Business Entity Verification Services and Technical Support

The TSA has a requirement to continue the existing Business Entity Verification Services (BEVS) to support its TSA/DHS Air Cargo security mission without interruption. TSA intends to fulfill this requirement by contracting with Dun and Bradstreet Inc. on a sole source basis. Dun and Bradstreet is the only known responsible source capable of satisfying the requirement and no other type of supply or service will satisfy TSA’s requirement. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation, which shall be considered by TSA. See below for a description of the requirement.

TSA must continue its existing BEVS capabilities to provide real-time, validated business information so that TSA can vet participants in the air cargo supply chain and conduct risk analysis to minimize security vulnerabilities. This contract will provide data licenses, software licenses, and an integrated information source to assist the TSA Air Cargo Program in verifying if businesses and individual proprietors are legitimate while continuing the business data foundations (based on the DUNS format and proprietary logic, name of business, DUNS number, ownership, physical location, etc.). The business entity information that TSA will vet includes: business or individual proprietors name, address, phone, point of contact, ownership, credit history, and criminal history.

The BEVS will provide the TSA with resolutions for information generated between the Air Cargo Security Portfolio systems. In addition, the end-to-end integration will provide the TSA with backend processing for specific TSA Air Cargo Security Portfolio systems, such as the Known Shipper Management System (KSMS), Indirect Air Carrier Management System (IACMS), Freight Assessment System (FAS) and supporting components of the Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP). The BEVS award shall include multi-year options for business entity data (access and real-time updates), licenses and technology support for record matching/appending software, risk analysis, and investigative services to verify business operations. The scope of the BEVS shall include the following capabilities:

1. Specialized, Real-Time, Business Entity Verification: includes the Contractor providing up-to-date, customized, accurate and verifiable confirmation of business entities seeking to conduct secure shipping of cargo within the scope of authority for the TSA.
2. Real-Time Updates for New & Corrected Business Entity’s Validated & Verified Information: ensures that Contractor provides TSA with information that is both accurate and current to the date of shipping. 
3. Continued System and Data Maintenance.
4. Accessible Appeals Process for Adverse Results / Findings: provides a methodology, data, and end-to-end update capacity for an entity’s information that has had adverse results and/or findings within the verification and validation process. 
5. Technology Capacity, Extensibility  & Security Management: provides performance metrics and enhancements over the useful life and ensures end-to-end solution security in conformance with Department of Homeland Security, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Industry Standard policies, guidelines and practices.
6. Rules, Workflow, Exception Handling & Audit Trail.
7. Reporting Support: provides both canned, ad-hoc and specialized (query by design) reports based on the data contained in and the audit trail information housed within the system.

Performance of the contract will begin on 21 September 2022.  The contract will include a base period of one year, followed by four (4) one-year option periods.