Safety Verification Initiative

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is a Request for Quote (RFQ) for an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations, is procuring services related to the identification, location, and wellness checks of unaccompanied alien children (UACs) and similar foreign-national child populations. The contract will be hybrid, combining Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) and Cost Reimbursable elements.

• Locating and conducting wellness/safety checks on missing or at-risk children.

• Conducting in-person field work for welfare/safety checks.

• Identifying and documenting indicators of abuse, neglect, abandonment, or trafficking.

• Working with unaccompanied alien children or similar foreign-national child populations.

• Delivering services or case management to UACs or other foreign-born minors.

• Coordinating with federal, state, local, or non-profit entities.

• Transition services.

• Travel (Cost-Reimbursable).

• Contract Type: Hybrid Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) and Cost Reimbursable IDIQ.

• Period of Performance: Two-year base period, split into two one-year ordering periods. Option to extend services for up to six months (FAR 52.217-8).

• Minimum Order Quantity: 100 cases per IDIQ award.

• Maximum Order Quantity: 100,000 cases per IDIQ award.

• Place of Performance: Within the United States (50 States and District of Columbia).

• Funding: Obligated at the task order (TO) level.

• Proposals must be submitted electronically by 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time on March 25, 2026.

• Evaluation Factors (in descending order of importance): 1) Prior Experience, 2) Technical Approach, 3) Scenarios, 4) Price. Non-price factors are significantly more important than price.

• Prior Experience: Evaluated on recency, relevance, magnitude, geographic scope, and complexity, specifically related to child welfare and unaccompanied alien children.

• Technical Approach: Evaluated on understanding of PWS requirements, including field-based location efforts and safety/wellness checks.

• Scenarios: Evaluated on accurate assessment and reasonable, realistic approach to resolving provided scenarios.

• Price: Evaluated for completeness and reasonableness.

• Award will be made on a best-value tradeoff basis.

• Small business size standard is $25 million.

• Subcontracting Plan required for offerors not qualifying as small businesses.

• Attachment 01: Performance Work Statement (PWS)

• Attachment 02: Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP)

• Attachment 03: Pricing Worksheet

• Offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM).

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

This Performance Work Statement (PWS) outlines the requirements for a contractor to conduct safety and wellness checks for an estimated 100,000 Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) across the United States. The initiative aims to ensure the safety and well-being of a subset of UAC released from federal custody by verifying their location, custody, school enrollment, and overall wellness, including screening for signs of abuse, abandonment, neglect, or trafficking.

• Confirm Location: Identify and review UAC locations using available databases and records.

• Conduct Site Visits: Perform site visits to observe overall wellness, identify cohabitants and their relationship to the minor, and check for signs of abuse, abandonment, neglect, or trafficking. Immediate notification to the designated ERO point of contact (POC) is required if any such signs are indicated.

• School Enrollment: Confirm that all school-aged children are enrolled and attending school per state requirements.

• Inform UAC and Sponsors: Educate UAC and their sponsors on legal responsibilities, immigration court dates, and ERO reporting requirements.

• Provide Mailing Address: Submit mailing addresses to the ERO within 48 hours.

• Update ICE Systems: Update relevant ICE Systems of Record with collected data.

• Data Collection: Collect specific data fields including UAC name, A#, address, location status, safety indicators, school enrollment, contact information, and sponsor details.

• Accurate and consistent data collection is essential.

• Communications must be provided in a language understood by the participant, using bilingual staff or interpretation services.

• Program management, including staffing, workflow, and monthly employee lists, must be provided.

• Regular progress meetings (weekly, quarterly, ad hoc) with the COR are required.

• Quality Assurance: Contractor must define and implement quality control reviews and internal audit procedures. ERO will implement a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP).

• Not explicitly stated in the provided sections, but implies nationwide coverage.

• Staffing: Key personnel include a Program Director with specific educational and experience requirements. All staff require DHS background investigations and may require fingerprinting within 72 hours of eAPP initiation.

• Training: A training plan must be provided within five calendar days of contract award. Staff must be trained prior to starting work. Mandatory ICE training modules include Computer Security Awareness, Privacy, and Records Management.

• Standards of Conduct: Strict adherence to standards of conduct is required, prohibiting favoritism, personal relationships with participants, accepting gifts, business relationships, discussing case information, or providing legal advice. Violations may lead to dismissal.

• Security Requirements: Access to sensitive DHS information requires background investigations, preliminary fitness determinations, and adherence to specific security protocols. This includes compliance with the transition to Trusted Workforce (TW) 2.0.

• Deliverables: Include Program Management Plan, Quality Assurance Plan, Standard Operating Procedures, Updated Organizational Chart, Training Plan, and Transition Out Plan.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) that outlines performance requirements and Acceptable Quality Levels (AQLs) for select activities within the Performance Work Statement (PWS) and the contract. It defines the minimum level of performance deemed satisfactory and specifies how contractor performance will be monitored and evaluated.

• Performance Requirements: Specific criteria that must be met for contract tasks.
• Performance Measures: Metrics used to quantify performance against requirements.
• Frequency: How often performance is measured or reported.
• Method of Surveillance: How the government will monitor performance (e.g., reports, site visits, random checks).
• Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) / Critical Threshold: The minimum acceptable performance level, expressed as a percentage of the performance requirement.

This QASP is crucial for bidders as it details the performance standards and quality expectations for the contract. Understanding these requirements, measures, and AQLs will help bidders to:

• Assess their capability to meet the government's quality expectations.
• Develop a compliant and competitive proposal.
• Understand how their performance will be evaluated post-award.
• Identify potential risks and mitigation strategies related to quality and performance.

Specific tasks and their associated requirements, measures, and AQLs include:

• Staff Readiness: 100% of required FTEs qualified, trained, vetted, and working (AQL: 95%).
• Deliverables: 100% of deliverables provided within the specified timeframe (AQL: 95%).
• Incident Notification Compliance: 100% of notifications made within 24 hours of discovery (AQL: 100%).
• Case Timeliness: 100% of cases have initial contact within 7 calendar days of assignment (AQL: 90%).
• Background Investigation Completion: 100% of packages accepted without resubmission (AQL: 90%).

All QASP metrics will be reported in CPARS.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a pricing worksheet (Excel file) that bidders must use to submit pricing information for the opportunity. It outlines specific CLINs (Contract Line Item Numbers) and requires pricing for highlighted cells.

• CLINs: Includes CLINs such as 'Confirm Address', 'Conduct Site Visit', 'Observe Overall Wellness', and 'Travel'.
• Pricing Structure: Requires rates per case, incentive rates for timeliness (7, 14, 28 calendar days), total price, and maximum ceiling prices.
• Travel Costs: Travel costs are reimbursable in accordance with FTR, not to exceed $19,000,000.00.
• Transition: A single monthly rate is required for the two-month transition period.
• Incentives: Specific sections are provided for incentive percentages and calculations related to timeliness.
• Formatting Requirements: All pricing and percentages must be submitted with two decimal points. Only pricing for highlighted cells will be considered.

Bidders must complete and submit this worksheet accurately, adhering to all formatting and submission instructions. The pricing provided in this document will be a critical component of the proposal and will likely be used in the evaluation process. Failure to follow instructions may result in pricing not being considered.