DHS awards $3.8M for offsite records storage, with Iron Mountain as primary contractor

Contract Overview

Contract Amount: $3,825,662 ($3.8M)

Contractor: Iron Mountain Information Management LLC

Awarding Agency: Department of Homeland Security

Start Date: 2020-09-29

End Date: 2024-05-16

Contract Duration: 1,325 days

Daily Burn Rate: $2.9K/day

Competition Type: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE

Sector: Other

Official Description: OFFSITE RECORDS STORAGE

Place of Performance

Location: WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA County, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 20536

State: District of Columbia Government Spending

Plain-Language Summary

Department of Homeland Security obligated $3.8 million to IRON MOUNTAIN INFORMATION MANAGEMENT LLC for work described as: OFFSITE RECORDS STORAGE Key points: 1. Contract awarded via a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) Call, indicating a pre-negotiated agreement. 2. The contract duration of 1325 days suggests a long-term need for records storage services. 3. Firm Fixed Price contract type helps manage cost certainty for the government. 4. The service falls under General Warehousing and Storage, a common government need. 5. Awarded to a single contractor, Iron Mountain, under a full and open competition.

Value Assessment

Rating: fair

The total award amount of $3.8 million for offsite records storage over approximately 3.6 years appears reasonable for the scope of services. Benchmarking against similar government contracts for warehousing and storage is challenging without more specific details on volume and service levels. However, the firm fixed-price nature of the contract provides cost predictability. The absence of multiple bids in the BPA call stage might suggest limited price negotiation leverage compared to a fully competed new contract.

Cost Per Unit: N/A

Competition Analysis

Competition Level: full-and-open

This contract was awarded through a BPA Call, which implies that the underlying BPA was established via full and open competition. However, the specific call order was placed with a single vendor, Iron Mountain Information Management LLC. While the initial competition for the BPA likely ensured a competitive landscape, the subsequent call order process might not have involved direct price competition among multiple vendors at the time of this specific award.

Taxpayer Impact: Taxpayers benefit from the initial competitive process for the BPA, which should have established favorable terms. However, the single-vendor call order may limit opportunities for further price reductions through ongoing competition.

Public Impact

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) benefits from secure, offsite storage of critical records. Ensures compliance with federal record-keeping requirements and facilitates disaster recovery. Services are provided within the District of Columbia, supporting federal operations in the capital region. Maintains the integrity and accessibility of vital government information.

Waste & Efficiency Indicators

Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10

Warning Flags

Potential for vendor lock-in if the BPA terms are not regularly re-evaluated.
Reliance on a single provider for a critical service could pose a risk if the provider experiences operational issues.

Positive Signals

Firm Fixed Price contract provides budget certainty.
Awarded under a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) which streamlines procurement for recurring needs.
Contract duration indicates a stable, long-term requirement being met.

Sector Analysis

The offsite records storage sector is a mature market serving both government and commercial clients. Federal spending in this area supports agencies' needs for managing vast amounts of physical and digital information, ensuring compliance, and enabling disaster recovery. This contract fits within the broader 'General Warehousing and Storage' NAICS code, which encompasses a wide range of storage solutions. Comparable spending benchmarks are difficult to establish without detailed service level agreements, but the market is generally competitive.

Small Business Impact

This contract was not set aside for small businesses, and there is no indication of subcontracting requirements for small businesses. The award to a large, established provider like Iron Mountain suggests that small businesses may not have been primary participants in this specific procurement, potentially limiting their opportunities within this particular contract vehicle.

Oversight & Accountability

Oversight is primarily managed by the contracting officers and program managers within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The firm fixed-price nature of the contract provides a degree of financial oversight. Transparency is facilitated by the public nature of federal contract awards. Specific Inspector General jurisdiction would depend on the nature of any potential issues arising from the contract's performance.

Related Government Programs

Federal Records Centers Program
General Services Administration (GSA) Schedules for Storage and Records Management
Department of Defense Records Management

Risk Flags

Single-source award under BPA call
Lack of detailed performance metrics in public data
Potential for vendor lock-in

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this federal contract paying for?

Department of Homeland Security awarded $3.8 million to IRON MOUNTAIN INFORMATION MANAGEMENT LLC. OFFSITE RECORDS STORAGE

Who is the contractor on this award?

The obligated recipient is IRON MOUNTAIN INFORMATION MANAGEMENT LLC.

Which agency awarded this contract?

Awarding agency: Department of Homeland Security (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement).

What is the total obligated amount?

The obligated amount is $3.8 million.

What is the period of performance?

Start: 2020-09-29. End: 2024-05-16.

