SOW Costa Rica Green Canines-09032026.pdf

SBU - CONTRACTING AND ACQUISITIONS

STATEMENT OF WORK

1.1 REQUIREMENT — Canine, Single Purpose (Green)

The Government of Costa Rica (GOVCR) requires the purchase of forty (40) single-purpose "green" canines, delivered in two intervals of twenty (20), approximately four (4) to five (5) months apart. Intended uses include, but are not limited to, narcotics detection, human remains and blood detection, explosives detection, tracking, and currency detection.

Canines shall be tested at the vendor's facility and/or other off-site facilities by a

GOVCR-certified instructor (one or more), the INL Program Manager, the INL

Canine Advisor, an INL Contracting Officer Representative (COR), and a licensed veterinarian appointed by the GOVCR. The vendor must provide canines that pass the physical and performance tests below:

a) Evaluation for environmental stability and general character/temperament.

b) Testing for hunting, prey, retrieve, and air-scent drives.

c) Testing for possession and desire for a toy/reward object.

d) Additional suitability tests as needed, which may include perseverance, conflict, gunfire, slick-floor, handler compatibility, or handler dependence tests.

Successful bidders and selected canines must meet all requirements of this SOW.

1.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE CANINES

• Breed: Preferred breeds include German Shepherd, Dutch Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, Tervuren, Groenendael, Labrador Retriever, and German

Shorthaired Pointer, but selection is not limited to these breeds provided the canine passes the required tests. INL San José reserves the right to specify breed quantities based on task requirements.

• Age: Documented age between twelve (12) and twenty-four (24) months.

• Weight: Forty-five (45) to ninety (90) pounds.

• Size: Twenty-two (22) to thirty (30) inches (56–77 cm) at the shoulder.

• Sex: Male or female.

1.2.1 Number of Canines and Delivery Procedure

Forty (40) canines are required in two selection rounds of twenty (20) each, approximately four to five months apart. The vendor shall present a sufficient pool of canines for GOVCR testing; each group of 20 accepted canines will be retained by GOVCR end users. All canines shall be delivered, at vendor expense, via air to the nearest international airport and on to San José International Airport

(commercial passenger or freight carriers permitted, at vendor's discretion). The vendor shall provide all documentation required for U.S. export and Costa Rican import, including vaccination certifications, clean bills of health, and recent radiographs signed by a licensed veterinarian.

1.3 EVALUATION OF CANINES

INL will send GOVCR veterinarian(s), certified instructors, the INL Program

Manager, the INL Canine Advisor, and the COR to the vendor's facility to test and select canines. The selection team will apply standard tests to determine each canine's suitability and will make final acceptability determinations. Canines deemed unacceptable will be removed from further consideration. The vendor or its representative may observe selection but may not participate in or influence the process.

Vendors should expect a 20%–50% rejection rate. Only canines meeting both selection criteria and GOVCR veterinary medical clearance will be accepted. The

USG assumes no cost responsibility for canines not accepted. Testing will occur at or near the vendor's facility, in a designated area separate from daily boarding

(which may be unfamiliar to the canine).

Canines must perform average, above average, or excellent in tests including, but not limited to:

• Multiple environmental/character-stability tests

• Hunt/Prey/Air Scent/Retrieve test

• Perseverance test

• Water conflict test

• Food conflict test

• Handler/object conflict test

Overall suitability will be derived from combined performance across all tests.

1.3.1 Physical Tests

All canines must be in excellent health, free of acute or chronic disease, and medically fit for service at the time of evaluation. A GOVCR-designated veterinarian will conduct a full physical examination, including x-rays, following successful completion of selection testing.

Medical examination shall include, but is not limited to:

• Gait: Any abnormality affecting duty performance is disqualifying.

• Skin/Coat: Must be healthy, free of chronic dermatitis, allergies, infection, injury, or parasites.

• Teeth/Jaws: Normal occlusion required; no weakened, notched, or abnormally worn canine teeth; disqualifying oral infection or periodontal disease.

• Heart/Lungs: Normal rate, rhythm, and function at rest and exercise; active heartworm disease is disqualifying.

• Ophthalmic: Eyes and related structures must be healthy and free of disqualifying abnormalities.

• Neurological: Must be normal; any symptoms or abnormalities may be disqualifying.

