Examination and Attorney Assistant Examination Quality Review

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), under the Department of Commerce, is conducting market research through a Request for Information (RFI) to explore potential solutions for enhancing the quality and efficiency of trademark examination processes using artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. The initiative, identified by solicitation number 135-0035-26 and classified under NAICS code 519290, seeks vendors capable of delivering a FedRAMP-certified or certification-in-progress AI/ML system to automate the selection and review of trademark applications, support examining attorneys with scalable workflows, and ensure compliance with legal and procedural standards outlined in the Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure (TMEP), Chapter 800. The solution must integrate with existing USPTO infrastructure, include a sandbox environment for evaluation, provide comprehensive training materials and usage metrics, and submit a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) to meet Section 508 accessibility requirements. Respondents are required to demonstrate technical capability, innovation, and alignment with the USPTO’s mission, submitting proposals through email to designated points of contact—Alan Elder, James Wuest, and Bradley Beers—no later than May 8, 2026, with strict page limits applied to each of four required narrative sections covering corporate overview, experience, capabilities, and cost. This RFI is not a solicitation for award, and no contract will result directly from submissions. The USPTO is gathering market intelligence to inform future procurement decisions under PTAG 6.1.1 Alternative Competition, with a projected basis of award potentially being best value, not lowest price technically acceptable. Vendors must be registered with a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and disclose their small business status, including any applicable socioeconomic designations such as WOSB, SDVOSB, 8(a), or HUBZone. Compliance with federal cybersecurity standards including FISMA, DCAA-adequate accounting system requirements, and an approved purchasing system is mandatory. There are no line items, contract values, pricing data, or delivery schedules defined at this stage, and no formal evaluation weights, contract clauses, or packaging requirements are specified. The place of performance is Alexandria, Virginia, and no physical delivery is involved; all activities are digital and aligned with USPTO’s internal systems. The agency has indicated that future contract types under consideration may include Firm-Fixed-Price, Time-and-Materials, Labor-Hour, or cost