The first brick in the wall
DHS is alerting contractors to the coming effort to construct a wall spanning the U.S.-Mexico border.
WHAT: Notice of an impending solicitation from the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection on the construction of a border wall.
WHY: President Donald Trump campaigned on it. His fans chanted about it at rallies. And now it appears that contracting activity on the long-promised border wall is set to kick off. DHS and CBP announced in a Feb. 24 notice that it will release a formal solicitation for prototype wall structures on March 6, with responses due just a few days later.
Contracting officials first will be seeking a concept paper of prototypes by March 10. Those submissions will be whittled down to a smaller group by March 20. Select offerers will be invited to participate in a formal request for proposals set to be released March 24.
There's nothing in the early notice to suggest what DHS and CPB are after. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly announced some possible locations for early building sites in a Feb. 21 memo. Kelly said in his confirmation hearing that a physical barrier alone won't do the job.
Click here to read the full RFI.