Section 01: Acquisition Program Profile

The Department seeks qualified small, minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, and HUBZone businesses to participate in the acquisition process in support of its mission.

Major procurements included automated date processing distribution systems, worldwide diplomatic security support, narcotics eradication, communications equipment, and furnishings for embassies and consulates. The contract spectrums include:

Research and Development. A small research and development program (less than $5 million annually) is conducted in support of such programs as physical security, operation of worldwide telecommunication networks, and computer applications. Research and development is not a major component of the State Department’s acquisition program.

Supplies and Equipment. There are ongoing requirements for the types of supplies, equipment, and services listed below. Many of these procurements are suitable for small business participation and some offer subcontracting possibilities

Telecommunications equipment for use worldwide
Computer software/hardware equipment and applications. Software and programming requirements (particularly suited to small business participation)
Security equipment for the physical protection of diplomatic personnel and installations.
Household furnishings for embassies and consulates.
Maintenance services for communication equipment.
Packing and storage of household goods (excellent opportunity for small business participation).
General labor services (moving, messenger, clerical).
Management studies and surveys relating to mission activities.*
Facilities maintenance services.

*The Department commissions studies and special projects to examine a wide range of subjects in response to requests from Congress, recommendations by the General Accounting Office, and the Office of the Inspector General, or at the behest of management. These studies are either performed by internal groups or contracted out. Unlike recurring services, it is difficult to plan or predict when the Department might have a need for such external studies.

Major Acquisition Activities

The centralized Office of Acquisition is located in Rosslyn Station, Alexandria, Virginia. They conduct all of the procurement activities previously listed. Below is the contract information for these activities:

Office of Acquisitions (A/LM/AQM)

U.S. Department of State

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

Customer Service Center: (703) 516-1706

Principal procurement office tasked with buying a full range of equipment, services, and property in support of the worldwide mission.

Overseas Building Operations (A/LM/AQM)

U.S. Department of State

Room L600, SA-6, P.O. Box 12248, Rosslyn Station, Arlington, VA 22219

(703) 875-6297

Acquisition services in support of design, engineering, construction, renovation, and/or rehabilitation of U.S. embassies and consulates.

Office of Language Services (A/OPR/LS)

U.S. Department of State

Room H-1400, SA-1, Washington, DC 20037

(202) 261-8777

Limited micro-purchase authority for translation, interpreters, escorts, and related language support and services.

Office of Overseas Schools (A/OPR/OS)

U.S. Department of State

Room H-328, SA-1, Washington, DC 20522

(202) 261-8200

Micro-purchases and grants for overseas schools assistance activities.

Diplomatic Telecommunications Program Office (DTS-PO/ADM/ACQ)

U.S. Department of State

3920 Pender Drive, SA-43, Fairfax, VA 22030

(703) 302-7878

Supports telecommunication services for U.S. embassies and consulates. Located in Fairfax, Virginia, the majority of their purchases are commercial services totaling $100,000 or more. Supplies include telecommunications equipment and supplies, computer equipment, software, expendable and non-expendable office supplies, office furniture and electronics. Services include telecommunication services, circuitry installation, support personnel, cleaning services, consulting services, hardware/software support, shipping and other miscellaneous goods and services.

Firms interested in selling to DTS-PO should send descriptive literature about their product line(s), including prices, shipping terms, product support and warranty information to: Chief, DTS-PO/ACQ, U.S. Department of State, 3930 Pender Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030. Small, disadvantaged, and small women-owned businesses, service-disabled veterans, and HUBZone firms should indicate their size and ownership status when sending information, (FAX: 703- 302-7892)

Office of Foreign Missions (DS/OFM)

U.S. Department of State

Room 357, SA-33, Washington, DC 20520-3301

(202) 895-3507

Majority of the acquisitions are from in-country sources ensuring reciprocity of treatment between U.S. missions overseas and foreign hosts. Limited domestic purchasing are for professional services and personal property.

Shultz Center - Foreign Service Institute (NFATC)

U.S. Department of State

4000 Arlington Blvd., Arlington, VA 22204-1500

(703) 302-6770

Acquisition include instructors, linguists, other academic and training specialists, and personal property as need to support the Center’s training mission.

