RFI - BLS OSMR Participant Recruiting v2.docx

Department of Labor - OSPE Request for Information (RFI)/Sources Sought Notice Research Participant Recruiting

SPECIAL NOTICE: SOURCES SOUGHT & REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI). THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. This notice does not represent a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or award a contract. The Government is not obligated to and will not pay for information received as a result of this announcement. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement and any follow-up information requests to include an invite to further explain/demonstrate aspects of their proposed approach. Requests for a solicitation will not receive a response. Information provided in response to this RFI is submitted voluntarily and is not being requested as part of a solicitation for actual pricing.

PURPOSE OF RFI:

The purpose of this RFI is to gather information about potential solutions to achieve the following high level objectives:

· Identify pools of potential research study participants, verify that the potential participants meet eligibility requirements, and schedule participants for small-scale research studies conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Office of Survey Methods Research (OSMR).

· Upon successful completion of the study, provide a monetary incentive to individuals. Ensure participants are remunerated appropriately, including capturing signatures and retaining required records, as needed.

· Handle participant information in accordance with BLS confidentiality and privacy policies and standards.

· Provide status updates and summary reports (on a real-time and/or periodic basis) to BLS/OSMR.

Responses to this RFI will be reviewed by DOL for their applicability to the Government’s need and determined to be “Relevant” or “Irrelevant” to the above problem. Offerors of “Relevant” responses may be requested to demonstrate their approach and/or product to a Government panel of Subject Matter Experts to help DOL determine the best approach.

BACKGROUND:

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is the principal fact-finding agency for the Federal Government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics and collects, processes, analyzes, and disseminates essential statistical data to the American public, the U.S. Congress, other Federal agencies, State and local governments, business, and labor.

The mission of the Office of Survey Methods Research (OSMR) is to plan and direct a continuing program of research by evaluating statistical and behavioral science aspects of survey programs, suggesting improvements, and conducting statistical development studies to provide sound and effective survey techniques for BLS programs. The immediate goals of the Behavioral Science Research Center (BSRC) within OSMR are to improve the accuracy and quality of survey data, improve response rates, and ease the burden of survey administration for both interviewers and respondents. In addition, studies are conducted to analyze and improve the usability of BLS software products, for both internet and stand-alone applications.

BLS/OSMR studies generally require participants to live in the United States, be aged 18 and over, and meet certain eligibility criteria. Though the exact eligibility criteria vary by study, BSRC researchers are typically searching for individuals who have bought certain things, have certain types of jobs (e.g., people who are self-employed, employed part-time, who telework, and/or do short-term or “gig” work), work in certain occupations (e.g., teachers, construction workers, career counselors, human resources staff, accountants), have used the BLS.gov website or BLS data products, or fit certain demographic criteria (e.g., people with disabilities, have a child at home between the ages of 5 and 17).

BSRC studies typically range in size from about 10 participants up to 100 participants. In a given year, BSRC usually needs approximately 200-300 participants.

Participants typically complete a 60-minute one-on-one interview or usability test, held virtually (via Microsoft Teams) or in-person (in the Washington, DC area). Upon completion, participants are typically paid $50. Some studies may involve focus groups lasting 1.5 hours; these participants are paid up to $90.

SCOPE

The primary goal of this request for information is to identify whether commercial vendors are available that meet the needs outlined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Survey Methods Research. Requirements include the following:

· Proposing strategies, tactics, and/or plans for identifying and recruiting potential research participants, given each study’s eligibility criteria

· Implementing those strategies, tactics, and/or plans

· Screening potential participants and verifying that research participants meet the study’s eligibility criteria

· Scheduling research participants at times that are mutually agreeable for BLS/OSMR and the participant

· Sending appointment reminders

· Providing participants with the relevant information necessary for them to complete the study, including arriving at the appropriate (physical or virtual) location on time,

· Conducting “tech checks” for online/virtual appointments as needed

· Ensuring that the appropriate number of eligible participants complete the study, managing “no-shows” as needed

· Upon successful completion of the BLS study, providing remuneration to participants (e.g., cash, gift card, or other item of comparable value)

· Providing status updates and reports

· Handling information in accordance with BLS privacy and confidentiality policies and standards.

BLS anticipates performing these activities:

· Defining the objective of the research

· Setting the eligibility criteria for each research study

· Determining the number of participants needed for each study

· Obtaining research study approval from the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Paperwork Reduction Act process

· Approving the recruiting strategies, plans, and tactics

· Conducting the research study, including obtaining informed consent

· Analyzing data from the research study

· Setting the rate of remuneration for each research study

RFI QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Company description, discussion of company capabilities, and general summary of approach to accomplishing the requirements listed in the Purpose and Scope sections of this Request for Information.