• Orthopedic: Complete OFA-quality radiographs required to confirm healthy bones, joints, and muscles. Disqualifying conditions include hip/elbow dysplasia, degenerative joint disease, arthritis, chronic lameness, unhealed or performance-limiting healed fractures, ligament/tendon damage, and muscular deficiency.

Current vaccination records required: Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospira, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza, Rabies, Giardia, Herpes Type II, Coronavirus, Canine Cough, and

Bordetella.

1.4 DELIVERY

1.4.1 Receiving and Delivery Requirements/Logistics

The vendor shall coordinate inspection, selection, and delivery with INL Costa

Rica's Police Advancement and Strengthening (PAS) team and Logistics personnel and shall obtain all permits necessary for legal import into Costa Rica.

a) After selection, the vendor shall retain the canines for up to ten (10) weeks.

b) The vendor shall provide the country of origin for each canine.

c) The vendor shall provide a signed passport vaccine certificate and health certificate per canine, submitted to INL five (5) days prior to importation (or within

10 days after import if not sent prior).

The vendor shall provide proof of any additional Costa Rica–required vaccinations, coordinated through INL Logistics. No delivery shall occur until fully coordinated with INL Logistics.

1.4.2 Delivery Timeline

Once canines are selected/accepted by the GOVCR, the vendor shall have thirty

(30) calendar days to deliver them to the nearest international airport for shipment to San José International Airport, where INL PAS and host government officials will conduct inspection. The vendor is responsible for all export paperwork and assumes full responsibility for the canines during transport. At least five (5) days before each flight, the vendor shall provide INL Logistics with the number of canines per flight, flight number, airway bill, and flight schedule, and shall email a copy of the airway bill to the COR once available.

1.4.3 Place of Delivery

U.S. Embassy San José Ave 0 Calle 120 Rohrmoser, Pavas San José, Costa Rica

Attn: INL Office

1.5 EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLY REQUIREMENTS

The price per canine shall include the following, meeting industry standards, to be provided at time of delivery:

• Large (36"L x 24"W x 27"H; 41–70 lbs) or X-Large (42"L x 28"W x 31"H;

71–90 lbs) plastic crate with automatic water dispenser and bowl, sized to the canine

• Properly fitting muzzle

• Non-toxic slow-feeder bowl

• Stainless steel water bowl

• Ration of canine food matching the canine's diet, sufficient for the full transportation period plus 10 days

• Metal ID tag matching the electronic ID chip or tattoo

• One (1) training dog chain slip collar (fur saver)

• Two (2) flea and tick dips

• One (1) canine leash

• One (1) black Kong toy

• One (1) 3-inch Kong ball

• Shipping records

• Veterinarian health check, files, and vaccination records

Technical datasheets for all supplies must be submitted to the COR in advance for approval.

1.6 SHIPPING REQUIREMENTS

INL San José will assist the vendor in obtaining customs clearance and tax exemption certificates from the GOVCR. Cargo must be identified as "Official

Diplomatic Cargo."

The vendor shall send copies of each commercial invoice, certifications, certified canine medical information, and the airway bill to the INL Office (address above) for customs clearance purposes.

1.7 REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION

The following shall be provided with each canine at acceptance:

• Current vaccination records (distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, leptospirosis, canine cough, coronavirus, rabies, giardia, Bordetella, Herpes Type II, parainfluenza)

• Hepatic test (GPT/GOT), renal profile (BUN/creatinine), hemoparasite panel

(ehrlichiosis, hemobartonella, babesia, dirofilaria), CBC, and fecal exam

(flotation and sedimentation); canine must be deloused

• Current health certificate from a licensed, board-certified veterinarian addressing the above requirements

• Health certificates/certifications required by airlines for air transport

• Current x-rays: thorax, spine (two images), hips, and elbows (each forequarter)

• Scorebooks: copies of evaluation and follow-up certificates

• AVID microchip or ID tattoo matching INL evaluation and shipping records

1.8 CANINE PROFILES AND RECORDS

Prior to delivery, the vendor shall provide INL and GOVCR a Microsoft Excel chart listing each canine's name, photo, chip number, and medical records.

1.9 WARRANTY

The vendor shall warrant all selected canines as follows:

• General Health: 100% healthy, free of genetic defects or debilitating medical conditions (unrelated to improper use/training), for 12 months from purchase date. Defective canines shall be replaced at no cost.