Office of International Conferences (IO/OIC/A)

U.S. Department of State

Room 1428A, HST Bldg, Washington, DC 20520-6319

(202) 647-1771

Limited micro-purchasing authority including annual international conferences.

Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM/C)

U.S. Department of State

Room 1215, SA-1, Washington, DC 20522-0112

(202) 663-1022

Micro-purchases including grants and cooperative agreements supporting worldwide refugee matters.

U.S. Mission to the United Nations (USUN)

799 UN Plaza, Room 312, New York, NY 10017

(212) 667-4095

Micro-purchases for services and personal property supporting the U.S. mission to the United Nations.

Regional Procurement and Support Office

Florida Regional Center

U.S. Department of State

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309-5242

(954) 630-1166

Acquisition of U.S. services and personal property in support of posts in Central and South America.

Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL/RM)

U.S. Department of State

1^st Floor, SA-4S, Washington, DC 20520

(202) 776-8718

Micro-purchasing authority, GSA Schedule Contracts property and services acquisition, and personal service contracts pursuant to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.

The Library, Office of IRM Programs and Services (A/RPS/IPS)

Business Center Staff

U.S. Department of State

Room 2442, HST Bldg., Washington, DC 20520

(202) 647-2196

Micro-purchasing authority, purchases and orders against GSA schedules, and contracts for acquisitions for newspapers, books, maps, and periodicals.

Regional Procurement Support Centers see Section 4: Regional Procurement and Support Offices.

Full range of commodities and services for embassies and consulates in each geographical area for worldwide medical acquisitions.

Designated employees at embassies and consulates have Certificates of Appointment from the Procurement Executive. These certificates or warrants provide authority for the execution of procurement actions up to $100,000 and in some cases, higher dollar amounts without further approval from the Procurement Executive. Although services are generally obtained from the local market, posts often purchase goods from U.S. firms either directly or from the GSA schedules. Firms interested in marketing their products to U.S. posts abroad may send a line card and price list or similar information directly to posts using APO/FPO addresses listed.

Acquisition in Support of Overseas Buildings Operations

Congress has authorized funds to carry out diplomatic security construction, acquisitions, and operations pursuant to the Department of State’s Supplemental Diplomatic Security Program and Foreign Service Buildings Act.

Information regarding these projects is released through FedBizOpps, and other construction trade publications when the projects are ready to be designed, constructed or the purchasing of government-furnished materials is required.

Firms interested in performing embassy construction should direct their attention to Section 402 of the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986, Section 402 addresses preference for U.S. contractors, qualifications criteria, and subcontracting limitations on diplomatic construction projects.

Limited contracting opportunities may exist for government furnished materials (GFM) such as bills of material (BOMs) for post communication centers and or security materials. Interested firms should contact:

Office of Acquisition Management – Security Branch
U.S. Department of State

2^nd Floor, SA-6, Washington, DC 20522-0602

Ms. Benita Williams (703) 875-5429

Any firm that has new or innovative technical security or electronic CM products which can be used to enhance security at embassies abroad, may contact the Chief of Countermeasures Program Division at the following address:

Deputy Assistant for Diplomatic Security

U.S. Department of State

Technical Surveillance and Countermeasures Branch (DS/CIS/IST/CMP/TSC)

7^th Floor, SA-3, Washington, DC 20522-1003

(202) 663-0704

Other products such as bulletproof glass, closed-circuit security systems, intrusion detection devices, and the like are also included in the acquisition plan of the security program. Firms wishing to market these products should contact:

Office of Facility Protection Operations (DS/IP/FPO)

U.S. Department of State

16^th Floor, SA-20, Washington, DC 20522

Mr. Kevin Barry (571) 345-2398

Office of Domestic Facilities Protection

U.S. Department of State

Security Support Division (DS/DSS/DO)

L309, SA-1, Washington, DC 20522

Mr. George Bailey (202) 663-1676

Firms interested in performing services related to security such as security engineering, construction management, construction surveillance, and the like, should contact:

Bureau of Overseas Building Operations

U.S. Department of State

Project Execution Office, Security Management Division (OBO/PE)

Room 700, SA-6, Washington, DC 20522

Ms. Robert Soule (703) 516-1635

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