1. Historical information (description and length of time providing this service, as well as under what North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) XXXXXXXXX) to the public and other federal agencies.

1. Describe your type of business, including whether it is certified as a small business, a small disadvantaged business, woman-owned business, HUB Zone-certified, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, etc. under NAICS XXXXXXXXX, which contains a size standard of XXXXXXXXXXX.

1. Does your company possess the capabilities to provide the entire range and scope of these requirements? If not, please list which requirements your company can provide.

1. Do any of the listed tasks or requirements unnecessarily drive up the potential costs of the work? If so, which ones specifically?

1. Suggested roles and responsibilities of the Company and the Government.

1. Suggestions/recommendations to improve scope of services to provide an improved value to the Government.

1. Potential risks that could impact the requirement, whether it is performance risk, technical risk or cost. Please be specific.

1. Issues with scope (either expressed or implied) that may limit a Company’s ability to perform services and ultimately increase the cost to the Government.

Additional Questions Provided By BLS/OSMR:

1. Does your company possess the ability to ensure that participants are who they say they are and meet the eligibility criteria? Describe standard controls or processes your company takes to reduce the risk of fraudulent participation in research studies.

2. Describe your company’s typical fee structure for providing these types of services. Provide sample pricing for the example projects listed below:

a. 60 participants for a 60-minute in-depth interview held online. Eligibility criteria: US resident, 18 years or older, 15 people from each of the 4 Census regions. Remuneration: $50 per participant (or equivalent value)

b. 40 participant pairs for a 60-minute in-depth interview held online. One member of the pair should be a young person ages 11-17; the other is their parent or legal guardian. Eligibility criteria: US resident, parent or guardian is 18 or older. Remuneration: $50 per participant pair, paid to parent or guardian (or equivalent value)

c. 20 participants for a 90-minute in-person focus group held in a major US city. Eligibility criteria: US resident, 18 years or older, has a mortgage. Remuneration: $75 per participant (or equivalent value)

d. 15 participants for a 60-minute in-depth interview held in-person in a suburban public library. Eligibility criteria: US resident, 18 years or older, employed, career counselors or teachers. Remuneration: $50 per participant (or equivalent value)

3. Describe your company’s research participant recruiting efforts in calendar year 2025. In your response, include the following information:

a. The total number of participants your company recruited

b. The largest number of participants recruited for a single study

c. What types of studies the participants completed, e.g., interviews, focus groups, customer/user experience testing, surveys

d. Mode of the studies (e.g., in-person or virtual)

e. Synchronous/asynchronous nature of the studies

f. Eligibility criteria for the studies, especially for any hard-to-reach and/or underrepresented groups

g. Strategies or procedures used to reduce the number of no-shows and ensure participants show up for the study

RESPONSES TO RFI

RFI responses shall conform to the format below and provide the following information:

1. Cover Letter – The cover letter must include the following information:

· Company name

· Company point of contact, telephone number and email address

· Date submitted

2. Offerors shall respond to each of the general questions.

3. If the offeror chooses not to respond to a question, indicate “no response.”

4. Submit a capabilities package that include the above considerations that demonstrate capabilities and expertise related to the information outlined. As part of the market research associated with this RFI, we are also seeking pricing information. Any pricing information received is to be Rough Order of Magnitude, and is solely for information-gathering and planning purposes.

5. Marketing and/or reference materials, if included, shall be placed at the end of the response, in an appendix.

6. Responses shall not exceed 30 pages, and should be submitted in Microsoft Word .doc or .docx formats, Times New Roman 11-point or 12-point font, with 1-inch margins minimum all around.

RFI SCHEDULE

Responses to the RFI shall be submitted via email to NAME by 12:00 PM EST on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.

Contracting Officer – Rachael Vargas Email: Vargas.Rachael.N@dol.gov

Contracting Specialist – Daniel Garza Email: Garza.Daniel@dol.gov

Questions regarding this RFI shall be e-mailed to the above point of contact by 12:00 PM EST March 18, 2026. Questions and answers shall be posted as an amendment to this RFI. The Government reserves the right to edit any questions as needed to protect the identity of the source, but absent this consideration, the Government intends to quote each submitted question verbatim in its response.

DISCLAIMER

This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for information received in response to this RFI. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to the RFI will not be returned. Information provided in response to this RFI will be used to assess tradeoffs and alternatives available for determining how to proceed in the acquisition process for an agency-wide asset management system and may lead to the development of a Performance Work Statement for the system. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.

BASED ON THE RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE/MARKET RESEARCH, THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE SET-ASIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES OR PROCURED THROUGH FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION, and multiple awards MAY be made.