SOO Countering Illicit Gold - 03252026.docx

DRAFT – 3.25.26

U.S Department of State (DOS)

Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)

Statement of Objectives INL Georgetown and Paramaribo

From “Pit to Port”: Strengthening Gold Traceability in Guyana and Suriname

Index

General The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) works to keep Americans safe by countering crime, illegal drugs, and instability abroad. Through technical assistance, training, and targeted program support, INL helps foreign governments to foster accountable institutions, enhance border security, and disrupt criminal networks that threaten U.S. and international security. INL programs under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative help degrade and dismantle transnational criminal organizations, curb U.S.-bound illicit narcotics, and strengthen criminal deterrence and accountability.

Purpose INL seeks to contract a U.S. vendor to collaborate closely with the Guyana Ministry of Natural Resources and Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association, and the Suriname Ministry of Natural Resources to design, implement, and sustain a comprehensive gold traceability application to better track gold from “pit to port” and to help prevent illegal and foreign gold from entering in their legal markets. This project will help incentivize legitimate gold miners to engage in formal mining activities. This project will encompass the full lifecycle of software development, stakeholder training, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation, ensuring that both countries are equipped with the tools, knowledge, and data-driven insights necessary to enhance transparency, enforce stronger compliance, and disrupt transnational criminal activity in the gold supply chain.

Background In Guyana and Suriname, illicit gold mining and smuggling present a significant challenge, undermine security, fuel transnational criminal networks, and deprive both countries of critical tax revenue. Much of the gold sector in both countries is dominated by small-scale and artisanal miners, who often operate informally and outside of regulatory oversight. This informality creates vulnerabilities that criminal organizations exploit, using porous borders and limited enforcement abilities to traffic illegally mined gold – including from neighboring countries such as Venezuela, Brazil, and French Guiana – and launder it into the legal market. The proceeds from these activities frequently finance other illicit enterprises, including narcotics trafficking and money laundering. The lack of effective traceability and oversight mechanisms enables these networks to operate with relative impunity, eroding government authority, contributing to environmental degradation, and threatening regional stability. Addressing this threat requires coordinated action, cutting edge technology, and strengthened institutions to disrupt illicit supply chains and restore integrity to the gold sector while encouraging greater formality and compliance within the small-scale and artisanal gold sector.

Scope The vendor shall be responsible for project assessment, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. The INL Guyana and INL Suriname Program Teams will be actively involved in the project and will work closely with the contractor to assess, develop, design, implement, and evaluate the program. Activity design and budget information shall be made available to INL upon request. The vendor will develop a work plan, in consultation with and approved by INL. The PM and SME(s) shall make all program-related decisions, including budgetary, staffing, and programmatic, in consultation with INL.

Performance Objectives To accomplish the goals and objectives of this project, the desired project outcomes are outlined below. Additional activities may be identified as the project is implemented and needs assessments are conducted, at which time INL and the contractor will discuss the necessary conditions for and response to those needs. INL requests the vendor first develop and implement the application for Guyana and then take the model to Suriname.

Objective One – Software/Application Development: The vendor shall design and develop a robust technology platform with mobile capability in collaboration with the Guyana Ministry of Natural Resources and Guyana Mining Board and Suriname Ministry of Natural Resources to enable end-to-end traceability of gold from extraction sites to export points (“pit to port”). The Guyana-facing application should be in English. The Suriname-facing application should be in Dutch. The application should include but is not limited to the following capabilities:

1. Enable Digital Certification and Real-Time Monitoring: Implement a system that assigns a unique digital certificate to each gram of gold at the point of extraction, utilizing QR codes or digital tags. Ensure that buyers, refineries, and regulatory authorities can verify the legitimacy of gold batches through the application.

2. Detect and Flag Illicit Gold: Integrate mechanisms to automatically flag gold as illicit if there is no verified digital “handshake” between a miner’s license and the gold batch, thereby identifying gold smuggled from Venezuela, Brazil, and French Guiana or gold that has entered the legal market without proper documentation.

3. Ensure Data Security and Privacy: Implement strong data protection measures to safeguard sensitive information and ensure compliance with relevant privacy and cybersecurity standards.

Objective Two - Application Rollout, Training, and Stakeholder Engagement: The vendor shall design and implement a comprehensive training and support program for government officials, miners, buyers, and other key stakeholders to ensure the effective adoption, operationalization, and long-term sustainability of the gold traceability application. This program could include tailored training modules on system use, data entry, digital certification processes, and compliance requirements. The vendor will also conduct practical in-person workshops, user manuals, and ongoing technical support to address operational challenges and promote best practices. The objective is to build local capabilities, foster stakeholder buy-in and empower all users to maximize the application’s impact on gold traceability, regulatory compliance, and anti-smuggling efforts in Guyana and Suriname.

Objective Three - Monitoring, Evaluation, and Data-Driven Decision Support: The vendor shall establish a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the performance, effectiveness, and impact of the gold traceability application. Provide technical assistance to government agencies in Guyana and Suriname to operationalize the system, analyze collected data, and generate actionable insights. Support officials in developing protocols for regular data review, reporting, and integration of application outputs into policy and enforcement strategies. The objective is to ensure continuous improvement of the platform, enhance transparency, and empower government stakeholders to make informed decisions that strengthen gold sector governance, counter illicit activities, and optimize resource allocation. The vendor will collaborate with the Ministry of Natural Resources to integrate the application’s data with Ministry of Natural Resources-funded satellite imagery to detect unauthorized or illegal mining activities and provide better intelligence on transnational criminal organizations, enabling targeted enforcement.

Type of Contract Contemplated The Government intends to award a firm fixed price contract to meet this requirement Period of Performance The period of performance is estimated from May 1, 2026 until April 31, 2027. Primary Year One LOEs will focus on developing a proof of concept in Guyana to scale to additional countries, namely Suriname in future option years. INL reserves the right to exercise additional option years with the vendor as necessary, not to exceed three years. In total the anticipated award would be for a base plus three one-year option periods.

Place of Performance Performance will be remote with occasional on-site requirements in Guyana and Suriname.

Government Information Government information will not be provided in support of this requirement.

Government Property Government property will not be provided in support of this requirement.

Required Nongovernment Information/Documents N/A Meetings For all meetings, the contractor shall be responsible for providing meeting materials and administrative/facilitation support. Meetings will be conducted virtually (such as a teleconference), or at an alternative physical location as approved by the COR.

· Post-Award Kickoff Meeting Within 10 calendar business days after contract award, the government will conduct a post-award kickoff meeting virtually (specific date and time to be mutually agreed upon).

· Weekly Project Status Reviews The PM shall meet with the INL Guyana Project Team (or delegated representative) regularly at a pre-determined time to provide updates on program activities and outcomes, as well as opportunities and/or obstacles that need to be addressed by INL.

· Intermittent Program Management Review At the sole discretion of the government, intermittent program management reviews may be conducted on an informal basis (by telephone or teleconference) as approved by the CO or COR.

Deliverables The contractor shall be responsible for reviewing and strengthening the program through the use of a systematic monitoring and evaluation methodology.

**Written report upon request only.

COR; INL Post designee(s)

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