Diplomatic Security/Overseas Protective Operations (DS/OPO) Global Canine Services (GCS)

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) contemplates the issuance of a single-award indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity type contract (IDIQ) to a qualified U.S. firm. Contract types for individual task orders will vary in accordance with FAR 16.104. 

This IDIQ will satisfy anticipated and unanticipated canine support and security requirements for protective and security missions worldwide. The IDIQ focuses primarily on DOS requirements in high threat, high risk areas. The anticipated period of performance is one year with four one-year option periods (to be exercised at the sole discretion of the Government).  The maximum ceiling amount on this IDIQ contract is estimated not to exceed $420,000,000 dollars. The NAICS code for these services is 541690.

Offeror Minimum Mandatory Requirements 

Offeror shall be required to provide contract information substantiating that within the last five (5) years, (and for the minimum duration of at least two (2) years combined within the those five (5) years) offeror has performed contract(s) (Federal, State or Private Sector) as a contractor (prime or sub) inside and outside of the U.S. providing all three (3) of the following: (a) canine imprint (b) canine handler training, and (c) canine transportation, logistics, and wellness services.  In doing so, the offeror shall ensure the following is met:

1. Offeror must have performed at least one (1) canine services contract valued at least $10 million annually; and
2. Offeror must have performed at least one (1) canine services contract where its services were rendered in multiple locations; and
3. Offeror must have performed at least one (1) canine services where it employed at least 75 personnel providing direct services under the contract.

NOTE:  It may be possible that an offeror provides in its proposal package reference to only (1) one contract meeting all requirements stated in paragraph 1 above.  An offeror may have performed canine imprint, canine handler training, and canine transportation, logistics, and wellness services in a $10 million annual contract in multiple locations, employing 75 personnel providing direct services for two (2) years combined within the past five years.

COMPANIES CURRENTLY AWARDED THE WPS III IDIQ CONTRACT

Companies (contractors or subcontractors) who have been awarded contracts under Department of State – Worldwide Protective Services III (WPS) are ineligible to participate in submitting a proposal for award or perform as a subcontractor, as a result of any award, under this solicitation for GCS.

FOREIGN OWNERSHIP, CONTROL OR INFLUENCE (FOCI)

Offeror shall be required to provide evidence that it is a U.S. company without any unmitigated foreign ownership, control or influence (FOCI); if the offeror is under FOCI, the FOCI mitigation must have been approved by Defense Security Service.  

If the Offeror is a joint venture (see FAR 9.601), then it must be able to demonstrate that its participants making up the contractor joint venture are all U.S. companies, without any unmitigated foreign ownership, control or influence (FOCI); if the offeror is under FOCI, the FOCI mitigation must have been approved by Defense Security Service.

INTERNATIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT FOR PRIVATE SECURITY SERVICE PROVIDERS’ ASSOCIATION (ICOCA)

Offerors shall be required to provide a letter from the ICoCA indicating that the offeror is a member or transitional member in good standing (and not suspended or terminated from the ICoCA).  The offeror will be required to confirm in writing compliance with the requirements set forth in the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard entitled PSC-1-2012.  If the offeror is a contractor team arrangement formed to act as the prime contractor (see FAR 9.601) the letter shall indicate that all members of the team are members of the ICoCA, in good standing and confirm compliance with the requirements set forth in the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard entitled PSC-1-2012.

If the offeror uses subcontractors to provide any security services authorized under the contract, the subcontractors must also be members of the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers’ Association (ICoCA) and in good standing.

SECRET FACILITY CLEARANCE

Firm(s) selected for award, to include Joint Ventures, shall already possess or be able to obtain and maintain a Secret Facility clearance within 60 days after contract award and before any performance on a task order issued under the IDIQ contract.  Any firms selected for award who do not have the required Secret facility clearance will be sponsored for such by the Department of State. 

Anticipated Acquisition Schedule

The Department of State plans to post the complete Request for Proposal to www.beta.sam.gov no sooner than fifteen (15) days of this notice; no paper copies will be mailed. Once the solicitation is posted, offerors will have approximately forty-five (45) days to submit a proposal for the IDIQ contract award along with one (1) sample task order proposals. The one (1) sample task order includes: veterinary services, logistical services, canine procurement, canine imprint, canine training, and canine testing of explosives detection canines at the Contractor’s approved facility inside the U.S. and veterinary services at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. Offerors who do not submit proposals for the IDIQ and sample task order will not be considered by the Government for an IDIQ award.

Under this IDIQ contract, the offeror receiving an IDIQ award shall submit a proposal in response to all task order requests that it receives from the Office of Acquisitions Management.

Please note, Offerors are solely responsible for any and all expenses resulting from this announcement (i.e. travel, lodging, per diem, proposal costs and other miscellaneous expenses, etc.) and are responsible for confirming all dates specified in this synopsis, by immediately checking the solicitation when posted on www.beta.sam.gov to see if there are any changes.

A Question and Answer (Q &A) period is expected and will start on the day the RFP is posted to www.beta.sam.gov.  Further details will be provided in the solicitation, when posted.

Attendance at the future pre-proposal conference is MANDATORY.  The date and time of the pre-proposal conference will be announced via www.beta.sam.gov  with the release of the solicitation.  The department will reject proposals received from Offerors who failed to attend the pre-proposal conference.