2026.08.31_19EC7526Q0009_Q&A..pdf

U.S. Embassy, Quito Avigiras E12-170 y Eloy Alfaro

Quito, Ecuador E-Mail: QuitoContracts@state.gov

August 31, 2026

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

RFQ Number: 19EC7526Q0009

1. Please confirm the current inventory of polygraph equipment, accessories, and parts held by the Ecuadorian National Police (IGPN), including make, model, and operational condition, so offerors can scope equipment compatibility and any required upgrades.

In accordance with Section 3.1 of the Statement of Work and Section 3 – Solicitation

Provisions, Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, A.2(7)(b), Resources and Equipment, the

Contractor is responsible for providing the APA-compliant polygraph instrumentation systems and other resources necessary to perform the certification training.

Accordingly, offerors shall propose and price the equipment necessary to meet the requirements of solicitation and should not assume the availability or use of existing IGPN equipment.

2. How many certified polygraph examiners do IGPN currently have on staff, if any, and will they remain in service alongside the seventeen (17) new examiners certified under this contract?

The current number of certified polygraph examiners within IGPN is not relevant to the scope of this solicitation. In accordance with Section 3.1 of the Statement of Work, the

Contractor is responsible for the certification of seventeen (17) designated National

Police officers as polygraph examiners in accordance with APA standards.

Offerors shall base their technical and price quotations on the requirements stated in the solicitation.

mailto:QuitoContracts@state.gov

Embajada de los Estados Unidos de América

Avigiras E12-170 y Eloy Alfaro – Quito – Ecuador ec.usembassy.gov

3. Does APA accreditation need to reside with the prime offeror, or may a subcontractor hold the APA-accredited school status and instructor credentials on the prime's behalf?

The offeror must demonstrate compliance with the mandatory technical requirements established in Sections 3 and 4 of the solicitation. The polygraph training program must be delivered through an APA-accredited polygraph school and by qualified instructors trained and authorized under APA standards.

The APA-accredited polygraph school may be the prime offeror or a proposed subcontractor. If a subcontractor is proposed to deliver the polygraph training program, the subcontractor must be an APA-accredited polygraph school. Individual instructor credentials or training certificates issued by a non-APA-accredited entity do not satisfy the requirement for an APA-accredited polygraph school.

The offeror must provide the required documentation demonstrating the applicable APA accreditation, instructor qualifications, and affiliation with the APA-accredited institution.

The offeror remains responsible for compliance with all requirements of the solicitation and any resulting contract.

4. APA's Gold Standard was referenced during the August 19 pre-proposal conference.

Does the Government intend to issue an amendment establishing a supplemental requirement for 30 continuing education hours (CEHs) every two years to maintain examiner certification, and if so, does that obligation fall on the vendor post-contract or on IGPN?

No. APA's Gold Standard accreditation and the associated requirement for 30 continuing education hours (CEHs) every two years are not requirements of this solicitation. The

Government does not intend to amend the solicitation to incorporate such requirements.

Accordingly, no post-certification CEH obligation is imposed on the Contractor or IGPN under the resulting contract. Offerors shall base their quotations solely on the requirements set forth in the solicitation and Statement of Work.

5. What specific infrastructure and equipment are offerors expected to price under

CLIN 1 — polygraph instrumentation units, computers, classroom AV, connectivity

— versus what the National Police will furnish at the Quito training facility?

In accordance with Sections 3.1 and 6 of the Statement of Work, offerors shall include under CLIN 1 all resources necessary to perform the Polygraph Examiner Certification

Training, including:

• APA-compliant polygraph instrumentation systems;

• Instructional materials in Spanish;

• Qualified instructor personnel and associated travel;

• Written and practical evaluation materials and administration; and

• Certification documentation.

The National Police (IGPN) will provide the training facility in Quito, including classroom audio-visual (AV) equipment, and internet/network connectivity. Offerors are not required to price these IGPN-furnished items under CLIN 1.

6. Section I.B.2 of the RFQ specifies a fifteen (15) consecutive week training phase, but

Attachment A (SOW) Sections 3.1, 7, and 7.2 specify ten (10) consecutive weeks for the identical 400-hour curriculum. Which duration governs pricing and scheduling purposes?

The Government confirms that the required Training Phase is ten (10) consecutive weeks, with a minimum of 400 hours of in-person instruction, consistent with Attachment A –

Statement of Work, Sections 3.1, 7, and 7.2, and the applicable CLIN description in Section

I.

