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This PTAG 6.1.1 Sources Sought Notice is strictly for market research ONLY. It is for informational and planning purposes and shall NOT be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation or commitment... This PTAG 6.1.1 Sources Sought Notice is strictly for market research ONLY. It is for informational and planning purposes and shall NOT be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation or commitment by the Government at this time. PTAG The Government intends utilizing the Alternative Competition Method in accordance with the Patent and Trademark Office Acquisition Guidelines (PTAG) and the Patent and Trademark Office Efficiency Act 35 U.S.C. 2(b)(4)(A). This Sources sought notice is intended as preliminary market information gathering which the USPTO will use to determine which Small Business contractor(s) is/are the most likely to successfully meet the agency’s needs and are thereby eligible to participate in an alternative competition. As a result of this market research, the solicitation will only be issued to those qualified small business contractor(s) that are deemed most likely to successfully meet the agency’s requirement as stated below. Requirement: USPTO PTAG 6.1.1 Sources Sought Notice PERSEC and SSC requirements The USPTO Office of Administrative Services (OAS) is seeking to award a FAR 13 BPA to one responsible offeror for (8) Security Specialist(s), (4) Security Assistants, (1) Program/Project Manager and (1) Statistician/Data Analyst in support of all Personnel Security Branch (PERSEC) and any overlapping Office of Security Programs such as Security Services Center (SSC) throughout the agency. Note: This is a FY25 Requirement. The PSC code is: R430 Support—Professional: Physical Security and Badging The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes is 561611. #### DRAFT PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (abbreviated) #### Background The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the federal agency for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks. The strength and vitality of the U.S. economy depends directly on effective mechanisms that protect new ideas and investments in innovation and creativity. The continued demand for patents and trademarks underscores the ingenuity of American inventors and entrepreneurs. The Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, Office of Administrative Services, Security and Emergency Management Division is responsible for ensuring the employment and retention of employees, contractors, volunteers, or anyone working on behalf of the USPTO are consistent with suitability and national security policies. The Personnel Security Program also ensures that the background investigations, adjudication, and reciprocity standards are aligned with EO 12968, EO 13467, EO 13764, SEAD 6, SEAD 4, and 5 C.F.R. Part 1400, and other governing policies, to ensure only trustworthy, loyal, and reliable individuals are given access to classified information. The Security Service Center, the Center provides a wide range of security-related services to current and potential USPTO personnel, including but not limited to: New Employee fingerprinting ID Badging Foreign Access Management Operational Security Physical Access Control System These activities are accomplished in accordance with HSPD-12, FIPS-201, additional FIPS, Executive Orders and OMB. Objective and Scope Objective The USPTO is seeking one contractor with intricate knowledge of Security operations, plans and procedures in conjunction with personnel security, credentialing operations and operational security. Contractors will provide support with personnel security and security services center functions. The objective of this contract is to obtain assistance with all Personnel Security related items to ensure USPTO is in compliance with personnel security directives, identity management policy, as well as physical access control practices. Scope USPTO requires a wide range of professional and administrative support services in support of its daily business operations at HQ, nationwide offices and USPTO’s expansive remote workers. This Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) will support programs throughout USPTO via the issuance of Call Orders by a Contracting Officer. Work to be performed under this BPA will be defined in task descriptions in the Call Orders. Contract Personnel shall perform in accordance with each individual Call Order and Performance Work Statement (PWS). Period of Performance The anticipated period of performance is for a one year base period and four one year option periods. Performance Labor Categories Some labor categories in this PWS may require access to National Security Information at a Top-Secret level. The USPTO expects all offerors to provide cleared Top-Secret Personnel for some labor categories that will be identified after contract award to help support the agency’s overall mission. Other positions are Public Trust Positions, wherein no security clearance is needed. The Call Orders will list the security requirements needed. The Call Orders will list the security requirements needed. Additional security requirements, if any, will be briefed to the Contractor upon award. Personnel Security Specialist Program Manager I Data Analyst Security Assistants