Posted Date: September 8, 2026
Procurement Office:
The Department of the Interior (DOI) ¿ Interior Business Center (IBC), Acquisition Services Directorate (AQD)
Response Due Date:
September 23, 2026, at 1000 AM EST
NOTICE OF INTENT SYNOPSIS:
The DOI, IBC, AQD on behalf of Peace Corps¿ Office of Operations & Security intends to award three Contracts to Cavalier, EWC, and DBA, on a sole source basis for International Expedited Freight Forwarding Services. These Contracts are anticipated to include a 12-month base period and four 12-month Option Periods.
The intended procurement is classified under North American Industry Classification System code (NAICS) Code 488510 ¿ Freight Transportation Arrangement.
This is a Sole Source procurement under the authority of Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Overhaul (RFO) Subpart 12 ¿ Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services. There are only three responsible sources, and no other services will satisfy agency requirements.
Description of Requirement:
The Peace Corps Office of Operations & Security (Facilities Management Division) requires specialized international 4PL freight-forwarding, logistics, and customs-brokerage services for shipments originating from Peace Corps Headquarters to overseas Peace Corps posts in more than 60 countries. This requirement directly supports Volunteer health, safety, and operational infrastructure. Primary shipment categories include:
¿ Temperature-Sensitive Medical Logistics: Pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biological materials, and prescription medications requiring continuous temperature maintenance (+2°C to +8°C, -20°C, and -80°C).
¿ Dangerous Goods: IATA Class 9 hazardous materials, including non-removable lithium-ion batteries installed in IT and medical diagnostic units.
¿ Diplomatic Cargo: Cargo requiring U.S. Department of State (DoS) Government Bills of Lading (GBL) and handoff into diplomatic pouch/cargo chains of custody.
Peace Corps operating experience, shipping procedures, and market research to date ¿ including review of vendor corporate history, public regulatory filings, and documented service capabilities ¿ demonstrate that standard commercial parcel services do not provide the combined capability required for this requirement, particularly active cold-chain recovery during transit disruptions, specialized pharmaceutical customs support, and integration with Department of State diplomatic freight processes. Market research and Peace Corps operating experience identify three proposed sources as providing distinct capabilities relevant to the Government's minimum need: Cavalier Logistics, Expedited World Cargo (EWC), and Distribution by Air (DBA)/Radiant Logistics. Therefore, this requirement will be established as three BPAs, one each set up as a sole source to each of these vendors, based on the following rationale:
¿ Common couriers do not offer end-to-end active cold-chain custody, in-transit dry-ice replenishment, or re-icing during flight interruptions or customs holds. In addition, standard commercial couriers generally leave destination customs clearance to the receiving Post. At many Posts, staff do not have the specialized brokerage relationships, pharmaceutical import expertise, or regulatory infrastructure necessary to resolve complex Ministry of Health and customs requirements within the validated cold-chain hold period. Failure to maintain temperature control during transit disruptions results in irreversible product excursion, complete inventory loss, and mission failure through delayed medical treatment for Volunteers.
¿ Cavalier is the only source presently documented as providing this complete logistics model. Under Peace Corps' established cold-chain procedure, the Government maintains the required temperature only through the domestic transfer to Cavalier's Sterling, Virginia operation, after which Cavalier assumes responsibility for maintaining the temperature-controlled environment throughout the international movement, including access to temperature-controlled holding and the ability to restore the shipment's validated temperature-control configuration when necessary. Peace Corps' shipping decision matrix places Cavalier as the primary option for seasonal and short-expiry cold-chain shipments, with EWC identified only as a conditional alternative when the receiving Post is reachable and the applicable service guarantee is adequate, and the matrix specifically notes Cavalier's replacement guarantee.
¿ EWC's primary differentiating value is customs, regulatory compliance, and difficult-destination logistics. Its in-house customs brokerage, government and Embassy experience, dangerous-goods capability, and international agent network provide an independent solution for shipments in which destination clearance, import regulations, or local logistics conditions present the principal operational risk. EWC's government/embassy role is distinct from DBA's: EWC's specialization addresses destination-side customs and regulatory clearance ¿ navigating host-nation import requirements and difficult or post-conflict markets ¿ rather than DBA's defense-credentialed secure packaging and transport function.
¿ DBA's specialized value to Peace Corps is hazardous-material transportation and secure Government freight rather than active pharmaceutical cold-chain logistics. DBA's extensive dangerous-goods experience, federal transportation credentials, military/government freight expertise, and access to the broader Radiant carrier network provide an independent capability for Class 9 and other regulated shipments where airline acceptance, routing restrictions, carrier capacity, or destination conditions constrain ordinary transportation options. DBA holds a documented federal credential portfolio ¿ including ITAR registration, DoD-approved carrier status, Civil Reserve Air Fleet carrier designation, AECA compliance, C-TPAT certification, and GSA-approved Transportation Service Provider status ¿ supporting military-spec cargo packaging and secure transport of State Department-regulated cargo (e.g., gas detectors, lithium-battery equipment, and other non-cold-chain HAZMAT).
In summation, Cavalier provides the Agency's sole documented full active cold-chain and diplomatic-integration capability for the most technically demanding shipments. DBA and EWC each provide independent, non-overlapping specialized networks ¿ secure defense-credentialed transport and destination-side customs/compliance clearance, respectively ¿ reducing the operational risk associated with dependence on a single international logistics network in a volatile global transit environment.
Period of Performance: One 12-month Base Period and four 12-month Option Periods.
Response Information:
This action is being processed in accordance with 41U.S.C 1901 as implemented by RFO 12.102(b).
This notice of intent to award a sole source contracts is NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. A SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED.
However, all responsible sources that feel they can meet the Government's requirements detailed above may submit a capability statement which shall be considered by the agency. Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties' bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirements and include the business¿ Unique Entity ID (UEI). All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov.
Qualified contractors must provide the following:
1. The name and location of your company, contact information, and identify your business size (Large Business, Small Business, Disadvantaged Business, 8(a), Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, HubZone, etc.) based on NAICS Code 488510, size standard of $20M. Please ensure contact information includes the name of the point of contact, email address, and telephone number should the Government have questions regarding individual responses.
2. Whether your services are available through a Government contract vehicle or Open Market.
3. A brief capabilities statement (not to exceed 5 pages) that includes a description of your company's standard line of business and thoroughly explains how your company can meet the above requirements, as well as a list of customers to which your company currently provides these services.
Marketing brochures and/or generic company literature will not be considered.
A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed contracts based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. The information received will be retained as Market Research. Please be advised that this announcement may constitute the only notice that will be posted for this acquisition, based on any responses to this notice.
All responses must be received by September 23, 2026, at 1000 AM EST and must reference ¿International Expedited Freight Forwarding Services¿ in the subject line. Responses may be submitted electronically via email to: Alexandra_tsybulevsky@ibc.doi.gov