The reference to fifteen (15) consecutive weeks in Section 1.B.2 is an administrative inconsistency and will be corrected by amendment. Offerors shall base their quotations and schedules on the ten (10)-week, 400-hour requirement.

7. Who selects and screens the seventeen (17) examiner candidates and the up to fifteen

(15) instructor candidates — IGPN/INL or the vendor — and what minimum prerequisites (education, language proficiency, psychological or medical fitness, security vetting) will candidates need to meet before the Administrative Phase begins?

Candidate selection and screening for the seventeen (17) polygraph examiner candidates and up to fifteen (15) Primary Instructor candidates are the responsibility of IGPN, not the

Contractor. IGPN has selected and screened the candidates using applicable American

Polygraph Association (APA) requirements as the eligibility standard. No additional candidate selection or screening is required from the Contractor.

8. When the SOW/PWS refers to developing fifteen (15) Primary Polygraph Instructors, please clarify the intended teaching scope of these individuals. Are they expected to instruct exclusively within the polygraph examiner curriculum, or does the

Government anticipate a broader instructional role, and in what specific subject areas?

The teaching scope of the up to fifteen (15) Primary Polygraph Instructors is limited to the polygraph examiner curriculum delivered through the Vetting Training Center. The

Government does not anticipate a broader instructional role outside this curriculum.

In accordance with Sections 3.1 and 3.2.A of the Statement of Work, the Primary Instructor development program shall include training in pedagogy, lesson planning, curriculum delivery, evaluation methodology, and supervised instruction, and shall prepare designated personnel to teach the applicable polygraph examiner curriculum, including:

• Law and Constitutional Rights / APA Ethics and Professional Standards;

• Psychology and Physiology;

• Instrumentation and Mechanics;

• Polygraph Testing Techniques;

• Pre-Test and Post-Test Interviews;

• Test Question Construction;

• Data and Chart Analysis;

• Countermeasures and Reporting; and

• Supervised Practical Application.

This component does not constitute independent APA instructor certification but prepares designated personnel to fulfill the academic and governance requirements of an APA-accredited training program.

9. Upon delivery, does ownership of the APA-compliant polygraph instrumentation

(Lafayette, Limestone, or equivalent) procured under CLIN 1 transfer to IGPN, or does the vendor retain and remove the equipment at the conclusion of the certification program?

The APA-compliant polygraph instrumentation required under Section 3.1 of the Statement of Work is to be provided by the Contractor for purposes of performing the certification training. Ownership of the equipment will not transfer to the Government or IGPN.

The Contractor shall retain ownership of the equipment and be responsible for its removal upon completion of the certification training. Offerors shall account for all associated equipment costs in their CLIN 1 pricing.

10. The SOW requires all instructional materials and the nine institutional manuals in

Section 3.2.B to be delivered in Spanish. Will the Government accept vendor-certified translations, or does INL require translations performed or reviewed by an INL-approved linguistic service?

The Government does not require translations to be performed or reviewed by an INL-approved linguistic service. In accordance with Sections 3.1 and 3.2.B of the Statement of

Work, the Contractor is responsible for ensuring that all required instructional materials and institutional documentation are provided in Spanish and meet the applicable contract and APA requirements.

The Contractor remains responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and quality of all translated materials.

11. Section 3.2.C directs the vendor to coordinate and support the APA inspection process and resolve any corrective actions APA identifies. APA's own review calendar sits outside vendor control. Will the Government treat the nine-month Accreditation

Phase estimate in Section 7 as fixed, or is it subject to equitable adjustment if APA scheduling delays inspection or corrective-action closeout?

The nine (9)-month Accreditation Phase identified in the Statement of Work is an estimate, not a fixed deadline. In accordance with Sections 3.2.C and 7 of the Statement of Work, offerors shall base their quotations and schedules on the stated nine-month estimate.

Any extension resulting from the APA accreditation process will be addressed by the

Contracting Officer, if necessary, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the resulting contract. No automatic entitlement to an equitable adjustment is established by the solicitation.

12. Does the Vetting Training Center accreditation dossier under Section 3.2.C need to be submitted to APA in English, Spanish, or both, and will INL or IGPN serve as the accredited institution of record, or will that designation belong to a vendor-affiliated entity?

