Every reason behind the verdict rather than the headline one — which of your certifications match, how much runway is left, whether the work is your size, and what we would need to know to sharpen it.
The requirements that decide a bid — bonding, clearances, experience minimums, page limits — live in the attachments, not in the notice above. Start a free trial to upload them and have them read.
Draft the paperwork
Written against this notice and what you have told us about your company. Anything we do not know is marked [NEEDS INPUT] in the draft rather than guessed at — read it before you send it. Federal notices routinely put the real requirement in an attachment; adding the documents above makes every one of these materially better.
Start a free trial to draft these. Nothing is sent to an agency on your behalf, ever — you get a document to review, edit and submit yourself.
What would disqualify you
Read straight from the solicitation documents: the bonding, clearances, insurance minimums, experience thresholds and deadlines that decide whether you can bid at all — before you write a word.
Sources Sought response
A complete draft response — capability statement, relevant past performance, business size and socioeconomic status, and answers to the agency's specific questions.
Questions to submit
Genuine ambiguities and requirements that disadvantage a smaller bidder, drafted as questions you can submit before the Q&A deadline.
Past performance write-ups
Which of your prior awards best match this requirement, and draft write-ups in the format the agency asked for.
Solicitation details
Solicitation number
DEAV2027-001
Notice type
Sources Sought
NAICS
336110
Product service code
2310
Set-aside
Small Business Set Aside - Total
Posted
2026-10-06
Response deadline
Oct 23, 2026, 3:00 PM UTC
Place of performance
Springfield, VA
Contracting contact
anguianom@state.gov
Market intelligence
Account requiredWho wins this work, and what it pays
Comparable awards under NAICS 336110 at this agency — the incumbent, what they were paid, when their period of performance ends, and the real pricing distribution rather than the headline number. From public federal award records.
PURPOSE This Sources Sought Notice seeks to identify potential vendors that specialize in civilian armored vehicles. The Government will only accept responses from firms that perform the actual armoring work from start to finish. Responses from brokers or intermediaries will not be accepted. MANUFACTURING LOCATION REQUIREMENT All vehicle armoring work under any resultant contract shall be performed at facilities located in the United States. The resultant contract will not allow the Contractor to perform or subcontract any armoring work to facilities located in countries subject to U.S. sanctions or export control restrictions. ANTICIPATED CONTRACT DETAILS Contract Type: Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Period of Performance: One (1) year base period plus nine (9) twelve-month option periods INFORMATION REQUESTED Interested parties should provide the following information in their response: 1. Company Information a. Company name b. Company address c. Point of contact (POC) name, phone number, and email address d. DUNS number (or UEI if transitioned) 2. Small Business Status a. Indicate whether your company is a small business under NAICS code 336211 b. If applicable, list the socioeconomic category in which your company belongs (e.g., 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB) 3. SAM Registration a. Confirm that your company is registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) i. Provide SAM UEI number 4. Capability Statement (20-page maximum), focusing on your firm's ability to armor various types of passenger vehicles: a. Armoring Experience — Provide details of vehicle armoring experience in the private and/or public sectors for the previous 10 years, including: i. Types of vehicles armored; make, model, and model year going back no further than 10 years. ii. Example use cases of past vehicles armored (e.g., cargo transport, VIP protection). iii. Ballistic and blast protection levels achieved for standards such as NIJ, VPAM, STANAG, etc., and any non-standard protection requirements met. iv. Fabrication capability for opaque armor materials, and types and thicknesses of materials used in previous armored vehicles. v. Client references (if releasable). b. Contract Volume and Track Record i. Total dollar value of vehicle armoring contracts/orders performed annually over the past 3 years. ii. Largest single order (by vehicle quantity and dollar value) completed within a 12-month period. c. Manufacturing Capabilities i. Location(s) of manufacturing facility/facilities. ii. Any subcontractors used in vehicle production. iii. Production capacity in vehicles per year. iv. Current production lead time, from contract/order award to delivery, for a single vehicle and for a batch order (e.g., 10, 25, 50 vehicles). v. Surge capacity: ability to increase production temporarily to meet urgent Government requirements, and associated timelines. vi. Quality certifications (e.g., ISO, industry-specific certifications). 