EngageDHS

Under 41 U.S.C. § 3306, agencies are required to use advance procurement planning and conduct market research. Advance planning and market research is a means of developing the agency’s acquisition requirements. As part of this process, companies frequently ask to meet with DHS representatives for numerous reasons including: sharing information on technologies and company capabilities or to ask how to do business with DHS. DHS needs the information being collected to prepare for productive meetings, share information across the enterprise about touchpoints the company has had at DHS, and to better track the frequency and number of meetings between DHS and companies. No personal information is being collected. This is a means of improving the procurement process that is used to support the DHS mission. The above statute is implemented by 48 C.F.R. (FAR) Part 10, Market Research. The information collection method the agency requests is not specifically mentioned in the regulation but it is nonetheless permissible because it reasonable and does not request more information than is necessary. Under 48 C.F.R. (FAR) 1.102-4(e), Role of the Acquisition Team, agencies are allowed to implement a policy, procedure, strategy or practice if it is in the interest of the Government and is not otherwise prohibit.

The latest form for EngageDHS expires 2022-04-30 and can be found here.