For Immediate Release
Press Office
Contact: 202-282-8010
May 5, 2004

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has created a Vendor Information Site at https://vendors.dhs.gov to invite businesses in the emerging homeland security industry to submit details about information technology (IT) products and services for enhancing the security of the homeland.  This initiative will serve as another step in the department's ongoing effort to harness American ingenuity to develop partnerships with the private sector to research, develop and deploy homeland security technologies that will make America safer.  The department is launching this site to invite the submission of IT product and service descriptions with the potential to broaden the invitation to include all products and services.  In addition, the Department of Homeland Security is working closely with the Small Business Administration and numerous high-technology associations to alert small and disadvantaged businesses of this opportunity.

DHS will retain the information for reference purposes in order to understand IT products and services that may meet emerging requirements through procurements undertaken in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulations and other applicable laws.  At the appropriate time, the Department of Homeland Security may ask for clarification or for further information using the contacts that vendors provide in their submissions.  Any acceptance of vendor submissions does not expressly or implicitly represent any commitment to procure a product or service.

The Department of Homeland Security considers vendor submissions to be voluntary and, as a matter of general policy, considers the information to be confidential for internal federal government use only. The submission of any information where the vendor would first have to request that the department enter into a non-disclosure agreement before submitting such information is discouraged.

Vendors are reminded that doing business with DHS is greatly facilitated by their entering their company information in the Central Contractor Registration (http://www.ccr.gov).

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