FBI EAU Canine RFI_Final.pdf

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

FINANCE AND FACILITIES DIVISION | PROCUREMENT SECTION

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

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FBI Employee Assistance Unit (EAU) Canines

Due August 5, 2026

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I. DISCLAIMER:

THIS NOTICE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR

PROPOSAL OR QUOTE. IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE

CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE

NOT OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A

CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY

FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY INFORMATION

SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS STRICTLY

VOLUNTARY.

II. INTRODUCTION

Responses to this RFI may be used to formulate final requirements and/or to identify qualified vendors capable of meeting those requirements. The description below outlines preliminary requirements envisioned for the FBI Employee Assistance Unit

(EAU) Canines program. The information gathered may be used to formulate acquisition strategies for competitive solicitations.

III. BACKGROUND

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Employee Assistance Unit (EAU) is seeking facility canines to support employees responding to traumatic events.

The objective of the Request for Information (RFI) is to seek available sources to assist the FBI in determining the market capability to provide facility canines that meet our requirements.

These facility canines are central to EAU’s new program and are a critical enhancement to the FBI that require efficient canine placement within the enterprise.

The acquired canines will require maximum flexibility and adaptability to navigate a wide array of populations and settings where services are provided. As such, specifications as they relate to breed and temperament are provided below.

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A. Potential Breeds:

a. Labrador Retriever

b. Golden Retriever

c. Hypoallergenic Options: Labradoodle and Goldendoodle

d. Additional breeds to be considered, but must submit information regarding intended breed to Contracting Officer for approval prior to placement.

B. Temperament:

Per Assistance Dogs International (ADI) standards, the Facility Dog/CRC must be suited to work in a variety of environments and is accustomed to interacting with many different types of people. Additionally, FBI Facility

Dogs must exhibit balanced, adaptive, and functional behavior specific to law enforcement type settings (court, forensic interviews, family assistant centers, hospitals, etc.). Temperament qualities that each Facility Dog/CRC must possess include, but are not limited to:

1. Calm:

a. not showing or feeling nervousness, anger, or other strong emotions..

b. the absence of violent or confrontational activity within a place or group.

2. Even-Tempered:

a. not easily annoyed or angered.

3. Friendly

a. kind and pleasant.

b. denoting something that is adapted for or is not harmful to a specified thing.

4. Social:

a. needing companionship and therefore best suited to living in communities.

5. Nonreactive:

a. lacking a response or reaction to a stimulus

6. Non-agressive:

a. not marked by or exhibiting aggression

7. Flexible:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/response https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reaction

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a. ready and able to change so as to adapt to different circumstances.

8. Adaptable

a. able to adjust to new conditions.

b. able to be modified for a new use or purpose.

The vendor must assess Facility Dog/CRC team’s ability to demonstrate skill proficiency according to ADI Public Access Test.

Specific skills to be assessed:

• Teams’ ability to walk by other dogs, people, children, and adults in public and maintain work ethic, i.e.: no pulling, barking, lunging, sniffing etc.

• Restaurant: Team enters, eats and dog goes under table for duration, then team exits restaurant, and the dog is unobtrusive to patrons and employees.

• Team can exit car, enter building, change of pace and direction, stop, start, turn right, and left on a loose leash throughout a public building and return to car

• Team relationship: does handler communicate and use praise, is dog relaxed and confident, can handler keep dog under control.

This is a pass/fail physical skill test to ensure the Facility Dog/CRC team is not a public hazard, and that the dogs are stable, well-behaved, and unobtrusive to the public. The vendor will assess public access skills at the time of placement and subsequently each working year thereafter (in-person or virtually).

IV. VENDOR QUALIFICATIONS

This RFI is open to small and large business concerns for market research only to request input from potential providers of facility dogs to be used by the Employee

Assistance Unit.

The Government would like to know which firms can provide the facility canines for this contemplated requirement by identifying themselves and responding to this RFI.

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All Government requested information can be found on the corresponding document, FBI EAU Canine RFI Company Information Form, which must be filled out by each vendor responding to the RFI.

V. CONTEMPLATED REQUIREMENT

FBI's Employee Assistance Unit is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to:

1. Gather industry information on the enclosed requirements.

VI. DISCLAIMER and RESPONSES

THERE IS NO COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT TO ISSUE A SOLICITATION AS A

RESULT OF THIS RFI. THIS IS BEING ISSUED SOLEY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND

PLANNING PURPOSES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICTIATION. IN ACCORDANCE

WITH FAR 15.201(e), RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE ARE NOT OFFERS AND CANNOT BE

ACCEPTED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO FORM A BINDING CONTRACT. THIS IS NOT A

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL OR QUOTE. IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND

SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. RESPONSES IN

ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO

AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO FUNDS ARE

AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY

INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS

STRICTLY VOLUNTARY.

VII. WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN YOUR RESPONSE:

1. All interested parties shall submit capability packages (see required components below) in response to this notice.

2. Do submit succinct, thoughtful responses to the requirements/questions listed in this RFI.

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3. Do submit comments that address the FBI's requirements, assumptions, conditions or contemplated approaches to this future acquisition.

4. Do submit information and suggestions that may encourage new, different, or innovative approaches that would result in products, solutions, and direct savings to the FBI.

VIII. WHAT SHOULD NOT BE INCLUDED IN YOUR RESPONSE:

1. Do not submit proposals or offers.

2. Do not submit past performance information or general descriptions of corporate experience.

3. Do not submit requests to be considered for award or to be notified of a future solicitation.

4. Do not submit requests to be added to a mailing list or distribution list.

5. Do not submit questions or comments not related to this RFI.

6. Do not respond via telephone.

IX. RFI SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS:

Submittal Information: It is requested that interested businesses submit to the Contracting

Office a brief capabilities package demonstrating ability to meet the FBI’s requirements.

The documentation must include, at a minimum, the following:

1. Completed FBI EAU Canine RFI Company Information Form

2. Any applicable documents (i.e. Terms and Conditions, Contracts, MOUs).

3. General Price Estimates relating to canines, travel, training, etc.

The capability package shall be sent via email to Melissa Cordova at mcordova@fbi.gov.

Submissions must be received no later than 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time on August 5, 2026

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Questions or comments regarding this notice may be addressed to Melissa Cordova at mcordova@fbi.gov.

mailto:mcordova@fbi.gov