Sources Sought_FDA Relocation Services.pdf

FDA Relocation Services

Background

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires comprehensive relocation services to support the movement of employees who are relocating in connection with their federal employment.

FDA's current relocation services provider (Treasury) will discontinue accepting new relocation cases after September 30, 2026, creating an operational gap that must be addressed to maintain FDA's ability to execute its mission-critical hiring and workforce mobility requirements.

FDA currently maintains 110 active relocations (including 12 international cases) and has received OMB approval to hire 1,100+ new employees under the FY26 FDA Hiring Plan. FDA's regulatory responsibilities require specialized expertise that is often geographically dispersed, necessitating employee relocations to fill critical positions across the agency's field offices, laboratories, and headquarters operations nationwide.

Objectives

The contract effort goals and objectives are to:

• Provide seamless, comprehensive relocation services for FDA employees beginning October 1, 2026

• Ensure compliance with Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) and applicable federal relocation benefit requirements

• Minimize disruption to FDA operations during the transition from Treasury services

• Support FDA's mission-critical hiring initiatives and workforce mobility needs

• Provide cost-effective, high-quality relocation management services

The results will be used to maintain FDA's operational continuity, support congressionally-mandated mission requirements, and ensure legal compliance with federal employee relocation benefit obligations.

Scope

The Government expects to accomplish comprehensive end-to-end relocation services for FDA employees. The scope includes domestic and international relocations, temporary duty assignments requiring household goods shipment, and all associated administrative and financial management services. The contract covers all FDA locations nationwide and internationally, with an estimated volume of 200-300 relocations annually.

Tasks

Task 1 - Relocation Case Management

Provide comprehensive case management services for all assigned relocations including initial counseling, needs assessment, service coordination, timeline management, and customer service support. Establish dedicated points of contact for each relocation case and maintain regular communication with relocating employees throughout the process. Provide 24/7 emergency support for urgent relocation issues.

Milestones:

• Case assignment and initial contact within 24 hours of referral

• Comprehensive relocation plan developed within 5 business days

• Weekly status updates provided to employee and FDA

Performance Requirements:

• Initial Contact: 99% of contacts made within one business day after receipt of complete relocation request

• Counseling Setup: 99% of counseling sessions scheduled within three business days of request receipt

• 24/7 Emergency Support: Dedicated emergency hotline with response within 2 hours

Case Management System Requirements:

• Provide web-based portal equivalent to MoveLINQ functionality for both employees and FDA officials

• Enable electronic document submission, approval routing, and digital signatures

• Provide real-time case status tracking and automated email notifications

• Maintain audit trail of all case activities and approvals

Task 2 - Household Goods Services

Coordinate packing, shipping, temporary storage, and delivery of personal property for domestic and international relocations. Arrange for professional packing services, coordinate pickup and delivery schedules, provide tracking capabilities, and handle claims processing for damaged or lost items. Ensure compliance with all applicable regulations for international shipments.

Milestones:

• Pre-move survey completed within 10 business days of case assignment

• Packing and pickup scheduled within employee's requested timeframe

• Delivery completed within established timeframes per FTR

Task 3 - Travel and Transportation Services

Arrange and coordinate all travel for employees and authorized family members including flights, ground transportation, lodging, and meals. Provide options for various travel methods and coordinate with employee preferences and FDA requirements. Handle emergency travel changes and provide 24/7 travel support.

Milestones:

• Travel arrangements confirmed within 5 business days of request

• Travel documents provided 48 hours prior to departure

• Emergency travel support available 24/7

Task 4 - Temporary Lodging Services

Coordinate and manage temporary quarters for employees and families during relocation transitions. Arrange extended stay accommodations, corporate housing, or hotel accommodations as appropriate. Handle direct billing arrangements and ensure accommodations meet FDA and employee needs.

Milestones:

• Temporary lodging secured within 48 hours of request

• Check-in coordination completed prior to employee arrival

• Regular quality assurance checks conducted

Task 5 - Financial Management and Administrative Services

Process all relocation-related financial transactions with full integration into federal financial management systems. This includes:

Core Financial Processing:

• Process expense reimbursements, direct vendor payments, and advance payments

• Calculate and withhold Federal and State income taxes, Social Security, and Medicare taxes on all taxable relocation benefits

• Monitor Social Security wage caps and coordinate withholding cessation when caps are reached

• Issue W-2 and 1099-MISC forms to payees and provide electronic filing with IRS and states

• Process Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) certificates and statements

Federal System Integration:

• Record obligations, amendments, vouchers, and invoices in FDA's core financial management system (UFMS)

• Coordinate Fund Balance with Treasury reconciliation for relocation transactions

• Submit Government Wide Accounting (GWA) reporting on behalf of FDA

• Provide Oracle Business Intelligence (OBI) compatible reporting for FDA financial oversight

• Process split disbursements and coordinate with FDA's payment office

Accounts Receivable Management:

• Identify accounts receivable and forward collection information to FDA accounting office

• Maintain detailed documentation for audit purposes per federal retention requirements

• Coordinate with FDA on overpayment recovery and debt collection processes

Milestones:

• Expense reimbursements processed within 5 business days (matching ARC standard)

• Tax withholding calculations completed within 24 hours of voucher approval

• W-2 forms issued by January 31st

• Monthly financial reconciliation reports provided by 15th of following month

Task 6 - International Relocation Services

Provide specialized services for international assignments including customs clearance, immigration support coordination, currency conversion, international shipping arrangements, and cultural orientation resources. Coordinate with appropriate federal agencies and international partners as required.

