INL GUATEMALA AUTOMATED BIOMETRIC IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM

Sources Sought Notice:  19INLE26I0007 - INL Guatemala Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS)

(PCS: 7H20 NAICS: 561611)

Background:

The Department of State (DOS) INL Guatemala is supporting the Guatemalan Migration Institute’s modernization effort through the installation and development of a biometrics-capable migration platform.  This effort includes the design and implementation of a new migration control platform with the capacity to instantly share passenger data with U.S. authorities in certain cases.  In order to fully implement this new platform, Guatemalan authorities need to build a traveler biometric database to register and store biometric-based entry records.  This procurement seeks to obtain server capacity to register and store said records.

This Sources Sought notice is issued for planning market research purposes only, and does not constitute a solicitation for proposals, offers, bids, and/or quotes. This is not an announcement of a forthcoming solicitation, or confirmation that the Government will contract for the items contained in the Sources Sought, nor is any commitment on the part of the Government to award a contract implied. Responses to this notice will assist the Government in identifying potential sources and in determining if a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Small Disadvantaged Businesses 8(a), Historically Underutilized Business Zone Small Business (HUBZone), or Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) set-aside of the solicitation is appropriate, and in determining whether there are small business who are able to provide in-country installation, configuration, training, and on-site support. This market research will also in identifying potential Contractors who are registered to do business in the host country or an existing partner with a host country registered business, as this would be required to provide maintenance, repairs, and support.   

Respondents are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative cost incurred in response to this Sources Sought. Responses to this notice will not be returned.

The following information is requested in this RFI/Sources Sought:

1.  Company name, point of contact, phone number, and address;

2.  UEI Number and CAGE Code;

3.  Interest in nature of participation [e.g., prime contractor, teaming partner, primary subcontractor];

4.  SDVOSB/HUBZONE/8(a)/WOSB or other SBA certification for applicable NAICS;

5.  Statement of capabilities applicable to this requirement; particularly the ability to provide in-country installation, training and technical support as either the prime or through a host nation subcontractor.

Interested contractors may provide the above information via e-mail to the addresses listed below. Information submitted must be in sufficient detail as to allow for a thorough government review of the firm's interest and capabilities. This information is due no later than Tuesday, January 13, 2026 at 5:00 PM EST.

Primary Point of Contact:

Michele Coccovizzo
Senior Contract Support Specialist
CoccovizzoML@state.gov

Secondary Point of Contact:

Jamillah Timmons
Contracting Officer
TimmonsJ@state.gov

Scope Of Work

The Contractor shall provide to the U.S. Government new, not previously used, equipment in strict compliance with the specifications at the agreed upon firm fixes price.  In the event of non-compliance with the specifications, the U.S. Government reserves the right to demand collection(s) or reject this requirement in its entirety.

EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION AND QUANTITIES

All equipment shall be new and not previously used.  If brand name is not used, technical specification sheets are required to be submitted prior to equipment approval and acceptance.

One BIOMETRICS DATABASE (SOFTWARE)

Similar or equal to MegaMatcher Accelerator Extreme Fingerprint, Facial and Iris recognition engines license.

The license must include at least:

• It must allow the deployment of a Linux operating system in a container environment.
• The solution must be designed to operate and be installed in scalable architecture capable of growing horizontally (scaling out).  It must further be gRPC compatible (i.e. for remote procedure calls). 
• The solution must involve an Application Programming Interface (API), which allows efficient integration and low latency communication between services and systems.
•  It must include the documentation related to the APIs (SDK) to allow proper system support, including interconnectivity with external services.

In addition, the supplier must guarantee the transfer of knowledge and technical documentation (SDK/API) to the staff of the IGM's Technology Resources Sub-Directorate. This transfer must include, at a minimum: 

1) An intensive hands-on workshop of at least 40 man-hours, focused specifically on the integration, development, and connectivity testing of the IGM's enrolment and verification systems with the ABIS engine; and 

2) The delivery of complete printed and digital documentation of the Software Development Kit (SDK) and Application Programming Interface (API) for use in container environments (Linux).

• The system must support international biometric template standards, specifically the ISO and ANSI formats, and must comply with the MINEX III standard (or superior equivalent) for fingerprint template interoperability, to ensure optimal performance for high-accuracy identification and compliance with global security partners.
• The solution must be capable of performing multiple simultaneous searches in large biometric databases, with high accuracy and reliability.
• The license must be capable of registering 160,000,000 fingerprints, 16,000,000 facial records, and 32,000,000 iris records.

