SOURCES SOUGHT Op Goods.docx

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE / REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

Title: U.S. DEA Vetted Unit – Trinidad and Tobago: Operationalization Goods and Services Notice Type: Sources Sought / Request for Information (RFI) Agency: U.S. Department of State

1. DESCRIPTION

This is a Sources Sought Notice / Request for Information (RFI) only.

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) seeks information from qualified and interested vendors capable of providing operationalization goods and services to support the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Vetted Unit in Trinidad and Tobago, in accordance with the attached draft Statement of Work (SOW).

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 RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes. The Government will not reimburse any costs incurred in responding to this notice or in providing follow‑up information.

The Government does not commit to issue a solicitation or award a contract based on this announcement. Responding to this RFI is not a prerequisite for participation in any future solicitation.

2. PURPOSE

The Government seeks to:

1. Determine the availability and capability of vendors to provide the goods, equipment, and services required to operationalize the DEA Vetted Unit in Trinidad and Tobago, as described in the draft SOW;

2. Obtain industry feedback on draft requirements (technical, operational, and commercial); and

3. Inform the acquisition strategy and potential solicitation approach.

The Government requests focused, requirement‑specific input. Generic marketing materials or generic capability statements will not be considered responsive to this notice.

3. ANTICIPATED REQUIREMENT (SUMMARY)

The Embassy of the United States of America in Port of Spain anticipates a future requirement for a comprehensive services contract to support the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) office in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, under full and open competition. The contemplated contract encompasses the supply and installation of:

· Products for a digital forensics lab and related equipment;

· Computer equipment; and

· Building and perimeter security systems.

The requirement is expected to include, at a minimum:

· A data storage system such as the Dell PowerScale A310 data storage system, or an appropriate equivalent;

· A rack system with cooling and electrical accessories (e.g., APC NetShelter SX 42U rack system with InRow cooling, or appropriate equivalent);

· Laptop workstations and rugged laptops; and

· An integrated building security system with access control and CCTV.

Computer equipment must be deliverable within eight to twelve (8–12) weeks from the purchase order issuance date, and must be pre‑installed with all necessary hardware and software licenses to function seamlessly together for a U.S. Government entity in Trinidad and Tobago. Any future solicitation is expected to require quoted prices to include all shipping, brokerage, and transportation fees necessary to land the items in Trinidad and Tobago and deliver them to their final destination at the INL office in Port of Spain.

The attached draft SOW provides additional detail. The Government may refine the SOW and acquisition strategy based on feedback received in response to this RFI.

4. NAICS AND BUSINESS SIZE INFORMATION

Respondents shall identify:

· Their primary NAICS code;

· Any recommended NAICS code(s) that may be more appropriate for this requirement; and

· Their business size and socioeconomic status under the recommended NAICS (e.g., small business, HUBZone, 8(a), women‑owned small business, economically disadvantaged women‑owned small business, veteran‑owned small business, service‑disabled veteran‑owned small business, or other than small).

The Government has not yet finalized the NAICS code or any set‑aside determination and may use input from this RFI to inform those decisions.

5. RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS

Submission Deadline:

· Date/Time: Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) Submission Method:

· Responses shall be submitted by email only.

Submit Responses To:

· Contracting Officer: Ms. Courtney Wesely

· Email: WeselyCJ@state.gov Required Email Subject Line:

· “RFI – T&T Operationalization Goods and Services” Page Limit:

· Responses shall not exceed 20 pages, excluding cover page and table of contents (if used).

Extensions:

· The Government will not grant extensions to the response deadline.

6. ELIGIBILITY FOR FUTURE SOLICITATION

To be eligible to compete for any resulting RFQ/RFP and award, vendors must, at the time of any future solicitation:

1. Possess a current Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code;

2. Possess a valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI);

3. Be actively registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) and eligible to do business with the U.S. Government; and

4. Not appear on the Excluded Parties List at https://www.sam.gov.

7. CONTENT OF RESPONSES

Vendors are requested to structure their responses as follows:

I. Company Information

· Company Name

· Address

· UEI

· CAGE Code (if available)

· Company Website

· Point of Contact (Name and Title)

· Phone Number

· Email Address II. Socioeconomic Status

· Business size and socioeconomic classification under the relevant NAICS code(s) (e.g., small, HUBZone, 8(a), WOSB, EDWOSB, VOSB, SDVOSB, or other than small).

III. Capability to Meet Requirements

a. Technical and Operational Capability With reference to the anticipated requirement and attached draft SOW, respondents shall:

· Describe their capability to supply, install, integrate, and configure:

· Digital forensics lab equipment and data storage systems (e.g., Dell PowerScale A310 or appropriate equivalent);

· Rack systems with cooling and electrical accessories (e.g., APC NetShelter SX 42U with InRow cooling or appropriate equivalent);

· Laptop workstations and rugged laptops; and

· Integrated building security systems with access control and CCTV.