Task 7 - Regulatory Compliance and Coordination

Ensure full compliance with federal relocation regulations and coordinate with relevant federal agencies and systems.

Regulatory Compliance:

• Maintain current knowledge of Federal Travel Regulation (FTR), Joint Travel Regulations (JTR), and Department of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR)

• Provide appropriation guidance and ensure proper application of appropriation rules

• Coordinate with GSA for carrier invoice pre-payment and post-payment audits

• Serve as certifying officer for home sale services and transportation officer for carrier invoices

Federal Agency Coordination:

• Coordinate with GSA Transportation Management Services for best-value carrier arrangements

• Interface with Treasury systems for Fund Balance reconciliation

• Coordinate with State Department for international evacuations when applicable

• Maintain relationships with GSA schedule vendors for home sale assistance services

Documentation and Audit Support:

• Maintain all supporting documentation per federal retention requirements

• Provide assistance responding to OMB and GSA inquiries

• Support internal and external audits with detailed transaction records

• Ensure FISMA compliance and maintain appropriate security controls

Milestones:

• International shipping documentation completed 30 days prior to departure

• Customs clearance coordination initiated 15 days prior to shipment arrival

• Cultural orientation resources provided upon request

Delivery

What the Contractor must deliver:

• Completed relocation services for each assigned case

• Monthly performance reports detailing case status, metrics, and customer satisfaction

• Quarterly financial reports summarizing all transactions and costs

• Annual summary report of services provided and recommendations for improvement

• 24/7 emergency support services

• Web-based case tracking and management system access for FDA and employees

System Access and Integration:

• Oracle Business Intelligence (OBI) compatible reporting system

• Web-based employee and agency portals with 24/7 availability (except scheduled maintenance)

• Integration capabilities with FDA's UFMS financial system

• Secure document management system with federal retention compliance

Tax and Compliance Documents:

• W-2 forms issued by January 31st annually

• 1099-MISC forms for vendor payments

• RITA certificates and processing statements

• Social Security wage monitoring and cap coordination reports

When the Contractor must deliver:

• Services must be available 24/7/365 beginning October 1, 2026

• Weekly: Case status updates for active relocations

• Monthly: Performance metrics report showing compliance with SLA standards

• Quarterly: Financial reconciliation and Fund Balance coordination report

• Annually: Comprehensive service analysis with cost-saving recommendations

Where the Contractor must deliver:

• Services provided nationwide and internationally as required

• Reports delivered electronically to FDA Contracting Officer's Representative

• Customer service support available via phone, email, and web portal

Documentation required:

• FDA acknowledgment of report receipt

• Employee satisfaction surveys for each completed relocation

• Performance metrics tracking and reporting

Government-Furnished Property, Material, Equipment, or Information (GFP, GFM, GFE, or GFI)

FDA will provide:

• Employee contact information and relocation authorization details

• Applicable federal regulations and FDA-specific policies

• Access to FDA systems as required for coordination purposes

• Historical relocation data for transition planning

Security

Contractor personnel must obtain and maintain appropriate security clearances as required for access to FDA facilities and information systems. All contractor personnel handling personally identifiable information (PII) must complete required privacy and security training. Contractor must comply with all FDA IT security requirements and maintain appropriate safeguards for sensitive information.

System Security Requirements:

• Maintain FISMA-compliant information systems with appropriate security controls per

NIST SP 800-53

• Implement controlled access through user IDs and passwords in accordance with federal security requirements

• Provide encrypted email capabilities for Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) transmission

• Maintain Computer Security Incident Response Capability (CSIRC) coordination

Data Protection:

• Comply with Privacy Act requirements for federal employee personal information

• Maintain appropriate System of Records Notice (SORN) coordination with FDA

• Implement federal data retention and destruction schedules

• Provide incident reporting within one hour of discovery to FDA CSIRC

Travel

Contractor travel may be required for on-site coordination, employee meetings, and quality assurance activities. All travel must be pre-approved by the FDA Contracting Officer's Representative and comply with Federal Travel Regulation requirements.

Special Material Requirements

No special materials required beyond standard office supplies and IT equipment necessary for service delivery.

Other Unique Requirements

• Contractor must maintain appropriate insurance coverage including professional liability and cargo insurance

• Contractor must provide performance bond as specified in contract terms

• Contractor must comply with all applicable federal regulations including FTR, FAR, and agency-specific requirements

• Contractor must maintain business continuity plans to ensure uninterrupted service delivery

• Contractor must provide transition assistance if contract is not renewed

Place of Performance

Services will be performed at contractor facilities with coordination activities at FDA locations nationwide as required. Primary coordination will be with FDA headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Estimated Period of Performance

Base Period: September 30, 2026 - September 29, 2027

Option Year 1: September 30, 2027 - September 29, 2028 Option Year 2: September 30, 2028 - September 29, 2029

Option Year 3: September 30, 2029 - September 29, 2030

Option Year 4: September 30, 2030 - September 29, 2031

Estimated Total Contract Period: 5 years (1 base year + 4 option years)