Armed Security Guards - Military - UPDATED

The Tennessee Air National Guard is seeking a comprehensive armed security guard services contract for three Air National Guard bases located in Nashville (Berry Field), Knoxville (McGhee Tyson), and Memphis. This three-year Request for Proposal (RFP) encompasses the procurement of site managers and armed security guards with specific hourly requirements for each location across contract years 1-3. The solicitation requires guards to possess Tennessee state security and weapons permits, have a minimum of one year experience in military or civilian security, and meet stringent qualification standards including passing extensive background checks, maintaining valid driver's licenses, and holding high school diplomas. Guards must be prepared to perform duties including base entry control, commercial vehicle inspections, installation security patrols, incident response, and access control on a 24/7 basis. The procurement timeline indicates the bid event is open from July 21, 2025, to August 18, 2025, with vendor questions due by 10:00 AM Central on July 28, 2025, and all bids required to be submitted through the Edison system. Evaluation criteria emphasize compliance with state licensing, vendor profile maintenance, demonstration of comparable contract experience, and guards' professional qualifications.

The contract appears to be open to all qualified vendors without specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises. The total contract liability is estimated to be under $600,000, with potential for a maximum contract duration of five years starting October 1, 2025. Contractors must maintain comprehensive insurance coverages, including workers' compensation, commercial general liability, and automobile liability insurance with specified minimum coverage amounts. Vendors are required to be registered with the Tennessee Department of Revenue and comply with various legal requirements, including nondiscrimination provisions and immigration status verification. The state reserves the right to award the contract to the lowest-cost respondent meeting all requirements, with the expectation of providing a single contractor to serve all three Air National Guard base locations. Successful bidders must provide complete security infrastructure including weapons, ammunition, body armor, vehicles, uniforms, and secondary use-of-force equipment. The contract allows for potential adjustments based on Security Cooperative Agreement funds and requires 75% of guards to be fully licensed, with up to 25% permitted to have conditional licensing.