Cleared American Guards(CAGs)and Construction Surveillance Technicians (CSTs)

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) is issuing this Request for Information (RFI)/Sources Sought Notice for market research in accordance with FAR Subpart 10.002(b)(2)(ii) and FAR Subpart 19.501 to gather industry input about the Agency’s requirement, contractor capabilities, and best practices regarding the Office of Security Management’s Administrative Support Division managing the Construction Security Monitoring Program, consisting of Top-Secret Construction Security *Team Leaders (TL), *Assistant Team Leaders (ATL), Cleared American Guards (CAGs), Construction Surveillance Technicians (CSTs), and *Site Security Coordinators (SSC), referred to herein as Site Security Personnel (SSP). *Personnel selected as Team Leaders, Assistant Team Leaders, and Site Security Coordinators will be derived from the base labor categories of CSTs and/or CAGs. DOS is specifically seeking to identify companies that have the skills and capabilities to support this effort, establish suggestions that industry may have to enhance efficiency and improve quality for the performance of these requirements. The DOS also seeks to understand any concerns that industry may have about this requirement. DISCLAIMER This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Quotation (RFQ), Invitation for Bid (IFB), Request for Proposal (RFP), or an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any services. Responses to this RFI are not offers and will not be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract of any nature. The Government will not award a contract because of this notice. The Government does reserve the right to determine how it will proceed because of this notice. Your response will assist the Government in the development of its acquisition strategy for a possible Request for Proposal (RFP) which may be issued later. This notice will also help with determining whether any type of small business set-aside is possible for this procurement or whether full and open competitive procedures should be utilized. If full and open competition is ultimately pursued, responses to this synopsis will be used to aid in establishing small business subcontracting goals. Responding parties should not anticipate Government feedback on their respective submissions. The Government will not pay any cost incurred in response to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the responding party’s expense. It is the responsibility of the potential contractors to monitor the websites for any information that may pertain to this RFI or future solicitation. All information requested and received in response to this RFI will be treated as information only. The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. DOS plans to review and meaningfully consider all responses to this RFI. Also, it must be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. Proprietary information and trade secrets, if any, should be minimized and must be clearly marked on all materials. Responses to this RFI may be reviewed by Government technical experts drawn from staff within DOS and/or by selected support contractor personnel. All Government and support contractors will be bound by appropriate non-disclosure agreements to protect proprietary and source selection information as described in 41 USC 423. The Government shall not be held liable for any damages incurred if proprietary information is not properly identified. GENERAL INFORMATION Current Contract Information: Incumbent contractors are currently providing construction security services at Department of State facilities abroad. This includes, but is not limited to, professional monitoring of uncleared labor, observation and note taking, reporting of all security violations, site access control, 24/7 presence, material inspection, document control, and assistance to the designated Site Security Manager(s). Contract Type: The Government contemplates award of either Labor Hours, Time and Material, Firm Fixed Price, or a combination of contract types. Estimated Contract Value: $250M Period of Performance: The period of performance of the contract is anticipated from March 15, 2027, through March 14, 2032, with a one (1)-year Base Period and four (4) one (1)-year Option Periods. NAICS Code: The anticipated North American Industry Code System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 561612, Security Guards and Patrol Services. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Department of State (DoS) requires the implementation of SSP to support operations at various overseas facilities designed to control unauthorized access to controlled areas, to deter the introduction of unauthorized materials to the compound, site, or building, and to surveil the activities of un-cleared construction workers to prevent the implantation of clandestine surveillance devices or systems into the structure or its surroundings. REQUIRED CAPABILITIES To be considered capable, interested sources must demonstrate the capability to meet all the following requirements set forth herein: Task 1.0 Recruitment of Personnel The contractor shall be capable of recruiting personnel qualified to obtain the necessary security clearance and having the minimal eligibility requirements for each labor category: Construction Surveillance Technicians must have at least five (5) years’ experience in at least one, or a combination of construction security surveillance, technical surveillance countermeasures, industrial or government security involving counterintelligence, construction quality assurance, hands-on construction supervisory or significant construction