SAQMMA15R0515 - Buenos Aires Local Guard

The Department of State is conducting market research to determine the degree of interest and capability by U.S. Small Businesses only in providing local guard services at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security plays an essential role in ensuring that foreign policy missions are accomplished in a safe and secure environment. The primary mission of the local guard service is to provide protection for United States personnel, facilities, and equipment from damage or loss due to violent attack and theft. The local guard services shall prevent unauthorized access; protect life; maintain order; deter criminal and terrorist attacks against employees, dependents, and property; and prevent damage to all U.S. assets. The NAICS code for these services is 561612.

Responses must clearly demonstrate capabilities through examples of previous and/or current guard security contracts or experience closely related thereto.

Vendors must specifically address the following capabilities:

• Current licenses, work authorizations in compliance with host country law required for the execution of work, including firearms permits and licenses. Licenses must be in the name of the U.S. small business.

• Knowledge of and compliance with host country labor law which may require bonuses, specific minimum wage levels, premium pay for holidays, payments for social security, pensions, severance pay, sick or health benefits, childcare or any other benefit

• Knowledge of and compliance with host country tax law

• Ability to provide all types of insurance coverage required by host country in performance of services, such as automobile liability, comprehensive general liability, worker's compensation, employer's liability, etc.

• Furnishing, operating, and maintaining a radio network, including acquiring all licenses and permits that may be required for frequencies and the operation of all communications equipment

• Furnishing guard force equipment such as uniforms

• Capacity to overcome language barriers

• Ability to maintain a guard staff on a 24 hour 7 day a week basis with the ability to immediately backfill vacant positions due to resignations, rotations and illnesses due to a variety of reasons such as flu, minor physical ailments and food poisoning

• Capability of dealing with organized actions by direct labor personnel such as strikes (anticipated and unanticipated) and labor unrest (work slowdowns and/or organized failure of employees to report for shift changes)

• Capacity to hire and train (including but not limited to: English language training and X-ray training, if required) a guard staff consisting of host country nationals

• Capability to provide trained equipment technicians for all radios required in the performance of the contract

• Ability to train a sizeable workforce to adapt quickly to unfamiliar labor laws and cultural labor customs as well as the ability of company officials to gain quickly information regarding the laws and customs needed to maintain and equip such a workforce

• Experience or capability of getting contractor-furnished equipment and goods through customs and/or similar governmental agencies of the host country

• Understanding intricate and restrictive import and export regulations in Argentina

• Managing and facilitating smooth contract transition efforts

• Resources to safely keep and track Government-Furnished Property

• Established process to screen personnel to meet suitability requirements for guard force positions

• Demonstrated situational decision-making skills, e.g., response to threats

• Structured billing and invoicing procedures

All interested parties shall address each of the above requirements and submit their capability statement (via e-mail) to Kevin Smallwood at SmallwoodKT@State.Gov by 9:00 am EST, September 28, 2015.

Interested parties shall also complete the Contractor Information Sheet which is attached.

If you have any questions or comments, please reference "Sources Sought Notice: Buenos Aires" when emailing.

At this time, the U.S. Department of State does not guarantee that any future contracts may be awarded covering the aforementioned duties and responses to this Sources Sought notice do not bind the U.S. Department of State to any agreement with the responder, be it explicit or implied.