General Labor Requirements The Contractor shall furnish employees and services on an as-needed basis to manage, supervise, and perform the task stated herein. The level of effort on each Call Order will require personnel of varying expertise, experience, and education. The Contractor shall provide only qualified, competent, and fully trained personnel who meet applicable security requirements in the performance of work under this BPA. Evidence of qualifications, such as copies of certificates of having successfully completed training courses, may be required if requested by the Contracting Officer. At a minimum, all Contract Personnel must be fully capable of reading, writing, understanding, and speaking common English and must be computer literate. The Contractor shall immediately inform the COR and/or applicable Government designee (e.g., Government Task Monitor) in writing when an employee or an accepted applicant for a USPTO order has transferred to another order, has resigned or has been terminated, or any other type of action that constitutes a deviation from the vendor’s proposed personnel. 1.5.1 Management and Supervision of Contractor Employees The contractor shall provide supervision of its personnel, and consistent and timely management of the support services the contractors will provide under this contract. The Contractor shall appoint a Program Manager who will be the Contractor's authorized representative for overseeing technical and administrative performance of all services required under the contract. The Program Manager is part of the Contractor’s organization and is not a billable position under the contract. The Program Manager shall be the single point of contact through which all Contractor/Government communication and technical direction shall flow. The Program Manager shall receive and execute, on behalf of the Contractor, all orders for work and technical direction as the COR may issue within the terms and conditions of the BPA/PWS. All administrative support of Contractor personnel assigned to perform the tasks under this BPA shall be the responsibility of the Contractor. The Program Manager is not required to be located at a USPTO site. The Contractor shall ensure that an appropriate level of management and supervision is provided to accomplish the following: Orientation training for new Contractor employees Day-to-day supervision of Contractor assignments On-site supervision for Contractor personnel (Program Manager) On-the-job training for new Contractor persons Periodic training of Contractor employees Scheduling of Contractor employees On-site quality control of work performed by Contractor employees Communication with USPTO COR Ensure deliverables are provided promptly and correctly Quality Control Plan (QCP) 1.6.1 Requirements The Contractor shall provide its Quality Control Plan (QCP) with its proposal. The plan must describe quality control procedures that ensure the deliverance of acceptable performance in accordance with the PWS. The QCP procedures must show how the Contractor will: Monitor personnel performance metrics to ensure personnel are performing the services required; Identify trends, problems, or issues in employee performance; Resolve and prevent quality assurance problems; Document employee performance, record resolution of employee issues, and report quality-of-work related problems; Identify deficiencies before the level of services become unacceptable. The Government reserves the right to review the quality controls established, and to appraise their effectiveness in how performance of contract requirements have been met. It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to enforce all Quality Control Plan requirements for any and all Subcontractor(s). The Contractor’s quality control process shall become incorporated into the BPA at time of award. At a minimum, the Contractor’s Quality Control Plan shall include: A metrics system of cases assigned and worked daily, weekly and monthly A method to identify any procedures to correct any deficiencies in services that may occur. A secure file of tasks completed by the statistician of cases, assignments and projects Description of procedures to be used to be used to ensure that deliverables shall be accurate and timely. 1.6.2 BPA Order Inclusions The QCP, to be submitted as part of the Contractor’s proposal and as accepted by the Government, shall be incorporated into the BPA as an attachment entitled “Quality Control Plan.” 1.6.3 QCP Revision(s) The Quality Control Pan, shall be maintained current and made available to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Any revisions to the plan shall be approved in writing by the Contracting Officer (CO) prior to implementation. Recruitment and Retention The Contractor shall maintain a recruitment and retention plan to provide for quality and timely services in accordance with this BPA. The contractor is not required to engage service employees employed under the predecessor contract, nor offer them a right of first refusal, but the contractor is encouraged to engage incumbent service employees if the contractor, after careful assessment, finds the incumbent service employees qualify to meet the requirements of the solicitation. Proper recruitment generally provides employees quicker response to Government performance requirements. The recruitment and