Pre-Employment Hiring Center of Excellence (PEHCE)

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is seeking a contractor to establish and operate a Pre-Employment Hiring Center of Excellence (PEHCE) to streamline and expedite pre-employment processing activities for multiple job series including Special Agents, Intelligence Analysts, Forensic Chemists, Diversion Investigators, and PATCO positions. The solicitation requires a comprehensive service that includes competency-based assessments, structured interviews, fingerprinting, drug testing, medical examinations, psychological assessments, physical testing, and polygraph examinations. Key contract requirements include processing approximately 60,000 applicants annually, with about 3,600 advancing beyond initial assessments, and meeting strict performance metrics such as 100% compliance with scheduling timelines and 97% customer satisfaction. Proposals were originally due on February 5, 2025, at 10:00 AM EST, with the contractor required to provide all necessary facilities, personnel, and resources to complete the pre-employment activities. All contractor personnel must be U.S. citizens and undergo background investigations before beginning work, with the security classification level designated as Sensitive but Unclassified (SBU).

The solicitation does not have a specific set-aside designation and includes current incumbent contractors such as Personnel Decisions Research Institute (PDRI), Federal Occupational Health, Kako'o, and HumRRO. The contract has a base period from March 17, 2025, through March 16, 2026, with four additional one-year option periods, effectively allowing for a potential five-year engagement. The place of performance is located in West Springfield, VA 22152, with the contractor expected to provide nationwide and international testing facilities within 50 miles of applicants when possible. The solution must meet FedRAMP High requirements and provide an all-in-one approach, with full staffing expected within 4-6 months of award. Hiring processes vary by job series, with Special Agent hiring occurring four times per year, Intelligence Analyst and Forensic Chemist twice annually, and Diversion Investigators on a continuous basis.