RFI 20149914 Fingerprint.docx

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

20149914

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (DHS)

U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION (CBP)

Office of Human Resources Management (HRM), CBP Hiring Center (HC), Office of Information & Technology (OIT) and Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR)

For Electronic Fingerprint Collection Services

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY.

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quotation (RFQ), Invitation for Bids (IFB) or a promise to issue an RFP or formal acquisition in the future. This RFI does not commit the U.S. Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever nor does it intend to award a contract based on this RFI. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Hiring Center (CBP HC) is not, at this time, seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals.

All who respond to this RFI are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or inquiries, nor the U.S. Government's use of such 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 procurement, if any, is released.

Based on the response to this RFI, a determination to compete or not to compete in a future procurement is solely within the discretion of the U.S. Government. If a solicitation is released, it will be advertised on the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) website, or the GSA eBuy website, depending on the acquisition strategy established. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this RFI or a future solicitation.

CBP HC is conducting market research for a future requirement. Interested Parties are encouraged to provide a comprehensive capabilities statement on how they would provide CBP HC with the services noted herein. CBP HC seeks information regarding Industry's capability to gain a greater understanding of the marketplace and available options. This is an RFI released pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10 – Market Research and Part 15.201(e). This RFI’s purpose is to obtain market information on viable sources for pre and post-employment electronic fingerprint collection services for CBP applicants, employees, contractors, and consultants. CBP thanks you in advance for reviewing this RFI and assisting us in our efforts to obtain services.

PROGRAM BACKGROUND

The primary mission of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is to protect the United States of America from acts of terrorism while simultaneously ensuring the efficient flow of lawful traffic and commerce by managing, controlling, and securing the nation's air, land, and sea borders. United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is responsible for enforcing Federal laws that govern the importation and exportation of merchandise and for deterring the illegal entry of aliens. CBP’s mission is to prevent terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the United States and ensuring the security of our nation at America's borders and ports of entry.

The Office of Human Resources Management (HRM), CBP Hiring Center (CBP HC) supports the recruitment, hiring, and retention of qualified employees for various positions within CBP.

All CBP employees, contractors, consultants, and applicants, are required to undergo a background investigation, to include fingerprints, that are required for a National Agency Check (NAC). CBP collects approximately 45,000 fingerprints per year.

A solution that involves an extensive network of collection sites and utilizes current technology will result in streamlining the fingerprinting process and decreasing the time-to- hire.

REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide all fingerprinting facilities, all fingerprinting personnel, electronic communications of all fingerprint data, and all equipment necessary for completing an automated electronic fingerprint process with in each of the forty-eight (48) Continental United States and in Alaska, Hawaii, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and Saipan. The Contractor shall provide fingerprint services within a sixty (60) highway-mile radius of the candidate’s zip code to meet CBP’s background investigation timeline and other requirements

If a candidate is located in an area where facilities capable of performing these services are scarce and the Contractor is unable to schedule an appointment within the required timelines because a facility is not available within a 60 (sixty) highway-mile commuting radius, the Contractor shall notify the COR within one (1) business day of the initial request for services from CBP. The Contractor shall then be provided two (2) additional business days to locate an acceptable facility.

The Contractor shall provide the following services:

· Schedule of all participants for fingerprinting in coordination with the CBP Hiring Center (HC), the Office of Information Technology (and the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) / Personnel Security Division (PSD).

· Capture the electronic fingerprints for all CBP employees, contractors, consultants, and applicants requiring fingerprints as part of their background investigation NAC requirements, which is approximately 45,000 fingerprints per year.

· The vendor must provide a testing environment that mimics the current production environment. CBP will be going through multiple systems changes and expects additional changes in the near future. These changes must allow CBP to have a testing environment in order to ensure any updates made are functioning correctly with the interfaces prior to deployment.

· Maintain a web-based portal or electronic exchange/web services that provides all details of fingerprint requests that must be scheduled or cancelled and includes all applicable candidate information. This system must be accessible remotely by CBP personnel on a 24 hour 7 days per week, 365 days per year basis.

· Provide all trained personnel to administer fingerprint function at facilities nationwide as specified in this request. The Contractor shall provide the fingerprinting sites in each of the forty-eight (48) continental United States as well as Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and Saipan.

· The services under this contract are subject to the needs of the Government and to the availability of funds; the volume of electronic fingerprints ordered is contingent upon the number of new hires approved by Congress, current CBP employees and contractors requiring re-investigations, and the number of CBP periodic re-investigations required, and specific hiring requirements. CBP shall make a good faith effort to keep the Contractor informed of anticipated or impending needs for services. The volume of requests sent by CBP to the Contractor shall vary widely by day – CBP may send up to several thousand requests in one day which will need to be completed within the timelines specified in this request

· The COR shall be notified at least 24 (twenty-four) hours in advance of any web service maintenance that will require web service down time.

· The Contractor's web service support shall have a response time of 24 (twenty-four) hours or less.

REQUESTED INFORMATION

RESPONSES

Interested parties are requested to respond to this RFI with a white paper.

White papers in Microsoft Word for Office format are due no later than May 16, 2025 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time.

Responses shall be limited to five pages for Section One and five pages for Section Two. And shall be submitted via e-email. Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and must be marked clearly.

To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information. Please be advised that all submissions will become Government Property and will not be returned.

Section 1 of the “White Paper” shall provide administrative information, and shall include the following as a minimum, limited to five pages:

1) Name, mailing address, overnight delivery address (if different from mailing address), phone number, fax number, website address and e-mail of designated point of contact.

2) Recommended contracting strategy.

3) Business type (large business, small business, small, disadvantaged business, 8(a)-certified small, disadvantaged business, HUBZone small business, woman-owned small business, very small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business) based upon North American Industry Classification System NAICS Code 561611 (Investigative and Personal Background Check Service ), as validated via the System for Award Management (SAM).

4) Describe your subcontracting plan (if any).

5) SAM UEI number and TIN;

6) A rough price estimate/range for each set of fingerprints.

Section 2 of the “White Paper” shall answer the issues addressed under the Section entitled “REQUIREMENTS” of this RFI and shall be limited to five pages.

QUESTIONS

Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing by e-mail no later than May 9, 2025, 11:00 AM EST to the Contracting Officer at the following email addresses richard.m.kirby@cbp.dhs.gov. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Questions will be answered by sending questions to richard.m.kirby@cbp.dhs.gov with RFI 20149914 Fingerprint in the subject line. Questions shall NOT contain proprietary or classified information. The Government does not guarantee that questions received after May 9, 2025 will be answered.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Contract Officer: Richard Kirby Email address: richard.m.kirby@cbp.dhs.gov

SUMMARY

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY to identify sources that can provide the above mentioned services. The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. CBP has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and release of this RFI should not be construed as such a commitment nor as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned. The Government is not required to respond to any information provided in response to this RFI. It is the responsibility of the interested parties to monitor SAM.GOV.gov for additional information pertaining to this RFI.