Procurement Type:  Request for Information (RFI)/Sources Sought

 

Title:  Escort Services for Unaccompanied Alien Children

 

Classification Code:  V- Transportation/Travel/Relocation

 

NAICS code:  561612

 

Primary POC:  Rachel Ali, Contract Specialist/ Rachel.Ali@ice.dhs.gov

 

Secondary POC:  Tony Ross, Contracting Officer/ Tony.Ross@ice.dhs.gov

 

 

A.  Introduction
 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has a continuing and mission critical responsibility for accepting custody of Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) from U.S. Border Patrol and other Federal agencies and transporting these juveniles to Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) shelters located throughout the continental United States. ICE is seeking the services of a responsible vendor that shares the philosophy of treating all UAC with dignity and respect, while adhering to standard operating procedures and policies that allow for an effective, efficient, and incident free transport. The Contractor shall provide unarmed escort staff, including management, supervision, manpower, training, certifications, licenses, drug testing, equipment, and supplies necessary to provide on-demand escort services for non-criminal/non-delinquent unaccompanied alien children ages infant to 17 years of age, seven (7) days a week, 365 days a year. Transport will be required for either category of UAC or individual juveniles, to include both male and female juveniles. There will be approximately 65,000 UAC in total: 25% local ground transport, 25% via ICE charter and 50% via commercial air. Escort services include, but are not limited to, assisting with: transferring physical custody of UAC from DHS to Health and Human Services (HHS) care via ground or air methods of transportation (charter or commercial carrier), property inventory, providing juveniles with meals, drafting reports, generating transport documents, maintaining/stocking daily supplies, providing and issuing clothing as needed, coordinating with DHS and HHS staff, travel coordination, limited stationary guard services to accommodate for trip disruptions due to inclement weather, faulty equipment, or other exigent circumstances. In emergency situations, the Contractor shall be called on to provide temporary shelter locations (such as trailers) with shower facilities for juveniles who are pending placement with HHS when bed space is unavailable nationwide for extended periods of time. The Contractor shall provide temporary guard services and other support as necessary during these emergencies.

 

In addition, the Contractor shall have personnel who are able to communicate with juveniles in their own designated language(s).  While this may not require each employee to be fluent in all of the encountered languages, personnel should have access to and knowledge of translation services. 

 

B.  ICE Standards/Special Requirements

 

The contractor is required to perform in accordance with the ICE Performance Based National Detention Standards (PBNDS 2011), all ICE policies related to the transportation of juveniles (see the ICE Family Residential Standards at http://www.ice.gov/detention-standards/family-residential/) as well as the Flores Settlement Agreement, the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, and the Homeland Security Act of 2002. In cases where other standards conflict with DHS/ICE Policy or Standards, DHS/ICE Policy and Standards will prevail.  ICE Inspectors will conduct periodic inspections to assure compliance of the aforementioned standards.

 

Personnel shall have the knowledge and experience to transport individual children with special needs.  Often times, children with special needs may require a transportation method that is time saving and direct, i.e. by commercial airline. Contractor shall also provide for accompanying medical care. Additionally, due to exigent circumstances, the Contractor shall be required to transport juveniles via ground to HUB airports or other staging areas that are not located within the area of initial apprehension.  

 

The Contractor shall follow a fully developed training curriculum and transporting staff shall have the highest level of competency possible.  Areas of training shall include, but are not limited to the following: Airport rules and regulations for travelers, crisis intervention, child development, working with and transporting youth with special needs, transporting youth with behavioral problems, CPR & First Aid training, non-secured UAC policy and procedures and the implementation of contingency plans in the event of a crisis during transport, which include de-escalation techniques.

·       Background Investigations and Suitability Screenings will be conducted on all Contract Employees by the Office of Professional Responsibility and Personnel Security Unit (OPR-OSU).

·       The Contractor shall agree that each employee working on this contract will successfully pass the DHS Employment Eligibility (E-Verify) program operated by USICS to establish work authorization and U.S. Citizenship.

·       Employees must reside in the United States.

 

 

The Government anticipates awarding a five (5) year Fixed Price Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle consisting of a one year base period, and four (4) option years. The Service Contract

Act is applicable to this acquisition.  All required clauses, provisions will be included in the solicitation and resulting contractual instrument.

 

The anticipated release date of the solicitation is March 3, 2014.  The solicitation closing date will be thirty (30) days after release of the Request for Proposal (RFP).

 

Projected Set-Aside:  All business sizes are welcome to participate; however, ICE is trying to determine small business interest, particularly HubZone companies. All information received in response in to this notice will be used to determine the appropriateness of any small business set-aside for this requirement.

 

 

D.  Place of Performance: 

 

Service Area: Throughout the Continental United States (US)

 

The area(s) or region(s) serviced may occur either with a phased approach over a period of several months to a full year.  Alternatively, the Contractor shall perform the entire transportation function upon full funding.  For example, the following two circumstances may occur:  (1) The contractor could initially provide transportation services only in the Southwest Region of the U.S. for those juveniles who are apprehended in the state of Texas; or, (2) The Contractor may be required to provide transportation services for all juveniles who are in DHS custody throughout the continental U.S.    

 

 

E. RFI Purpose/Requirements

 

The purpose of this RFI is to obtain market information and capabilities for planning purposes and to determine appropriate strategies to meet the Agency's requirements.  This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a commitment for an RFP in the future.  Responses to this notice are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract.  Responders are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative cost incurred in response to this announcement and information submitted in response to this RFI will not be returned. 

 

Interested parties are instructed to submit the following information: (Note: Please do not exceed 5 pages per RFI submission)

 

·       POC information (name, title, phone number, address, email address, etc.)

·       Socio-economic status

·       Brief Company Capability statement (to include addressing all special needs as stated above)

 

 

F. Submissions and Point of Contact Information

 

Submit written or electronic submissions via email to Rachel.Ali@ice.dhs.gov by 1:00pm EST on Monday, February 19, 2014.  

 

End of RFI