5. Facility Security Clearances a. Details regarding current and/or past facility security clearances (e.g., FCL level and expiration date) 6. GSA Schedule (if applicable) a. GSA Schedule number b. Period of performance 7. Acquisition Strategy and Contract Structure Feedback a. Does your firm have experience performing under an IDIQ contract with multiple 12-month option periods? If so, please describe. b. Would your firm be able to compete effectively if this requirement is set aside for small business, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or WOSB concerns? Please explain any concerns with a small business set-aside. c. Based on your knowledge of the industry, are you aware of at least two other capable, responsible small businesses that could perform this requirement? (This helps the Government assess set-aside feasibility under the Rule of Two.) d. Would your firm prefer or recommend a single-award IDIQ or a multiple-award IDIQ for this requirement? Please explain the rationale. e. Do you have experience with, or a preference for, Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) task/delivery orders versus other pricing arrangements (e.g., FFP with economic price adjustment) for this type of work, given potential material cost volatility (e.g., steel, ballistic glass, composites)? f. What is a reasonable Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost range per vehicle for common armoring configurations (e.g., B4/B6 level sedan, B7 level SUV), if you are able to share this for planning purposes? g. Are there minimum order quantities or dollar thresholds your firm would require to make individual task orders economically viable? h. What is your firm's standard warranty period and terms for armoring work performed, including coverage for parts, labor, and any workmanship defects? i. Is your firm capable of providing warranty support at U.S. Department of State posts located overseas? If so, please describe how this support would be delivered, including: Delivery method – e.g., dispatch of traveling technicians from the U.S. or a regional hub, use of vetted local subcontractors/service partners, or a combination of both; Coordination with post – how your firm would coordinate with the post's General Services Office (GSO) or Facilities Management team to schedule access, obtain necessary country clearances, and comply with local security and customs requirements; Response times – anticipated timeframes for initial response and on-site arrival, accounting for post location (e.g., high-threat vs. standard posts) and regional logistics; Parts and logistics – how replacement parts or materials would be sourced and shipped to the post, including any customs, or import/export control considerations; and Limitations – any posts, regions, or security environments where your firm would be unable to provide direct warranty service, and what alternative arrangements (e.g., remote technical support, depot-level repair) would apply in those cases. j. Does your firm have bonding capacity sufficient to support a multi-year IDIQ of this size? If comfortable sharing, please indicate your bonding capacity or capacity range. k. Would your firm be interested in, or already positioned for, teaming or subcontracting arrangements with other firms to meet the full scope of this requirement? l. Are there any customer-furnished vehicle chassis considerations (e.g., Government-furnished base vehicles vs. contractor-procured) that would affect your proposed approach or pricing? m. Do you foresee any barriers (e.g., export control licensing, material sourcing, facility capacity) that could limit competition or timely performance under this requirement? SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS Deadline: Responses must be received no later than 11:00 AM EST on October 23, 2026. Submission Method: All responses, including attachments and any questions regarding this Notice, should be submitted electronically to: Maria Anguiano: anguianom@state.gov Wanda I. Cruz: cruzwi@state.gov Subject Line: Sources Sought Response – Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing
Contact
Point of contact
Maria Anguiano
Role
not stated on this notice — SAM publishes a role for only about 5% of them, so this may be a contract specialist rather than the contracting officer
Email
anguianom@state.gov
Secondary
cruzwi@state.gov
Submit questions
Ambiguities and requirements worth clarifying, written as questions you can send before the deadline.
Opens in your own mail client, addressed and with a subject line — you write the message. GovSprint never sends anything on your behalf.
Emails open in your mail client and are sent from your address, so the reply comes back to you and the exchange stays yours. Confirm the correct channel and any question deadline on the notice before sending — many solicitations require questions in a specific way.
