RFI Customs Broker Services

The University of Georgia's Procurement Office issued a Request for Information (RFI) for Customs Broker Services on March 30, 2021, with a response deadline of April 30, 2021. This RFI, posted by Clarke County in Georgia, seeks to gather market information from interested suppliers regarding customs brokerage service models and offerings rather than to issue a competitive solicitation for a specific contract award. The University of Georgia currently manages customs broker services in-house for imports and exports, including scientific equipment, agricultural products, lab samples, and research vessel operations, with services encompassing review of pending purchases, transportation methods evaluation, and guidance on required import and export procedures. Prospective customs brokers must provide detailed information on company history, experience serving higher education institutions, expertise in importing scientific equipment and agricultural products, export and re-import capabilities, and familiarity with research vessel operations. The RFI requests respondents address business process workflows, review cycle times, best practice recommendations, typical service delivery models for higher education clients, issue escalation procedures, and proposed fee structures. Responses must be submitted electronically via email to Claire Boyd at cboyd@uga.edu, with specific submission dates and times to be published on the Georgia Procurement Registry. No evaluation criteria beyond information relevance, nor specific performance metrics or scoring methodologies, are outlined in the RFI documentation.

The RFI contains no set-aside designations, disadvantaged enterprise restrictions, or preferences for specific organizational types, allowing any qualified supplier to respond. No incumbent vendor information is documented in the RFI materials, as this is an informational solicitation designed to assess market capabilities rather than transition services from an existing contractor. All suppliers must register in the Team Georgia Marketplace system to conduct future business with the State of Georgia, though registration is not a prerequisite for responding to this RFI. The RFI does not specify award values, budget ranges, or contract terms, as no procurement contract is being awarded through this informational solicitation process. The University of Georgia's scale of procurement activity—approximately 70,000 to 80,000 purchase orders annually valued between $270 million to $550 million—indicates the potential significance of customs brokerage services should the University decide to pursue a competitive procurement following this information-gathering phase. This RFI was ultimately closed without awarding a contract, concluding the procurement process without advancing to a formal solicitation.