Electronic Permitting System (ePermits) operations and maintenance services

USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (AHPIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) in Riverdale, MD anticipates a sole source service contract for a base and one option year under the authority of FAR 8.405-6 (a)(1)(I)(C) (see attached justification) for the following requirement: Operations and Maintenance of Electronic Permitting System (ePermits) with possible enhancements. This contract will be for a base period of one year with one option year for routine operatiions and maintenance at an estimated amount of $1,250,000 per year with a maximum amount of $3,200,000 for base and option period. The primary automated IT system used by APHIS for its permitting processes is the Comprehensive Electronic Permitting System, ePermits. ePermits stakeholders use the web-based system to complete electronic forms and apply for various types of permits, as well as check the status of permit applications, request to amend and/or renew permits, and view issued permits. Integration with Pay.gov, a Department of Treasury shared service, enables applicants to submit payments online where applicable. In addition, the ePermits system is tightly integrated with SiteMinder for security and uses e- authentication for authentication. Federal permitting officials utilize the workflow capabilities of ePermits to review the applications, seek additional information as needed, and issue or deny permits as appropriate. In addition, other federal and state regulatory officials leverage ePermits to verify the validity of permits and ensure compliance. ePermits currently supports fifteen different types of APHIS permits. Each type of permit captures a unique set of application data and each permit has its own unique permitting workflow. APHIS processes nearly 33,000 applications and issues 27,000 permits annually through ePermits. The system has approximately 44,000 registered users. This includes employees of federal agencies, state agriculture officials, and private individuals, universities, and businesses. In addition to APHIS permitting officials, ePermits is used by employees of other government agencies who have a role in the inspection of imported commodities under APHIS' regulatory authority, or are exchanging data with automated IT systems within those agencies. These agencies include the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Within APHIS, the ePermits system is used by Plant Inspection Station staff and Investigative and Enforcement Service (IES) officers for permit validation. APHIS is in the midst of an initiative to combine the functionality of eight of its IT systems that support their certifications, accreditation, registrations, permits and other licenses (CARPOL) referred to in this document as "APHIS eFile". This new system is anticipated to be fully operational by 2021. The ePermits system is designated to be retired and integrated into this new enterprise system. The current ePermits services are being provided by Communication Resource Inc. (CRI) under a previously competed GSA order. Per the attached justification, APHIS intends to enter into a sole source contract with CRI for a follow-on contract under the authority of FAR 8.405-6. Submit any inquiries regarding this notice to Larry Nelson at Larry.D.Nelson@aphis.usda.gov. Verbal inquiries will not be honored. Closing date for inquiries is 4:30 CT on September 28, 2018. The North American Industry Classification Code (NAICS) is 541511.