U.S. CUSTOMS SEEKS PRIME CONTRACTOR FOR FUTURE UMBRELLA SYSTEM

U.S. CUSTOMS SEEKS PRIME CONTRACTOR FOR FUTURE UMBRELLA SYSTEM

U.S. CUSTOMS SEEKS PRIME CONTRACTOR FOR FUTURE UMBRELLA SYSTEM

    U.S. Customs said Thursday that it will begin seeking proposals for
a prime contractor to design and build its future umbrella system, the Automated
Commercial Environment.
    The agency wants to replace its 16-year-old Automated Commercial
System, which Customs says is no longer flexible enough to handle future industry data.
Earlier this year, Customs hired Mitre Corp. to assist in developing a blueprint for its
future system.
    The estimated cost of the system ranges from $1.4 billion to $1.8
billion over a four-year development period. Customs and industry lobbyists are still
seeking ACE funding from Congress.
    Information concerning Customs modernization, pilot efforts, applicable
background, and the planned solicitation will be published on ProcureNet, the acquisition
page on Customs website (http://www.customs.treas.gov/procurenet).
    A pre-solicitation meeting with interested vendors is scheduled for
Oct. 8 in Crystal City, Va. The solicitation is planned for release in January 2000.
Michael Rebain, Customs’ contracting officer, will handle pre-registration forms and
questions not found on ProcureNet.