12319826R5000 Retailer Investigations

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation (RFP) for "Retailer Investigations Services" for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA). The objective is to procure contractor support to conduct investigations across designated areas to protect the integrity of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program (SNAP). This acquisition is being solicited under full and open competition. The North American Industry Classification Standard (NAICS) code is 561611.

• Conduct an estimated 23,000 investigative passes annually per contractor.

• Perform investigative passes at retail stores identified by FNA through weekly Request for Investigations (RFIs).

• These passes include undercover purchase attempts, attempts to acquire non-eligible items, and trafficking attempts.

• Complete and enter results within a strict timeline.

• Identify potential additional fraudulent retailers during field activities.

• Provide qualified investigators adhering to Federal security and confidentiality requirements.

• Safeguard Sensitive-But-Unclassified (SBU) information.

• Comply with NIST, FISMA, and USDA IT Security.

• Produce daily, monthly, and corrective-action reports.

• Maintain high performance quality levels as outlined in the PWS's Performance Requirement Measure (PRMS) and acceptable Quality Levels (AQLs).

• Performance occurs nationwide within two regions (Eastern and Western).

• Potential night and weekend work may be required.

• Anticipated award of two (2) firm-fixed-price requirements contracts.

• Each contract will consist of a twelve-month base period and four (4) twelve-month option periods, for a total potential period of performance not to exceed five (5) years.

• Travel will be reimbursed at actual cost, not to exceed an established Not-to-Exceed (NTE) amount of $100,000. No profit, fee, or markup on travel cost.

• Questions Due: June 22, 2026, by 12:00 PM ET, submitted via email to Ian Lipscomb at Ian.Lipscomb@usda.gov.

• Proposals Due: July 9, 2026, by 12:00 PM ET, submitted via email to Ian Lipscomb at Ian.Lipscomb@usda.gov. Late proposals will not be accepted.

• Proposal Submission: Submit proposals via email in PDF format. The technical proposal shall not exceed twenty-five (25) pages. Cost items are to be submitted in the attached Excel cost spreadsheet (Attachment 1a).

• Evaluation Factors (in descending order of importance): Technical Approach, Past Performance, and Price.

• Offer Acceptance Period: 120 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers.

• This acquisition is being solicited under full and open competition.

• The solicitation constitutes the entire announcement; separate written solicitations will not be issued.

• Attachments include: Attachment 1a – Excel Pricing Spreadsheet, Attachment 1b – Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP).

• Service Contract Labor Standards may apply.

• Wage Determinations are available via a provided link; proposals must provide current pricing information.

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

This Performance Work Statement (PWS) outlines the requirements for non-personal services to support the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA), Office of Retailer Operations and Compliance (ROC) in their efforts to maintain the integrity of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The primary objective is to reduce fraud, waste, and program abuse by conducting investigations of retailers suspected of violating SNAP regulations.

• Conduct investigations of retailers identified as potentially committing SNAP fraud.

• Recommend methods for identifying emerging fraud trends and improving investigative techniques.

• Identify additional retailers engaged in fraudulent activity during assigned investigations.

• Coordinate with state and local partners on SNAP fraud investigations as directed by FNA.

• Investigators will conduct "investigative passes" at retail stores, which may include making purchases, attempting purchases of non-SNAP eligible items, and attempting to traffic SNAP benefits.

• Timeliness: Results of investigative passes must be entered into the FNA system within 24 hours. Case reports must be submitted within 12 calendar days of the last pass, and corrected case reports within 7 calendar days of return. Monthly management reports are due by the 5th calendar day of each month.

• Quality: Data submitted must be of sufficient quality that FNA does not need to return it for re-work. 100% of reports must be error-free regarding outcomes.

• Acceptable Quality Level (AQL): 95% for timeliness and quality metrics.

• Surveillance: Daily inspection for field work timeliness and quality; monthly inspection for investigation results and case report timeliness; quarterly evaluation for business relations and management of key personnel.

• The PWS does not explicitly state the period of performance but mentions "Base Year" and "Option Year" in relation to investigative passes.

• Investigators will be assigned to regions (Eastern and Western) but final regional assignment is based on operational needs. Travel may be required, though overnight travel is not anticipated.

• Personnel Qualifications: Investigators must possess a minimum of five years of investigative experience, a high degree of self-discipline, integrity, and moral character. They should exhibit professionalism, adaptability, and strong reasoning ability. Multilingual capability is a plus. All investigators must pass a comprehensive background screening including U.S. Citizenship verification, education verification, criminal history checks, prior employment verification, and drug tests.

• Security: All contractor personnel require a National Agency Check Inquiries (NACI) Tier 1 background investigation. Compliance with NIST requirements and other federal security directives is mandatory.

• Government Furnished: The Government will provide work-fundamental information, access to FNA data systems, and Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. No facilities, workspace, or equipment will be provided.