One BIOMETRICS DATABASE SERVER (HARDWARE)

The specifications for the server must include:

• Chassis:   Rack Chassis
• Processor:   (2) Intel processors (similar or equivalent), Xeon 36 Cores / 64 Threads

Configured with 100MB cache or more

• Memory:                       1,536GB RDIMMs, in 64GB modules
• RAID Controller/Type: Hardware controller

Capable of RAID 0,1,5,10 configurations

• Storage:                         Storage for Operating system:

OS dedicated 240GB RAID 1 or better

Including any of the following:

Boos v2

M.2/7MM Boot Enablement

M.2 (Onboard M2 Slots)

Storage for virtual machines (VMs):

(20) hard drives. 2.4TB each

10K SAS, 12Gbps, Hot-plug

Total capacity: 18 TB RAID 10

     (no compression)

Spare hard drives:

(4) in RAID configuration

Server hard drives:

(24) including spare units

• OS Controller card:     OS controller with (2) M.2 240GB PCI

NVME SSD Raid 1 startup

• Networking:                 Fiber Channel:

(4) 32Gbps connections

Connectors QSFP / QSFP+ (included)

Config: 4*2 / 2*2 fiber cards

RJ45:

(4) ports 10Gbps

Redundant cards (4*2 / 2*2)

Compatibility with 5Gbps or 1Gbps

• USB:                               (4) USB ports
• Startup Mode:             UEFI BIOS with GPT partition
• Power:                           (2) redundant power supplies

Hot-Plug mixed mode, fault tolerant

• Accessories:                  (2) power cables (one for each power supply)

Rack rails for 4 pole rack

• UPS Redundant     (2 unidades):
  3000VA+ cada uno
  APC Smart-UPS o Eaton

Electrical installation 110 / 220, preferred: 110 V

INSTALLATION SERVICES

• The vendor must provide an Implementation Plan for the installation process with the different phases of the project.
• The COR will oversee and support the installation process and provide any necessary integration information.

SUPPORT SERVICES

For the software:

• The vendor must provide technical support with a duration of three (3) years on a 24x7 schedule.  It must include MegaMatcher or applicable license updates during the period.
• For basic level troubleshooting, a call center number should be provided for such 24x7 assistance.
• For middle and advanced level troubleshooting and critical operational issues, there should be a local representative able to provide on-site assistance.
• Certification:  The service support team must be certified to provide service to the biometrics engine (Neurotechnology) as IGM biometric capture equipment is currently based on that technology and server compatible with same. 

For the hardware:

• Technical support service must have a duration of 3 years for onsite assistance, troubleshooting, and parts replacement.
• Onsite assistance must be provided in the first 4 hours after calling the help desk.  Telephone number must be provided.
• Certification: The team that will provide the support must be certified by the hardware provider; as well as Linux administration

SHARING OF KNOWLEDGE

The vendor must ensure comprehensive training and technical knowledge transfer to the designated staff of the Guatemalan Migration Institute (IGM) to guarantee the self-sufficiency, maintenance, and operation of the ABIS solution.

1. Advanced Technical Administration Training

This training is mandatory for technical staff from the Subdirección de Recursos Tecnológicos and the Subdirección de Asuntos Jurídicos to ensure internal command of the system:

• Objective: Enable IGM technical personnel to independently administer, maintain, troubleshoot (Level 1 and 2), and deploy the biometric solution.
• Duration: A minimum of 40 hours of intensive, hands-on instruction (workshop format) 7 users.
• Content (Minimum Scope):
  • System architecture in a Linux/Container environment.
  • Database management and optimization for biometric workloads.
  • Backup and disaster recovery procedures (including high-availability setup).
  • Advanced troubleshooting and error resolution for the MegaMatcher Accelerator engine.
• Certification Requirement: The vendor must provide evidence of certification (or equivalent) for the IGM staff successfully completing the training.

2. Operational User Training

This training is mandatory for operational staff from the Subdirección de Control Migratorio and the Subdirección de Extranjería, as primary end-users of the system:

• Duration: A minimum of 20 hours of practical training per user (5 users) .
• Content (Minimum Scope):
  • Best practices for capturing high-quality fingerprints, facial and iris images compliant with the newly mandated MINEX III standard.
  • Interpretation of matching scores and understanding system responses for verification and identification processes.

Standard operational procedures (SOPs) for system use in high-volume environments (e.g., airports and border crossings).

DELIVERY

All equipment shall be delivered in Guatemala City, Guatemala not later than (NLT) 30 calendar days from receipt of the award notification. 

Delivery is FOB Destination – Doral, FL

3.4       WARRANTY

The warranty for all software and hardware must be 3 years (or standard commercially available).

The Contractor shall be registered to do business in the host country or an existing partner with a host country registered business, this is required to provide maintenance, repairs, and spare parts for this type of equipment.   

The Contractor shall have a valid international warranty on the products offered which shall be utilized to coordinate replacement parts and services for the end user in order to avoid incurring additional expenses. 

POINTS OF CONTACT

TBD