Department of State, Office of Acquisition, P. O. Box 9115, Rosslyn Station, Arlington, VA 22219-0244

D -- AUTOMATED FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICES DUE 080100 POC J.L. Welch, (703) 875-6746/Contracting Officer R.B. Wissman (703) 875-6059 17. The Department of State, through the Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA), is responsible for processing and issuance of United States Passports to approved applicants and processing and issuance of Immigrant Visas (IV) and Non-Immigrant Visas (NIV) to approved foreign applicants. The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), however, is responsible for determining the admissibility of IV and NIV holders upon their arrival at United States ports of entry (POE). CA's Consular Systems Division (CSD) has been extensively involved with the integration and operations of biometrics technology in the form of live scan fingerprints. This initiative is part of the Border Crossing Card (BCC) program, a joint Department of State and INS effort responding to the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. Recent world events have highlighted the need for Department of State to further enhance its various systems' capabilities to effect positive identification of the numerous visitors and applicants at posts worldwide. CSD has been assessing the general performance capabilities of the facial recognition biometrics technology industry for the last two years. The timing of events and the current status of facial recognition technology, CSD has concluded, make it worthwhile to assess the performance and feasibility of implementing an automated positive identification and verification function using facial recognition technology. DoS, therefore, intends to issue an RFI in order to obtain industry comments concerning the requirements, activities, and deliverables, necessary to develop and implement an automated facial recognition system to:  process visa applications at the National Visa Center (NVC)  process Border Crossing Card applicant images within a simulated CA/CSD modernized Non-Immigrant Visa System, in a laboratory test environment, and at a selected consular post in Mexico  process passport applicant photo images in a laboratory environment, to include conversion of photographic images to digital format  provide image quality assurance capabilities at the time of live scan facial image capture and during conversion of hard copy photographic images to digital format The RFI is expected to be issued on or about June 26, 2000 on the Internet. Interested firms should go to: http://state.monmouth.army.mil and then go to U.S. Department of State Business Opportunities to review the RFI. An alternate site to gain access is: http://www.statebuy.gov and then go to the Interactive Platform. Firms requiring assistance in using the Internet should contact Mr. Stuart Toleman at the following address: tolemansc@state.gov or by telephone at (703) 5216-1694 or fax (703) 875-6155. This requirement will be issued via the Internet. No paper copies of the RFI will be mailed.***** Posted 06/16/00 (W-SN465768). (0168)

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