· Describe their approach to delivering equipment pre‑installed with all necessary hardware and software licenses, configured to operate as a cohesive system for a U.S. Government entity in Trinidad and Tobago.

· Describe their capability to meet the 8–12 week delivery timeframe from purchase order issuance for all computer equipment, including shipping, customs clearance, and delivery to the INL office in Port of Spain.

· Explain their capability to ensure that all proposed equipment is supportable within Trinidad and Tobago on a long‑term basis, including:

· Availability of warranty service and post‑warranty support;

· Access to spare parts and replacement components;

· Availability of qualified technicians within Trinidad and Tobago or the wider Caribbean region; and

· Any local partnerships or service arrangements to provide in‑country support.

· Identify any relevant technical standards, certifications, or qualifications (e.g., OEM certification, IT/security standards, digital forensics tool certifications) that the company holds.

OEM / Authorized Reseller Status

· Indicate whether the company is an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or an authorized reseller/partner for:

· Dell (or proposed storage OEM);

· APC/Schneider Electric (or proposed rack/cooling OEM); and

· Any other major OEMs whose products are proposed.

· Provide evidence of such status (e.g., current OEM authorization letter, partner level, or link to OEM partner directory) or describe how the company will ensure genuine products, valid warranties, and OEM‑recognized support.

b. Relevant Experience and Past Performance Provide examples of past or current work similar in scope, scale, and complexity. Relevant experience may include:

· Design, provisioning, and installation of integrated systems that combine:

· Data storage and server/rack infrastructure;

· Digital forensics or specialized IT environments; and

· Building security systems (access control and CCTV).

· Projects supporting law‑enforcement, security, or intelligence organizations, particularly vetted units or specialized investigative units.

· Experience with overseas implementation, including:

· Procurement, shipping, customs clearance, and delivery to in‑country sites;

· On‑site installation, integration, and testing; and

· Post‑installation support and maintenance.

· Any prior work in Trinidad and Tobago or the Caribbean region (if applicable).

For each example, provide:

· Customer/agency;

· Contract number (if available);

· Period of performance;

· Brief description of work performed, including whether the solution integrated IT, forensics, and physical security components; and

· Approximate dollar value.

c. Core Competencies and Performance Timeframe

· Identify core competencies relevant to this requirement (e.g., integrated IT and security solutions, digital forensics environments, international logistics and installation, long‑term maintenance and support).

· Provide a realistic performance timeline, including:

· Typical lead times for procurement and delivery to Trinidad and Tobago;

· Estimated timeframe for installation, integration, testing, and handover; and

· Approach to transitioning to steady‑state, in‑country support (e.g., service-level agreements, local partners, training of local staff).

IV. Pricing Non‑Binding Price Range

· Provide a non‑binding estimated price range based on a firm‑fixed‑price model.

· Estimates should reflect current market conditions and your standard pricing approach for an integrated solution (equipment, installation, and initial support).

· Detailed cost breakdowns are not required at this stage but may be provided voluntarily if helpful to explain pricing assumptions.

V. Existing Contract Vehicles Identify any contract vehicles through which the Department of State could access your offerings, such as:

· GSA Federal Supply Schedules (FSS);

· Government‑wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs);

· Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts;

· Other agency–specific or multi‑agency contracts.

For each, provide (as applicable):

· Contract vehicle name;

· Contract number; and

· Sponsoring agency.

VI. Recommendations and Risk Areas

a. Risk, Feasibility, and Clarity

· Identify any areas of the draft SOW that pose:

· High performance or schedule risk;

· Ambiguities or unclear requirements; or

· Requirements that may not be commercially or operationally practical, especially with respect to:

· The 8–12 week delivery timeline;

· Long‑term in‑country supportability; and

· Integration of IT, forensics, and physical security systems.

· Provide specific suggestions for clarifying or revising these areas. Vendors may optionally submit a marked‑up SOW (track changes) as an attachment.

b. Quality Assurance

· Recommend an appropriate quality assurance approach or standard the Government could use to measure successful performance, such as:

· Internal QA procedures and test plans for integrated system deployment;

· Applicable ISO or other certifications;

· Proposed performance metrics and service levels (e.g., system uptime, response times for in‑country support, spare‑parts availability, warranty service timelines).

8. DRAFT STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

A draft Statement of Work (SOW) is attached to this notice. The Government may revise the SOW and acquisition strategy based on feedback received through this RFI.

9. DISCLAIMER

This RFI is issued solely for market research and planning purposes. It does not constitute a solicitation and does not obligate the Government to issue a solicitation or award a contract. The Government may use the information obtained from this RFI to refine requirements and acquisition strategy.

Information that respondents designate as proprietary will be handled accordingly and will not be shared outside the Government review and acquisition team, except as required by law.

END OF SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

SBU - CONTRACTING AND ACQUISITIONS

SBU - CONTRACTING AND ACQUISITIONS

SBU - CONTRACTING AND ACQUISITIONS