation will align with the previous one, but it will incorporate some modifications based on vendor feedback.

101. Vendor: Do we need to create login accounts for the website? Is this required?

UMC: Yes, vendors are expected to create and manage the website, including setting up login accounts for users. The vendor must maintain an active account list and possess the ability to modify allowance accounts. Agents and officers will not create or update accounts themselves.

102. Vendor: What would be the transition timeframe for new vendors?

UMC: The current contract ends in January 2027, and DHS can place delivery orders until January 2027. Any new delivery orders from February 2027 onwards must be placed under the new contract.

103. Vendor: When will you visit distribution centers? Would it be before or after the response?

UMC: We anticipate touring vendor facilities before the solicitation is released.

Post Contract Award Topics

104. Vendor: If the contract is not awarded to the incumbent, what would you want the spin-up time for the new vendor to be, taking into consideration that there is existing inventory in the incumbent’s warehouse?

UMC: It depends when the contract is awarded. TSA orders uniforms between February and February, while CBP orders uniforms January to August. The current contract expires in January 2027. CBP could place a delivery order on the current contract to allow for allowance ordering from January 2027 – August 2027. However, TSA would have to move onto the new contract in February 2027.

Ordering Website

105. Vendor: What do employees do when they need to order a uniform item when the website is closed?

UMC: The employee will utilize the Non-Website Ordering process, which we manage internally. Once we approve and process the request, we would send it to the vendor for sourcing. We often do this for emergency hardships, such as when there is a hurricane or fire.

106. Vendor: Would you be open to changing the website ordering period?

UMC: No, for two reasons. First, any change in the ordering period would have to be approved by the union. Second, the opening and closing of the website is aligned with Congress’s approval of our funds for allowance accounts before we can open, and we have to close before the fiscal year ends.

107. Vendor: Is the vendor responsible for maintaining the ordering website?

UMC: The vendor is responsible for providing and maintaining the ordering website. We have over approximately 100,000 employees accessing the website to place orders for one or multiple items simultaneously.

108. Vendor: Can you share a picture of the current ordering website?

UMC: No

109. Vendor: Will you want to see a demo of the online ordering portal?

UMC: Currently, we do not require a demo of the portal. We assume that is functioning correctly as any failure would constitute a breach of contract by the vendor.

110. Vendor: Why is CBP restricted to ordering between January and August?

UMC: We disable ordering capabilities at the end of August to de-obligate unused allowance account funds and reallocate them to other government needs before they expire at the end of September. January is usually the earliest we get a budget from Congress as we have to fully fund all allowances before we can open up the website for orders.