Bayless, Christopher L

Christopher L. Bayless, a sole proprietor based in Lockport, Illinois, delivers specialized investigative instructor services to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as a prime contractor operating exclusively under a single-award blanket purchase agreement. Bayless competes full-and-open with no set-aside designation on most task orders, though two recent awards carry Total Small Business set-aside tags. The vendor's footprint is narrowly concentrated — 100% of 23 awards across five years serve ATF's National Academy training mission.

Bayless provides 10- to 12-day in-person training courses in field operations, tactical procedures, and investigative methodologies to federal, state, and local law enforcement professionals attending the ATF National Academy in Lockport. Representative work includes a $9.84 thousand BPA call awarded February 17, 2026 for advanced investigative instructor services (Total Small Business set-aside, completed March 5, 2026); a $8.92 thousand task order from November 16, 2025 for field operations instruction (no set-aside, completed December 4, 2025); and a $7.40 thousand BPA call from October 5, 2023 for a 10-day field operations course (no set-aside). The vendor works independently with no subcontractors, leveraging direct law enforcement subject-matter expertise. Award values typically range from approximately $6,200 to $9,800 per task order, with most deliverables spanning 10–12 instructional days plus travel dates to Lockport.

ATF has held Bayless as a reliable training resource since August 2017, with consistent task order issuance since October 2021. The vendor holds two parent BPA vehicles: the original agreement (15A00018A00000137) with 13 task orders and $66 thousand combined potential value, and a successor agreement (15A00023AAQA00145, established June 1, 2023, running through May 31, 2028) with 7 task orders and $46 thousand combined potential value. Recent activity has flattened — four awards in 2023, two in 2024, one in 2025, and two in 2026 — suggesting a mature, low-velocity customer relationship. Combined potential value across all 23 awards stands at $262 thousand, with $112 thousand obligated to date (43% of the ceiling). Categorization places Bayless under NAICS "All Other Miscellaneous Schools and Instruction" and PSC "Education/Training-Other" for all 23 awards.