RFI_CJIS FRT FINAL.pdf

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

FINANCE AND FACILITIES DIVISION | PROCUREMENT SECTION

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

Open-Source Facial Recognition (FR) Capabilities

September 16, 2024

Request for Information (RFI) Version 1 Page 2

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.

INTRODUCTION

Responses to this RFI are intended to identify capable parties who (1) conduct ongoing collection of open-source and publicly available images and (2) offer a face recognition (FR) capability to customers enabling them to search their face images against the collected open-source and publicly available images and receive a list of highest probably match candidates. FR technology

(FRT) has become more commercialized in recent years and the FBI would like to have a better understanding of which companies are actively part of this industry. The information gathered may be used to support future acquisition strategies for competitive solicitations.

BACKGROUND

The FBI uses FRT in support of assessments and predicated investigations opened in accordance with the Attorney General Guidelines for FBI Operations. Using FRT allows the FBI to develop investigative leads in support of authorized FBI law enforcement, national security, intelligence, and public safety activities. Investigative leads are often derived from open-source images posted on social media profiles, Internet sites, and the dark web; for example, individuals often use social media to communicate, coordinate, and conduct criminal activity. The ability to rapidly generate investigative leads and discover other information relevant to active investigations is critical to holding perpetrators accountable and mitigating other threats.

Counterintelligence, counterterrorism, and violent crime investigations all involve significant harm, or threats of harm, to human life and commonly unfold very quickly. These investigations also involve subjects who are not presently in the United States (U.S.), have entered the U.S.

using fictious identity documents, or who otherwise take measures conceal their identities.

Violent crime subjects are known to flaunt their criminal activities and the proceeds of those

Request for Information (RFI) Version 1 Page 3 activities online under false names in their social media. Searching government-maintained repositories, e.g., drivers’ license and passport photo repositories, will therefore not always provide useful information. The use of open-source FRT could support the FBI’s mission of protecting the American people and upholding the U.S. Constitution.

CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS

This RFI is open to any interested party with current capabilities to supply law enforcement customers with robust, open-source and publicly available face image repositories and functioning FR capabilities to search the repository. Responses to the RFI should identify the available FR tools, search engines, capabilities, and open-source repositories that must work in tandem to provide the capability as a Software As A Service (SAAS).

The FBI would like to request that interested parties respond to this RFI with the following information:

1. Company name, business size, proof of company base in United States, and Sam.Gov registration.

2. Provide, if possible, evidence of your technical ability, personnel, and experience related to ownership of open-source facial image repositories and type of FRT used in performing FR comparisons as a SAAS.

3. Nature and source of the data available in the repository.

4. Specific information on accuracy and error rates of FR algorithm(s) or FRT used in the application in conjunction with the open-source data. Information provided shall be succinct and related to the requested information in this RFI.

5. All submissions shall be unclassified. Any areas that are proprietary in nature shall be clearly marked on the submission.

6. Provide any accuracy results for the FRT that would have been generated by National

Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST’s) Face Recognition Technology

Evaluation (FRTE) program.

7. Details for how your product is packaged, outlining any special terms or limitations to licensing, access, and support. The details shall include rough order of magnitude pricing for provided capabilities, including a la carte pricing for add on that may be part of the provided solution.

8. Details and information identifying any code packaged as part of this product developed outside of the United States.

9. Any other assumptions, comments, or supporting information relating to your organization’s open-source facial image repositories and FRT comparison capabilities.

Information in this category shall be limited to no more than one page of typed font.

10. Practices regarding data collection (including disclosure and consent), review, management (including data security and sharing), storage (including timeframes for holding data), and monitoring practices.

Request for Information (RFI) Version 1 Page 4

11. Does the FRT capability permit searching without requiring the client to submit an actual face photo to the vendor’s system? For example, does the vendor’s FRT solution enable face image templating/encoding within the client owned IT boundary, then only the image template/encoding submitted to the vendor’s FRT capability?

12. If possible, a listing of no more than three current customers who would be willing to serve as a reference for the FBI.

Required Information:

Contractor Legal/DBA Name:

Address:

Point of Contact:

Telephone:

Email Address:

DUNS Number:

UEID Number:

Cage Code:

Facility Clearance (if applicable):

Applicable NAICS Codes:

Standard Business Size:

GSA Schedule:

NASA SEWP Contract:

CONTEMPLATED REQUIREMENT

The FBI is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to:

• Gather industry information specifically on the enclosed requirements.

• Request information on any industry changes or improvements that the FBI should consider when looking to obtain or leverage existing open-source and publicly available face image repositories, capabilities, and associated meta data that employ FRT as a

SAAS.

• The Government reserves the right to conduct demonstrations or follow-up with clarifying questions to understand the capability submitted to further inform our research.

Request for Information (RFI) Version 1 Page 5

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.

WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN YOUR RESPONSE:

1. All interested parties shall submit capability packages in response to this notice limited to a total of fifteen pages.

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

3. Do submit comments that address the FBI’s requirements, assumptions, conditions, or contemplated approaches to this future acquisition specific to the requirements listed in this RFI.

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 specific to the noted requirements.

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.

Request for Information (RFI) Version 1 Page 6

RFI SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS: The Government requests response to this RFI to be submitted via electronic means to the POC outlined below. Any request for clarification to this

RFI are due by 10/1/2024 Noon Eastern to ensure response. The Government reserves the right to respond to questions provided after the deadline. Formal responses are due by 10/15/2024

Noon Eastern. Each submission shall not exceed 15 pages in length, including cover page, table of contents, and any other information. Submit RFI Information via email to the attention of:

Contracting Point of Contact: Brandon James

Email: bmjames@fbi.gov