Local Guard Services for US Embassy Belmopan, Belize

**THE PROJECTED DATE FOR SOLICITATION AND SITE VISIT ARE HEREBY UPDATED BELOW** The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has a requirement for a qualified Contractor to provide Local Guard Services for the U.S. Embassy Belmopan, Belize. The U.S. Embassy requires a secure environment to conduct its mission. The Contractor shall provide the organizational structure, management, and qualified staff at levels adequate to meet or exceed the requirement contained in the Performance Work Statement (PWS). The estimated number of annual hours for guard services at this location is approximately 134,218 hours. The Contractor shall be required to provide services that prevent loss or injury to U.S. personnel; dependents; property; destruction of assets; prevent unauthorized access; and, deter potential terrorist attacks. The anticipated period of performance is one base year and four one-year options (to be exercised at the sole discretion of the Government). All contracted personnel, regardless of nationality, will be required to pass a background investigation conducted by the Contractor and a separate background investigation conducted by the U.S. Government to certify their suitability for employment under this contract. The Government plans to post the solicitation on this site on or after April 23, 2012. No paper copies will be mailed. The Government will solicit this requirement as a competitive 8(a) Set-Aside using the acquisition procedures outlined in FAR Part 15. The approximate acquisition schedule is as follows: The synopsis will be posted for approximately 15 days, then the solicitation will be posted and the Question and Answer (Q&A) period begins. Once the solicitation is posted on FedBizOpps, prospective offerors will have approximately 60 days to submit proposals. All dates are subject to change and Offerors will be notified by registering on https://www.fbo.gov. A site visit is tentatively scheduled for May 15, 2012. The date and time of the site visit will be confirmed in Section L of the solicitation. All prospective offerors are encouraged to attend and become acknowledgeable of the sites covered by this solicitation. Information provided at the site visit may not be available in the same level of detail to those potential offerors who do not attend the site visit. Prospective offerors are responsible for entry visa (if required) in addition to all travel arrangements, local transportation, and local accommodations. Due to space limitations only two (2) representatives from each firm will be allowed for the conference and site visit. No questions will be answered concerning this requirement until the solicitation is posted. Once the solicitation is posted, questions may be submitted by email to Contract Specialist Matthew Colantonio at colantoniomj@state.gov. PHONE CALLS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. In accordance with 22 U.S.C. Section 4864, the Government will give preference to offerors qualifying as U.S. persons or U.S. Joint Venture Persons. The contract will be awarded to the lowest price, technically acceptable proposal.