Vendor Collaboration - DOI Vendor Communication Plan

The Department of the Interior (DOI) is committed to: a) Communicating early, frequently, and constructively with industry; b) Including small businesses and subgroups of small businesses in communications with industry; c) Including vendors that the agency has not worked with in the past; d) Identifying publicly which procurements are likely to involve opportunities for additional communication with industry; and e) Protecting non-public information, including vendors' confidential information and the agency's source selection information. Opportunities for communication with industry, such as pre-solicitation and/or pre-proposal conferences, requests for information, and other vendor engagement events, will be publicized using the existing "special notices" function on the Federal Business Opportunities website at https://www.fbo.gov/ . DOI Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) conducts or participates in small business outreach and training sessions for vendors and employees on a regular basis throughout the year. The OSDBU calendar of events is posted publicly at http://www.doi.gov/osdbu/calendar.cfm , and it includes information not only on events the DOI OSDBU attends, but also any events that may be of interest to small businesses, including outreach and matchmaking sessions held by other agencies, vendors, and trade associations and chambers of commerce. DOI has issued guidance to our contracting activities on appropriate criteria and techniques for obtaining vendor input during the acquisition process - this guidance may be viewed at http://www.doi.gov/pam/DIG-2012-01-DOI-Vendor-Communication-Plan.pdf .