RFI for Personnel Screening Canine 2025.docx

United States secret service (USSS) Request for Information (RFI)

Personnel Screening Canines Release Date:

11/20/2024

Contents

1.0 General Information

2.0 Contracting Office Address

Responses to the RFI are to be submitted electronically. See Paragraph 9.0, below.

3.0 Purpose

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. This RFI is being conducted pursuant to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 15.201(e). No contract will be awarded from this announcement and no reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information submitted in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the responding party’s expense.

This RFI is issued solely for informational and planning purposes; it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or any obligation on the part of the Government. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the U.S Government to form a binding contract. The USSS is not at this time seeking proposals, nor will it accept unsolicited proposals. The Government will utilize the information provided only to develop the acquisition strategy for a possible future requirement. Failure to respond to this requirement does not preclude participation in the anticipated RFP (if issued).

Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. It is the responsibility of the interested parties to monitor the SAM.gov site for additional information pertaining to this RFI.

4.0 Description

The USSS is conducting market research to identify vendors that are active participants in the DHS Domestic Breeding Consortium (DBC) that can meet the following vendor and canine requirements.

5.0 RFI Objectives and Desired Specifications

5.1 Objectives

The United States Secret Service (USSS) mission is to protect protectees and facilities from explosive devices via the use of personnel screening canines trained to detect odors consistent with explosives. USSS runs 2 to 3 personnel screening canine classes per year, consisting of 6 teams per class.

The USSS is conducting market research to identify vendors that are active participants in the DHS Domestic Breeding Consortium (DBC) that can meet the following vendor and canine requirements.

5.2.1 Personnel Screening Canine Requirements

These canines will be trained to perform daily explosive odor detection at USSS protected venues.

Additions / Exceptions to General Requirements

· Age: Must be no older than 2 years of age

· Breed: German Shorthair Pointer, Pointer Mix, Labrador Retriever and Labrador Mix breeds preferred

Requirements for Trained Detection Canines:

They must possess the following characteristics at a high level:

· Hunt drive

· Prey drive

· Social temperament

· Courageous temperament

· Independent temperament

· Intense Toy possession

Canines must be selection tested, defined as having passed initial selection testing by an employee of the US vendor before being presented to the solicitor for solicitor selection testing.

Canines must pass selection testing by the solicitor at the US vendor’s place of business. Solicitor must be allowed to take the canines off vendor property to test canines as necessary.

5.2.2 Vendor Requirements

· Vendor must be an active participant in the DHS Domestic Breeding Consortium (DBC).

· Warranty

· All canines, initial selection canines as well as replacement canines, shall come with a 1 year warranty. The 1 year warranty starts the date canines are picked up from the vendor and covers failures due to health, environmentals, and/or performance.

· In the event a canine fails to meet USSS standards, the vendor will provide a replacement canine within 6 business days of notification or provide a credit for a new dog in the next class. Replacement dog must meet the selection requirements as outlined above. Credit is good for 1-year from the day the dog is returned to the vendor.

· Selection Pool

· For a class of 6 canines, vendor must present a candidate pool of at least 10 canines that meet the canine requirements outlined above

· For one replacement canine, vendor must present a candidate pool of at least 2 canines that meet the canine requirements outlined above

· Facilities

· The offeror must be within 700 miles from Beltsville, MD.

· The offeror must provide, or have close access to, the following items for solicitor to conduct selection testing.

· Dark rooms

· Stairs

· Ramps

· Slick floor

· Open fields

· Buildings

· Vehicles

· Other canines

· All testing areas and buildings should be enclosed

6.0 Acquisition Strategy

A contract is not being solicited nor awarded from this announcement; however, if the Government proceeds toward a solicitation/award, a firm fixed-price contract would be most likely. Responses should include potential firm fixed price for use in a possible RFP.

7.0 Inquiries

All questions regarding this RFI must be submitted, in writing via email to Lauren Suydam at Lauren.suydam@associates.usss.dhs.gov and Katheryn Dennis at katheryn.dennis@usss.dhs.gov. Questions will be addressed within a reasonable amount of time, generally no more than 48 hours after receipt.

8.0 Responses

8.1 Response Format

***ALL RESPONSES ARE TO BE UNCLASSIFIED. DO NOT PROVIDE CLASSIFIED INFORMATION IN A RESPONSE TO THIS RFI.***

Vendor responses should not exceed thirty (30) pages and shall be submitted in a PDF file type. The format for the RFI responses is described below:

The Cover Page shall contain:

(1) Company name, address, and primary point-of-contact information for questions on submittal.

(2) A brief description of your company.

(3) Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS) number

(4) Contact information (telephone, e-mail, website address)

(5) Cage Code.

(6) Primary NAICS Code.

(7) Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) Contract Number or DHS Strategic Sourcing Vehicle Contract Number, if applicable.

(8) If designated as a small business, please provide more information below:

To be considered for a Small Business set-aside, at least 50 % of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel shall be expended for employees of the responder.

RESPONSE

Small Disadvantaged small business? (FAR 19.304)

8.2 Response Content

1. Introduction: Provide a brief description of existing capability (ex. facilities, kennel capacity, average candidate pool availability, etc.) to meet the requirements outlined above.

3. Price and Delivery: The offeror shall provide unit pricing for Explosive Detection Team (EDT) Canines – Personnel Screening to the specific requirements outlined above.

3. Past Performance: Past Performance Information for two relevant and recent references. Relevant is defined as having a comparable scope of work to this requirement. Recent is defined as having occurred in the past three years.

The offeror shall include, in their proposals, the following past performance information:

· Name of Company/agency

· Point of Contact from the company/agency with telephone number and email address

· Address of company/agency

· Contract Number

· Dollar amount

· Brief description of work performed

· Period of Performance

If the offeror has not contracted with USSS previously, a site visit to the offeror’s facility may be scheduled to determine the offeror’s ability to meet the candidate pool requirements required for selection and provide the testing environments as outlined above.

8.3 Response Deadline and Submission Location

Responses to this RFI must be received no later than 12/20/2024 at 12:00 PM Eastern and must be emailed to lauren.suydam@associates.usss.dhs.gov and katheryn.dennis@usss.dhs.gov.

9.0 Summary

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY to identify vendors that are active participants in the DHS Domestic Breeding Consortium (DBC) that can meet the vendor and canine requirements outlined above. The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. The Government 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 or as authorization to incur costs for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.