Solicitation Number:

GSS-ID

Notice Type:

Special Notice

Synopsis:

The Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs will be holding an Industry Day from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 in the East Auditorium of the Harry S. Truman Building (2201 C St., N.W., Washington, DC 20520) for vendors who may be interested in the upcoming Global Support Strategy (GSS) for Visa Services program solicitation. The Department of State GSS contract will provide support services for nonimmigrant and immigrant visa operations at United States consulates and embassies abroad, including but not limited to public inquiry services, appointment services, fee collection services, biometric enrollment services, document delivery services and data collection services. GSS service providers will perform non-inherently governmental activities associated with consular services and provide data collection and delivery to the United States Government. In order to be eligible to perform under the GSS contract, the selected GSS prime contractors, including all entities which comprise a joint venture, and the joint venture itself, must possess or be able to obtain a Department of Defense (DoD) Secret facility security clearance (FCL) issued in accordance with the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), DoD 5220.22-M prior to contract award/performance. The GSS program will be performed outside the continental United States.



The purpose of this meeting is to exchange preliminary information with industry and to solicit feedback on the Government s acquisition strategy for this solicitation, which will provide a new GSS to replace the patchwork of existing concession agreements with a performance-based contracting framework, ending the model of user-pays arrangements as the means of outsourced support in the field. For this acquisition, the anticipated NAICS code is 541513. A GSS Discussion Paper is attached to enhance industry s understanding of the requirement and to allow interested vendors to email questions to the Government in advance of Industry Day. Questions will be addressed during Industry Day, however the Government may not respond to all specific questions or comments submitted in response to this announcement or information provided as a result of this announcement. The deadline for emailed questions is June 3, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. EDT. Send all questions via email to mickaligermj@state.gov.



Industry Day attendance is limited to no more than three individuals per organization. Participants interested in attending Industry Day must provide the following information for each attendee via mail or by courier/hand delivery to the below address by the registration closing date of June 3, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. EDT:



- Company name

- Individual s name

- Individual s driver license number

- Individual s date of birth



First Class Mailing:



U.S. Department of State

Office of Acquisition Management

ATTN: Michael Mickaliger

P.O. Box 9115, Rosslyn Station

Arlington, Virginia 22219



Courier or Hand Delivery:



U.S. Department of State

Office of Acquisition Management

ATTN: Michael Mickaliger (Call 703-875-6937 to make an appointment)

Room 207

1701 N. Ft. Myer Drive

Arlington, Virginia 22209

(Visitor s entrance via North Ft. Myer Drive)



Please be advised that, for security reasons, attendees who have not pre-registered by the June 3, 2009 11:00 a.m. deadline will not be admitted to Industry Day, and no changes to the list of attendees will be made after that deadline. Attendees should arrive early to Industry Day and expect normal delays with visitor processing and security.



All participants will be required to sign an attendance log, which will be posted on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website as the Interested Parties List.



This announcement is for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation, nor is it to be construed as a commitment by the Government. The Government will not pay for any effort expended in responding to this notice, nor will the Government accept proposals as a result of this announcement. If you have any questions regarding this announcement, please contact Michael J. Mickaliger via email at mickaligermj@state.gov or by phone at 703.875.6937.



Requests to Industry:



1. Provide recommendations for a cost model best suited for this type of acquisition

2. Identify the type of information needed by the Contractor to respond to a future Government Request for Proposal





Attachment Discussion Paper: Global Support Strategy

Contracting Office Address:

P.O. Box 9115
Rosslyn Station
Arlington, Virginia 22219

Primary Point of Contact.:

Secondary Point of Contact: