State Department's $32.8M translation contract with TJFACT, LLC awarded under full and open competition

Contract Overview

Contract Amount: $32,817,609 ($32.8M)

Contractor: Totally Joined for Achieving Collaborative Techniques (tjfact), LLC

Awarding Agency: Department of State

Start Date: 2019-04-29

End Date: 2024-08-31

Contract Duration: 1,951 days

Daily Burn Rate: $16.8K/day

Competition Type: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION AFTER EXCLUSION OF SOURCES

Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE

Sector: Other

Official Description: BAGHDAD VETTING ORDER

Plain-Language Summary

Department of State obligated $32.8 million to TOTALLY JOINED FOR ACHIEVING COLLABORATIVE TECHNIQUES (TJFACT), LLC for work described as: BAGHDAD VETTING ORDER Key points: 1. Contract awarded via full and open competition, suggesting a competitive pricing environment. 2. The contract duration of 1951 days (over 5 years) indicates a long-term need for translation services. 3. The firm fixed-price contract type helps manage cost certainty for the government. 4. No small business set-aside was utilized, potentially limiting opportunities for smaller firms. 5. The contract's value is substantial, reflecting significant translation requirements. 6. Performance is ongoing, with an end date in August 2024.

Value Assessment

Rating: good

The contract's value of $32.8 million over approximately five years suggests a significant demand for translation services. Benchmarking this against similar government contracts for translation and interpretation services is challenging without more specific service details (e.g., languages, volume, security clearance requirements). However, the firm fixed-price structure provides cost predictability. The absence of readily available per-unit cost data makes a direct value-for-money assessment difficult, but the competitive award process is a positive indicator.

Cost Per Unit: N/A

Competition Analysis

Competition Level: full-and-open

This contract was awarded under 'FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION AFTER EXCLUSION OF SOURCES,' which is a specific type of full and open competition. This indicates that the agency sought proposals from all responsible sources, but may have initially excluded certain sources before opening it up. The fact that it ultimately proceeded under full and open competition suggests a robust bidding process. The number of bidders is not specified, but this method generally fosters price discovery and encourages competitive pricing.

Taxpayer Impact: A competitive award process helps ensure that taxpayer dollars are used efficiently by driving down costs through market forces. This approach aims to secure the best value for the government by allowing multiple qualified vendors to compete for the contract.

Public Impact

The primary beneficiaries are likely U.S. government agencies requiring translation and interpretation services, particularly those operating in foreign environments. Services delivered include translation and interpretation, crucial for diplomatic, intelligence, and operational activities. The geographic impact is likely global, supporting U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives. Workforce implications may include the need for skilled linguists and translators, potentially impacting the professional language services industry.

Waste & Efficiency Indicators

Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10

Warning Flags

Lack of specific performance metrics or quality indicators in the provided data.
Potential for over-reliance on a single contractor for critical translation needs over a long period.
Limited transparency on the specific languages and regions covered by the contract.

Positive Signals

Awarded through full and open competition, indicating a fair and transparent process.
Firm fixed-price contract type provides budget certainty.
Long-term contract suggests a sustained and recognized need for these services by the agency.

Sector Analysis

The professional, scientific, and technical services sector, specifically the translation and interpretation sub-sector, is vital for government operations requiring cross-cultural communication. This market includes a mix of large corporations and specialized small businesses. Government spending in this area is driven by national security, diplomatic engagement, and international cooperation needs. Comparable spending benchmarks are difficult to establish without detailed service scope, but the overall federal spending on professional services is in the billions annually.

Small Business Impact

The data indicates that this contract was not set aside for small businesses (ss: false, sb: false). This means that large businesses were eligible to compete and potentially win the award. While this maximizes the pool of potential offerors, it may limit direct subcontracting opportunities for small businesses unless the prime contractor voluntarily includes them in their subcontracting plan. The absence of a set-aside suggests the agency determined that full and open competition was the most appropriate method for meeting its needs.

Oversight & Accountability

Oversight for this contract would typically fall under the purview of the contracting agency, the Department of State. Mechanisms likely include regular performance reviews, quality assurance checks, and adherence to the terms of the firm fixed-price agreement. Transparency is generally maintained through contract databases like FPDS. Inspector General jurisdiction would apply if any fraud, waste, or abuse were suspected.

Related Government Programs

Department of State Language Services
Intelligence Community Translation Services
Department of Defense Translation Contracts
Federal Bureau of Investigation Language Services

Risk Flags

Long contract duration may lead to evolving requirements.
Potential for market shifts (technology, geopolitics) impacting service relevance.
Lack of specific performance metrics in provided data.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this federal contract paying for?

Department of State awarded $32.8 million to TOTALLY JOINED FOR ACHIEVING COLLABORATIVE TECHNIQUES (TJFACT), LLC. BAGHDAD VETTING ORDER

Who is the contractor on this award?

The obligated recipient is TOTALLY JOINED FOR ACHIEVING COLLABORATIVE TECHNIQUES (TJFACT), LLC.

Which agency awarded this contract?

Awarding agency: Department of State (Department of State).

What is the total obligated amount?

The obligated amount is $32.8 million.

What is the period of performance?

Start: 2019-04-29. End: 2024-08-31.

What is the historical spending trend for translation and interpretation services by the Department of State?

Analyzing historical spending trends for translation and interpretation services by the Department of State requires access to comprehensive federal procurement data over multiple fiscal years. While this specific contract represents a significant outlay of $32.8 million, understanding the broader trend involves examining annual obligations for similar services. Factors influencing these trends include geopolitical events, shifts in foreign policy priorities, and the expansion or contraction of U.S. diplomatic missions abroad. Without a detailed historical analysis of the State Department's procurement data for NAICS code 541930 (Translation and Interpretation Services) and related codes, it is difficult to ascertain if this contract represents an increase, decrease, or stable level of spending compared to previous periods. However, the sustained need indicated by a multi-year contract suggests a consistent requirement for these services.

How does the per-unit cost of this contract compare to other federal translation contracts?

A direct per-unit cost comparison for this contract is not feasible with the provided data. The contract value is $32.8 million, but specific details regarding the volume of work (e.g., number of words translated, hours of interpretation, languages involved) are missing. Per-unit costs in translation services can vary dramatically based on language pair difficulty, service type (written translation vs. interpretation), turnaround time, subject matter complexity, and security clearance requirements. To perform a meaningful comparison, one would need to identify similar contracts with comparable scopes of work and extract their per-unit pricing metrics. The 'N/A' for CPU in the schema reflects this data limitation. Generally, government contracts aim for competitive pricing, but the 'best value' is determined by a combination of price and performance.

What are the specific risks associated with a long-term (5+ year) contract for translation services?

Long-term contracts for translation services, like this 1951-day (over 5 years) award, carry several potential risks. Firstly, the rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape and changing U.S. foreign policy objectives could alter the specific language or regional needs over the contract's lifespan, potentially making the contracted services less relevant or requiring costly modifications. Secondly, technological advancements in machine translation and AI could disrupt the market and the perceived value of human translation services, although human oversight and nuanced interpretation remain critical. Thirdly, contractor performance can degrade over time, or key personnel may leave, impacting quality and reliability. Finally, market rates for translation services can fluctuate, and a fixed-price contract might become less advantageous for the government if market prices decrease significantly, or conversely, disadvantage the contractor if costs rise unexpectedly.

What is the track record of TJFACT, LLC in performing federal contracts, particularly for the Department of State?

Assessing the track record of TJFACT, LLC requires a review of their past performance on federal contracts, ideally those awarded by the Department of State or for similar services. Publicly available contract databases (like FPDS) can provide information on previously awarded contracts, their values, durations, and agencies involved. Key indicators of a strong track record include successful completion of contract requirements, positive past performance reviews, minimal disputes or contract terminations, and adherence to delivery schedules and quality standards. Without specific performance data or past performance evaluations for TJFACT, LLC, it's difficult to definitively assess their reliability and capability for this significant translation services contract. However, the award itself suggests they met the agency's minimum qualifications and were deemed a responsible contractor.

How does the 'FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION AFTER EXCLUSION OF SOURCES' procurement method impact cost and competition?

The procurement method 'FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION AFTER EXCLUSION OF SOURCES' is a nuanced approach. It implies that the agency initially considered excluding certain sources (perhaps based on preliminary market research or specific requirements) but ultimately decided to open the competition to all responsible sources. This method aims to balance the agency's specific needs with the benefits of broad competition. While it might suggest a slightly more tailored approach than a completely unrestricted full and open competition, the core benefit remains: allowing multiple qualified vendors to bid. This generally leads to competitive pricing as vendors strive to offer the best value. The impact on cost is typically positive, as competition drives prices down. However, the 'exclusion of sources' aspect could, in some rare cases, limit the number of potential bidders compared to a truly unrestricted competition, potentially moderating the downward pressure on price slightly.

Industry Classification

NAICS: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services › Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services › Translation and Interpretation Services

Product/Service Code: SUPPORT SVCS (PROF, ADMIN, MGMT) › PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Competition & Pricing

Extent Competed: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION AFTER EXCLUSION OF SOURCES

Solicitation Procedures: NEGOTIATED PROPOSAL/QUOTE

Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE (J)

Evaluated Preference: NONE

Contractor Details

Address: 50 HURT PLAZA SE STE 1600, ATLANTA, GA, 30303

Business Categories: 8(a) Program Participant, Black American Owned Business, Category Business, HUBZone Firm, Limited Liability Corporation, Minority Owned Business, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business, Small Business, Special Designations, U.S.-Owned Business, Veteran Owned Business

Financial Breakdown

Contract Ceiling: $33,465,720

Exercised Options: $33,465,720

Current Obligation: $32,817,609

Actual Outlays: $16,521,618

Contract Characteristics

Multi-Year Contract: Yes

Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS/SERVICES

Cost or Pricing Data: NO

Parent Contract

Parent Award PIID: 19AQMM19D0077

IDV Type: IDC

Timeline