experience, or Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) relating to any of the requirements. Cleared American Guards must have three years’ experience as or like a Military Policeman, Marine Security Guard (MSG), or a security watch stander whose duties included the use of alarm systems, metal detectors, x-ray devices and closed-circuit television systems. Team Leaders and Site Security Coordinators must be approved by the CSM Program Office (COR). They will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by regard to task order solicitation request and requirements. All personnel must be 21 years of age and older. Task 1.1 Personnel Capabilities All personnel must be in adequate physical and mental health; validated by a licensed physician, and be capable of working within construction sites that include, but are not limited to experiencing: hazardous air quality without personal protective equipment (PPE), standing and walking for extended periods of time, navigating terrain that may present the need to climb, withstand slippery conditions, capable of ascending/descending scaffolding up to 75ft, and able to work in inclement weather and harsh environments. All personnel must be capable of reading, (legible) writing, and conveying information in English. Task 2.0 Training The contractor is required to provide a syllabus and execute training to cover a variety of topics to include at a minimum: situational awareness, leadership training, social media awareness, note taking, mental health awareness, and other categories related to this type of work. Task 3.0 ClearancesThe Contractor shall maintain a Top-Secret Facility Clearance issued by DCSA until completion of the contract. Loss of facility clearance will result in termination of the contract for cause. All personnel submitted to work on task orders, including the Program Manager and Deputy Program Manager, shall hold a TS clearance and be submitted for a DOS Reciprocal Top-Secret Clearance. Task 4.0 Accounting All contractors shall have an accounting system in place to meet DCAA Compliance standards, which include, but are not limited to: Segregation of direct and indirect costs Cumulative-to-date direct costs by CLIN Segregation and identification of unallowable costs Total time accounting and effective pay rate calculations Government per diem limits checking and proper segregation of unallowable overages on electronic expense reports General and Administrative (G&A) itemized breakouts Hours of Operation and Place of Performance The contractor’s place of duty will be located at one of the Departments facilities Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS). The specific location will be specified by individual delivery task orders. Hours of operation will be determined by the respective project schedule but will be budgeted up to 60 hours per week for CAGs and up to 66 hours per week for CSTs. All hours per week more than 40 per week will be considered overtime. Additional hours may be required per week based on construction schedule. Staffing Plan The contractor shall and must be able to meet or exceed the staffing plan for each delivery/task order. Extreme flexibility is required due to the nature of overseas construction work. Adherence to the staffing plan includes rigorous effort in recruitment, retainment, logistics (visas, permits, passports, etc.). Failure to meet the required staffing plan schedule may result in termination of the task order or contract. Task 7.0 Logistics The contractor must be able to effectively communicate with a variety of vendors in the respective location of task order delivery. This includes, but is not limited to, obtaining the appropriate work visa or similar documentation, setting up medical needs, lodging coordination and addressing any issues, local transportation, mail service, and other life support items. The contractor must be adept at resolving disputes with local vendors and immigration needs without assistance from the USG and without impact to the project. SUBMISSION DETAILS Interested sources must submit a capability statement. As part of your submission, you must also complete the attachment entitled, “Sources Sought Response.” As part of the capability statement, interested sources must also indicate their availability and capability to perform each of the required capabilities by providing a brief description of specific projects or work completed that is like each required capability. Evidence should include the following information: Title of specific projects or work completed. Period of performance to include value (in USD). Description of each project or work completed that is like the required capability. Contact information for the client or contractor and the representative (Name, Phone, Email) Interested sources are strongly encouraged to provide the following within their “Sources Sought Response”: comments and/or feedback to the draft PWS to assist DOS in fine tuning this requirement, and dentification of any actual, perceived, or potential organizational conflict of interest concerns. Standard brochures and/or paraphrasing of any of the required capabilities or language of the draft PWS will not be considered sufficient to demonstrate the capabilities of an interested source. Feedback will not be provided to any company regarding their individual capability statements. Telephone calls, facsimiles, and/or requests for a Request for Proposal (RFP) will not be accepted or acknowledged. All responses must be submitted via email, no later than 12:00 pm, eastern standard time on 30 October 2026. Submissions shall be sent to Canuto “Phil” Campos, CamposCP@state.gov and Kimberly Johnson, Johnsonkd2@state.gov