• Skeletal Health: Coverage for skeletal, bone, joint, muscle, tendon, or ligament issues detected within 4 months of delivery, discovered prior to pretraining.

• Genetic/Hereditary Conditions: Coverage for 12 months from acceptance.

• Neurological Conditions: Coverage for 12 months from acceptance.

• Workability/Compatibility Failure: Coverage within 4 months of delivery.

The vendor shall replace any warrantied canine at its own expense.

1.10 VENDOR RESPONSIBILITY — EXCHANGES AND RETURNS

The vendor shall exchange a canine within 120 days if concerns arise during training (identified by instructors, handlers, or veterinary recommendation). The vendor shall have five (5) working days to fulfill an exchange request; if unable to comply, INL will reduce the purchase order quantity to match the number of effective working canines received. Replacement canines shall be provided at the vendor's expense.

The vendor shall maintain a sufficient pool of canines available for selection throughout the testing period.

(Equipment/supply deliverables are consolidated in Section 1.5.)

1.11 PRICING

The vendor shall submit Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) quotes, using the pricing matrix in Microsoft Excel format, covering all aspects of contract performance, including:

• Canines

• Equipment (per Section 1.5)

• Vaccines

• A 10-day-plus food supply

• Delivery and transportation of all canines to San José International Airport

(per Section 1.4)

No cost-reimbursement line items will be permitted under this contract.

2. EVALUATION FACTORS

The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation using a best value tradeoff process. Non-cost factors — Technical Acceptability and Past

Performance — are weighted more heavily than price; however, proposed pricing must remain in alignment with the Independent Government Cost Estimate

(IGCE). The Government will evaluate proposals based on the following factors:

2.1 Technical Acceptability — Pass/Fail

This factor evaluates whether the offeror's proposed approach demonstrates a sound understanding of the requirement and sufficient technical knowledge, qualifications, and capability to meet the contract's requirements. This factor is evaluated on a pass/fail basis.

• Proposals rated "Fail" are ineligible for award and will not be considered further, regardless of past performance or price.

• Only proposals rated "Pass" will proceed to evaluation under Section 2.2

(Past Performance).

2.2 Past Performance — Adjectival Rating

For offerors that pass Technical Acceptability, this factor evaluates the offeror's track record on relevant, recent contracts of similar size, scope, and complexity.

The evaluation assesses the quality, timeliness, and reliability of the offeror's previous work as an indicator of likely performance on the current contract.

Past Performance will be rated using the following adjectival scale:

Rating Description

Outstanding Exceptional performance history; highly relevant record with negligible risk of unsuccessful performance

Good Strong performance history; relevant record with low risk of unsuccessful performance

Acceptable Satisfactory performance history; adequate record with some risk of unsuccessful performance

Marginal Weak performance history; limited relevance or evidence of performance issues, with increased risk

Unacceptable Poor performance history or absence of relevant record; high risk of unsuccessful performance

Submit past performance for at least three prior awards already completed, but no more than five. Award number, award value, period of performance, and prior Contracting Officer information shall be included.

2.3 Price Evaluation

Price will be evaluated separately from Technical Acceptability and Past

Performance, based on the Firm-Fixed-Price structure established in Section 1.11.

The Government will evaluate proposed pricing for reasonableness and alignment with the Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE). Price is not scored on the adjectival or pass/fail scales used for the non-cost factors, but a proposal's pricing must be consistent with the IGCE to remain eligible for award consideration.

2.4 Basis for Award

The Government will award to the responsible offeror whose proposal represents the best value, using the following tradeoff logic:

1. Technical Acceptability must be rated "Pass." Offerors rated "Fail" are eliminated from award consideration.

2. Among offerors rated "Pass," Past Performance is evaluated and weighted more heavily than price, using the adjectival scale above.

3. Price is evaluated for reasonableness and alignment with the IGCE;

proposals with pricing that is not in alignment with the IGCE may be eliminated from award consideration or subject to further discussion, at the

Government's discretion.

4. The Government will select the offeror offering the best overall value based on the combination of Past Performance rating and price alignment with the

IGCE, consistent with the weighting stated above (non-cost factors weighted heavier than price).