INL/El Salvador: ILEA Catering Services

The U.S. Department of State, through the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, is seeking a qualified small business contractor to provide comprehensive catering services at the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in San Salvador, El Salvador, under a Firm Fixed Price contract with a base period of five months starting July 20, 2026, and four optional one-year periods extending through December 31, 2030. This acquisition is a total small business set-aside under NAICS code 722310 and follows the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) methodology, meaning technical acceptability is a pass/fail threshold and the lowest-priced technically acceptable offer will be selected. The contractor must deliver daily meal services—including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two coffee/snack breaks—seven days a week to support approximately 1,600 students annually, totaling roughly 49,600 meals over the base period, with additional meals anticipated during optional periods. Key requirements include a minimum of 10 years of experience in international cuisine catering, certified international chefs and kitchen certifications, staffing of at least seven on-site employees per meal service, and bilingual English-speaking Contract Manager and Chef with five years of experience each. The contractor must also have the capability to accommodate diverse dietary needs, including allergies, medical conditions, vegetarian, vegan, kosher, and halal diets. The offeror must submit a three-volume proposal: Volume I detailing technical capability, experience, and a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan; Volume II providing past performance references demonstrating prior experience serving over 1,000 meals per day; and Volume III, pricing, required in Excel format. The contract incorporates numerous federal acquisition regulations, including clauses on equal opportunity for veterans and people with disabilities, service contract labor standards, combating human trafficking (with Alternate I), privacy training (with Alternate I), employment eligibility verification via E-Verify, security requirements (with Alternate II), and mandatory flow-down of key clauses to subcontractors. Contractors must comply with cargo preference requirements mandating that at least 50% of gross tonnage be transported on U.S.-flagged vessels, adhere to strict U.S. branding and attribution rules on all communications, and maintain current Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and NCAGE/CAGE codes. All personnel with access to Government systems must complete initial and annual privacy training, and the contractor is responsible for E-Verify compliance except for employees with active U.S. security clearances