The Vetting Training Center established within IGPN will be the institution seeking APA accreditation; neither INL nor the Contractor will be the accredited institution.

In accordance with Section 3.2.B of the Statement of Work, the required institutional documentation shall be provided in Spanish, in editable digital format. For purposes of the

APA accreditation process under Section 3.2.C, the accreditation dossier submitted to APA shall be prepared in English.

The Contractor remains responsible for preparing the required documentation and coordinating and supporting the APA accreditation process in accordance with the

Statement of Work.

13. Will the Government provide IGPN's existing curriculum, prior polygraph training records, or any predecessor vetting-center documentation to offerors before quotations are due, to support an accurate gap analysis under Section 3.2.C?

No. IGPN does not have an existing polygraph training curriculum, prior polygraph training records, or predecessor Vetting Training Center documentation to provide to offerors. The Vetting Training Center is a new institution being established under this requirement.

In accordance with Section 3.2.C of the Statement of Work, the Contractor shall conduct the institutional gap analysis and self-study against current APA accreditation standards.

Offerors shall base their technical approach and pricing on the requirements set forth in the solicitation and Statement of Work.

14. Regarding VAT and DBA insurance treatment: does the Government expect the awarded vendor to hold a local Ecuadorian RUC and register a local branch or representative office to invoice VAT under Section III, or may VAT reimbursement be processed through a U.S.-based prime without in-country registration?

The solicitation does not require an offeror to establish an Ecuadorian branch or representative office as a condition for submitting a quotation. However, VAT reimbursement is subject to the requirements of Section III of the solicitation.

To receive reimbursement of Ecuadorian VAT, the Contractor must possess a valid

Ecuadorian VAT registration number (RUC), be legally authorized to operate and conduct business in Ecuador, and issue invoices through the entity identified in the contract award.

VAT must be separately identified on the invoice.

A U.S.-based prime contractor that does not satisfy the requirements of Section III would not be eligible for VAT reimbursement under the contract. DBA insurance is a separate contractual requirement and shall be priced in accordance with Section 3 of the solicitation.

15. The mandatory institutional experience requirement calls for five years delivering

APA training programs plus prior development of at least one polygraph training school within a national law enforcement, military, or government security institution. Can a prime/subcontractor team satisfy these two elements collectively, or must one entity independently meet both?

The mandatory institutional experience requirements apply to the offeror. In accordance with Sections 3 and 4 of the solicitation, the offeror must demonstrate both: (1) a minimum of five (5) years of experience delivering professional polygraph training programs in accordance with APA standards; and (2) prior development, design, or restructuring of at least one polygraph training school within a national law enforcement agency, military institution, or recognized government security institution.

Subcontractor experience may support the performance of subcontracted activities but does not substitute for the mandatory institutional experience required of the offeror.

16. Award is contemplated on an LPTA basis without discussions. Please confirm whether teaming arrangements and subcontractor APA credentials submitted with the quotation bind performance, or whether substituting a named subcontractor after award requires a contract modification and re-evaluation.

Teaming arrangements, subcontractors, and APA credentials submitted with the quotation will be considered in accordance with the technical requirements established in Sections 3 and 4 of the solicitation. Please note that FAR 52.209-6 is in effect for this contract and all subcontracting must be in compliance with this clause.

Any proposed post-award substitution must continue to meet the applicable requirements of the solicitation and resulting contract, including FAR 52.209-6. The Contracting Officer will determine whether any contractual action is required. Please also see Question 25.

17. Please confirm the anticipated NAICS code and associated small business size standard for this requirement, so offerors can properly represent SDVOSB and small business status under FAR 52.212-3(c).

The applicable NAICS code for this solicitation is 611430 – Professional and Management

Development Training, as identified in the SAM.gov notice. This acquisition is not set aside for small business concerns.

18. Beyond the LPTA basis of award described in Section 4, will SDVOSB status carry any independent weight in the Government's evaluation or responsibility determination, or does the LPTA methodology treat all technically acceptable offerors equally regardless of socioeconomic certification?

No. SDVOSB status does not carry independent evaluation weight or preference under this solicitation. Award will be made to the responsible offeror submitting the lowest-priced technically acceptable quotation, in accordance with Section 4 of the solicitation. This acquisition is not set aside for small business concerns.

19. Does INL/IGPN have a preference or precedent for phased invoicing tied only to the two payment milestones in Section 8 (examiner certification completion, then remaining balance), or may offerors propose an alternative milestone-based schedule tied to interim deliverables — Primary Instructor Designation, institutional manual delivery — for cash-flow purposes?