• Key Personnel: A Project Manager (PM) and Alternate Project Manager (APM) are required, with specific educational and experience qualifications.

• Data Rights: The Government has unlimited rights to all documents and materials produced under the contract.

• Prohibited Activities: Carrying weapons, using unauthorized individuals, threatening or coercing for information, using cash for purchases from the retailer under investigation, and using illicit drugs or consuming alcohol while performing work are strictly prohibited.

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

This Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) outlines the procedures and guidelines the USDA, Retailer Operations and Compliance (ROC) will use to ensure a contractor meets the performance standards and service levels required by the "Retailer Investigations" Performance Work Statement (PWS).

The QASP details methods for measuring contractor performance, identifying required reports, and allocating resources. It defines roles and responsibilities, performance objectives, monitoring methodologies, quality assurance reporting, and analysis of monitoring results.

• The QASP references Performance Standards and Acceptable Quality Levels (AQLs) defined in the PWS and PRS. AQLs specify the allowable level of performance deficiencies.
• Performance standards and AQLs can be expressed as percentages or absolute numbers.
• "Substantially Complete" is defined as work with no significant departure from contract terms and no omission of essential work, with only minor omissions or deficiencies.
• Non-performance occurs when contractor performance does not meet the AQL.
• The QASP includes a "Performance Requirements Summary" detailing specific measures, standards, deliverables, surveillance methods, frequency, and monitoring for Field Work Results, Investigation Results, Business Relations, and Management of Key Personnel.

Not explicitly detailed in this document, but it pertains to "Retailer Investigations."

• The Contractor must implement its Quality Control Plan (QCP) to ensure products and services meet standards.
• The Contractor must maintain quality control records and appoint a single point of contact.
• Government responsibilities include those of the Contracting Officer (CO) and Contracting Officer Representative (COR).
• The COR plays a key role in contract administration, surveillance, and monitoring.
• Surveillance methods include 100% Inspection for critical requirements and daily/monthly/quarterly reviews.
• Performance ratings include Exceptional, Very Good, Satisfactory, Marginal, and Unsatisfactory, with defined criteria for each.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a Past Performance Questionnaire provided for vendors to submit reference information regarding their past performance to the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), Contract Management Division. This information is considered Source Selection Sensitive.

• Contractor Information: Requires the contractor's name, address, contract number, and project title.
• Evaluator Information: Requires the evaluator's name, date, phone number, address, and position held in relation to the project.
• Ratings: Provides a scale (Exceptional, Highly Acceptable, Acceptable, Marginal, Unacceptable) for evaluating contractor performance in specific areas.
• Performance Areas to Rate:
  • Management and coordination of subcontractors/personnel.
  • Professional working relationship with Government personnel.
  • Ability to provide and retain qualified personnel.
  • Quality control.
  • Meeting performance schedule.
  • Opportunity to discuss negative performance ratings.
  • Timely rectification of identified problems.
  • History of cure notices, show cause letters, etc.
  • Willingness to award another contract.
• Overall Rating: A final rating is required.
• Additional Comments: Space for further remarks.

Vendors being considered for this opportunity must ensure their references complete and submit this questionnaire accurately and promptly. The ratings and comments provided will directly influence the government's assessment of the vendor's past performance, a key factor in source selection. The questionnaire should be emailed to Ian.Lipscomb@usda.gov.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a pricing spreadsheet for Retailer Investigations, intended for vendors to input their cost estimates.

• Instructions Sheet: Vendors must insert their unit cost per investigative pass under column E. Travel cells are locked.
• Retailer Investigations Cost Sheet: This sheet details CLINs for Investigative Passes and Travel across multiple option years.
  • CLIN 0001: Investigative Passes (Estimated Quantity: 23410)
  • CLIN 0002: Travel (Estimated Quantity: 100000, Not-to-Exceed (NTE) Unit Cost: $2.0)
  • Option Year 1 (CLINs 1001, 1002): Investigative Passes (24112 EA), Travel (100000 NTE, $1.0 unit cost)
  • Option Year 2 (CLINs 2001, 2002): Investigative Passes (24835 EA), Travel (100000 NTE, $1.0 unit cost)
  • Option Year 3 (CLINs 3001, 3002): Investigative Passes (25580 EA), Travel (100000 NTE, $1.0 unit cost)
  • Option Year 4 (CLINs 4001, 4002): Investigative Passes (26347 EA), Travel (100000 NTE, $1.0 unit cost)
• Totals:
  • Total Contract Value (w/o Travel): $0.0
  • Total Contract Value: $500,000.0

Vendors must use this spreadsheet to provide their pricing for investigative passes and understand the estimated quantities and not-to-exceed (NTE) costs for travel. The "Instructions" sheet specifies how to input unit costs for investigative passes, and the "Retailer Investigations Cost" sheet outlines the structure for CLINs and option years. Bidders should carefully review the estimated quantities and unit costs provided to formulate their proposals.