retention plan shall include the following: Advertising for employees. The Contractor should include security requirements in the advertisement and specify the requirement for a background investigation. Advertisements should describe the specific position being recruited -- not a generic labor category description. Procedures to be used for recruiting candidates. The Contractor shall utilize its established procedures for recruitment, including personal interviews, reference checks, and matching candidates to offices. Refrain from performing any recruitment activities at Government locations, or utilizing and Government resources/equipment for any recruitment activities. Approve the presence of USPTO employees at Contractor candidate interviews. USPTO employees may sit-in during the interview process as observers only and cannot influence the Contractor’s decision with respect to hiring contractors. USPTO employees are not allowed to ask the candidate questions, but may submit questions to the Contractor for discussion with the candidates. The Contractor shall provide CORs a fully vetted resume within five (5) working days from the time a position is vacated. The Contractor should avoid recruiting candidates with a history non-performance, conduct issues, or any other issues. Personnel Assigned to the Contract Personnel who are assigned to the contract may be reassigned by the Contractor. The Contractor must notify the losing division within 24 hours that it will be incurring a vacancy. A minimum of 14 days shall be granted to the losing division or office for proper turnover and any other transitional activities. Training USPTO will bear the financial responsibility for training on matters specific to the agency or respective division and district. The following are examples of courses that may be required: Initial training in USPTO policies and procedures; Specific training in USPTO databases and other management systems; Recurring training to complete USPTO requirements; Specific division requirements; new systems or processes, and new laws or procedures. The USPTO will provide the Contract employees with introductory training on the policies and procedures related to their respective task areas. The USPTO also will provide Contractor personnel with training in, and access to USPTO’s management systems, electronic mail and any other tools which, in the judgment of USPTO’s management, are required for the Contractor to achieve stated objectives. The Contractor is required to complete any additional training determined necessary to satisfactorily perform the required services. The USPTO will not reimburse the Contractor for basic qualifying training of its employees. Required certifications in accordance with the tasks performed, labor category, and PWS are at the Contractor’s cost. 1.7.3 Place of Performance: The Agency anticipates that the majority of the work will take place at the USPTO Headquarters: 600 Dulany St. Alexandria, VA 22314 ##### END OF DRAFT PWS ##### HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE Note: The Government will not utilize formal evaluation criteria for market research associated with PTAG 6.1.1. The Government will review these sources sought responses to help determine which (if any) firms are most likely to successfully meet the agency’s requirements for PERSEC and SSC support services. In your email response please include in the subject: “ACQ-25-0638 PTAG RFI PERSEC and SSC requirements” DEADLINE: Questions regarding this sources sought notice are due no later than May 20th, 2025 at 1:00 PM EST and are to be submitted via email to Kendall.jones1@uspto.gov and Christopher.ward@uspto.gov Responses are due no later than May 23rd, 2025 at 1:00 PM EST and are to be submitted via email to Kendall.jones1@uspto.gov and Christopher.ward@uspto.gov NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE Responses should include: a capability statement (including other supporting info showing the ability to meet this requirement as requested below), the name of your firm, Whether or not your firm is a Small Business and the Socio-Economic sub-category(ies) of your firm (if applicable) complete address, email and phone of the primary contact. Your SAM.gov UEI number (if available). Your firms GSA schedule contract number (if applicable) Note: you must be registered in the SAM.gov database prior to any award of a contract or agreement. In response to this source sought notice, please provide enough detail to show: Past performance should include ten plus years of security and background investigation services to include working with HSPD-12, FIPS-201, additional FIPS, Executive Orders and OMB. Deep understanding of current ID badging and Physical Access Control System. Demonstrated experience with federal government security requirements, including New Employee fingerprinting. Key Personnel In your response to this source sought, please identify any Key Personnel that would likely be involved in fulfilling the requirements, and include any relevant background information on those individuals. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. This PTAG 6.1.1 Sources Sought Notice is strictly for market research ONLY. It is for informational and planning purposes and shall NOT be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation or commitment by the Government at this time.