Offerors shall submit their quotations and pricing in accordance with Section I – II.

Pricing of the RFQ and the payment structure established in Section 8 – Special Terms and Conditions of the Statement of Work. Alternative interim or milestone-based payment schedules are not provided under this solicitation.

20. Language of Instruction and Simultaneous Interpretation

The Statement of Work requires instruction to be delivered in Spanish. In the event that a specific instructor (for example, an APA-qualified school director) is an English speaker, would the Government accept the use of a qualified simultaneous interpreter for that instructor, provided all instructional materials are delivered in Spanish and the learning outcomes are fully met?

Yes. The Government will accept the use of a qualified simultaneous interpreter for an

English-speaking instructor, provided that all instructional materials and required institutional documentation are delivered in Spanish and all applicable curriculum, evaluation, and APA requirements established in the Statement of Work are met.

The use of an interpreter does not relieve the Contractor of any requirement under the solicitation or Statement of Work.

21. Defense Base Act (DBA) Insurance Quotation

Section 3 requires offerors to include Defense Base Act insurance premium costs in the quotation, obtained from a Department of Labor-approved provider. The offeror has contacted the providers listed by the DOL and, to date, has not received a quotation response from any of them.

a. In the event that no DOL-approved provider responds prior to the quotation deadline, will the Government accept a good-faith premium estimate for pricing purposes, with the actual policy to be secured post-award and prior to commencement of performance?

b. Alternatively, please advise the Government's preferred method for satisfying this requirement where provider responses are not obtained within the solicitation timeframe.

Offerors are required to include DBA insurance premium costs in their quotation in accordance with Section 3 of the solicitation. The Government is not establishing an alternative pricing method for DBA insurance under this solicitation. Offerors remain responsible for obtaining the required DBA insurance and including the applicable premium costs in their quotation. The solicitation requirements remain unchanged.

22. Participation as Prime Contractor and Subcontractor

We have been approached by other prospective offerors who are interested in collaborating or “joining forces” in connection with this solicitation. Some of these prospective offerors have prior experience working on projects with the U.S. Embassy and have experience with and registrations in SAM.gov; however, they do not have specific experience in the development or operation of polygraph training schools, nor do they hold any APA accreditation.

In this context, we respectfully request clarification as to whether our company may participate in the solicitation as the Prime Contractor while simultaneously entering into subcontracting agreements with other prospective offerors that can provide complementary experience and capabilities, including prior experience with the U.S.

Embassy and/or SAM.gov.

Yes. An offeror may participate as the prime contractor and propose subcontractors to provide complementary capabilities or perform portions of the requirement. However, the offeror must demonstrate compliance with the mandatory institutional experience requirements established in Sections 3 and 4 of the solicitation. The polygraph training program must be delivered through an APA-accredited polygraph school, which may be the prime offeror or a proposed subcontractor, as addressed in Question 3.

Any proposed subcontracting arrangement, including the roles, qualifications, experience, and applicable APA credentials of the entities involved, must be clearly identified in the technical proposal. The prime contractor remains responsible for performance of the resulting contract.

Please also see response in Questions 16 and 25. All subcontracting must be in compliance with FAR 52.209-6.

23. RFQ No. 19EC7526Q0009 references a fifteen (15) consecutive week training period in Section I, Pricing, while the required curriculum consists of a minimum of 400 in-person instructional hours over ten (10) weeks. Please confirm the required training duration for pricing and proposal purposes.

Please refer to the Government’s response to Question No. 6, which addresses the applicable training duration for pricing and scheduling purposes.

24. The solicitation requires submission of a completed SF-1449; however, the solicitation package does not contain an SF-1449. Should offerors use a blank SF-

1449, or will the Government provide the form?

The Government is providing the applicable SF-1449 with this Q&A. Offerors shall use the SF-1449 provided by the Government when submitting their quotation.

25. If a U.S. corporation is the prime contractor for a resulting award, can a foreign entity may participate as a subcontractor. Please confirm whether IRS Form W-14 is required under these circumstances.

If a U.S. corporation, is the prime contractor under the resulting award, IRS Form W-14 is not required solely because a foreign entity participates as a subcontractor. However, all subcontracting must comply with relevant FAR Clauses in the RFQ Sections 2 and 5.