What is the historical spending pattern for offsite records storage by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement?

Analyzing historical spending for offsite records storage by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requires examining past contract awards and task orders related to warehousing and records management. While this specific $3.8 million award is for a defined period, ICE likely has ongoing needs for such services. Previous awards might have been with the same vendor or different ones, potentially under different contract vehicles like GSA Schedules or other agency-specific BPAs. Understanding the total expenditure over several fiscal years would provide context on the scale and consistency of ICE's reliance on external storage solutions. Without access to a comprehensive database of all ICE's past procurements in this category, it's difficult to provide precise historical figures, but the current award suggests a significant and sustained requirement.

How does the pricing of this contract compare to similar offsite records storage contracts awarded by other federal agencies?

Directly comparing the pricing of this $3.8 million contract for offsite records storage to similar contracts across federal agencies is challenging without detailed knowledge of the specific services rendered, storage volume, security requirements, and contract duration. This award is a BPA Call, meaning it leverages pre-negotiated terms. The firm fixed-price structure offers cost certainty. However, without line-item pricing for services (e.g., per cubic foot, per box, per retrieval), a precise benchmark is elusive. Generally, large-scale, long-term storage contracts with established providers can range significantly. Factors like geographic location, specialized handling, and compliance mandates (e.g., HIPAA, CMMC) heavily influence costs. A comprehensive analysis would require comparing unit costs for comparable services across multiple agencies and contract types.

What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) used to evaluate Iron Mountain's performance under this contract?

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for offsite records storage contracts typically focus on service availability, retrieval times, security, and accuracy. For this contract with Iron Mountain, likely KPIs would include: 1. **Response Time:** Time taken to retrieve requested records. 2. **Accuracy:** Ensuring the correct records are retrieved and delivered. 3. **Availability:** Uptime of storage facilities and accessibility of records. 4. **Security:** Maintaining the physical and digital security of stored materials, adhering to federal standards. 5. **Compliance:** Adherence to all federal regulations regarding records management and retention. 6. **Damage/Loss Rate:** Minimizing the rate at which stored records are damaged or lost. The specific KPIs and their targets would be detailed within the BPA and the subsequent call order.

What is the potential risk associated with relying on a single contractor, Iron Mountain, for this critical service?

Relying on a single contractor, Iron Mountain, for critical offsite records storage presents several potential risks. Firstly, there's a risk of vendor lock-in, where the government may have limited leverage to negotiate better terms in the future if switching providers is difficult or costly. Secondly, operational disruptions at Iron Mountain (e.g., natural disasters affecting their facilities, labor disputes, financial instability) could directly impact the accessibility and security of ICE's records, potentially hindering agency operations and compliance. Thirdly, the lack of direct competition for this specific call order might lead to less favorable pricing or service innovation compared to a scenario with multiple bidders vying for the business. Robust service level agreements (SLAs) and contingency planning are crucial to mitigate these risks.

What is the estimated volume of records being stored under this contract, and how is it expected to change over the contract period?

The provided data does not specify the estimated volume of records being stored under this $3.8 million contract. Offsite records storage contracts are often based on factors like cubic feet, number of boxes, or digital storage capacity, with pricing potentially scaling with volume. Without this information, it's difficult to assess the per-unit cost or the density of storage utilization. The contract duration of 1325 days (approximately 3.6 years) suggests a stable, ongoing need. It's possible that the volume is managed through the BPA's established rates, allowing for fluctuations. Agencies typically project storage needs based on retention schedules and anticipated data growth, but the exact figures for this specific award are not publicly detailed.

Industry Classification

NAICS: Transportation and Warehousing › Warehousing and Storage › General Warehousing and Storage

Product/Service Code: UTILITIES AND HOUSEKEEPING › HOUSEKEEPING SERVICES

Competition & Pricing

Extent Competed: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Solicitation Procedures: SUBJECT TO MULTIPLE AWARD FAIR OPPORTUNITY

Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE (J)

Evaluated Preference: NONE

Contractor Details

Parent Company: Iron Mountain Incorporated

Address: 1 FEDERAL ST, BOSTON, MA, 02110

Business Categories: Category Business, Limited Liability Corporation, Not Designated a Small Business, Special Designations, U.S.-Owned Business

Financial Breakdown

Contract Ceiling: $3,980,639

Exercised Options: $3,825,662

Current Obligation: $3,825,662

Actual Outlays: $2,742,267

Contract Characteristics

Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS/SERVICES

Parent Contract

Parent Award PIID: 70RTAC18A00000003

IDV Type: BPA

Timeline