PTOEA RFI: USPTO seeks a Contractor for Executive Recruitment Services

Sources Sought from the US Patent and Trademark Office, for work in Alexandria, Virginia. Due Oct 22, 2026, 1:00 PM (UTC-4), 4 days left.

Official notice and attachments

Description

THIS IS A PTOEA SOURCES SOUGHT REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. In accordance with the Patent and Trademark Office Efficiency Act (PTOEA), 35 U.S.C. § 2(b)(4)(A), this Sources Sought Notice Request For Information) (RFI) is strictly for market research ONLY. It is for informational and planning purposes and shall NOT be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation or commitment by the Government at this time.

PTOEA The Government contemplates utilizing the Alternative Competition Method in accordance with the Patent and Trademark Office Acquisition Guidelines (PTAG) and the Patent and Trademark Office Efficiency Act 35 U.S.C. § 2(b)(4)(A). This Sources sought notice is intended as preliminary market information gathering by which the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will determine which contractor(s) is/are the most likely to successfully meet the agency’s needs and are thereby eligible to participate in an alternative competition.

As a result of this market research, if a solicitation is issued, it will only be issued to the/ those qualified contractor(s) that is/are deemed most likely to successfully meet the agency’s requirements as stated below. This RFI is being made available under NAICS 561312 – Executive Search Services and PSC R431 Support—Professional: Human Resources The purpose of this Sources Sought / Request for Information (RFI) Notice 1.

Background The USPTO is a federal agency in the Department of Commerce (DOC), which is headquartered in Alexandria, VA. The mission of the USPTO is to foster innovation and competitiveness by providing high quality and timely examination and issuance of patent and trademark applications, guiding domestic and international intellectual property policy, and delivering intellectual property information and education worldwide.

Through the issuance of patents, the USPTO encourages technological advancement by providing incentives to invent, invest in, and disclose new technology worldwide. Through the registration of trademarks, the agency assists businesses in protecting their investments, promoting goods and services, and safeguarding consumers against confusion and deception in the marketplace. The office employs over 13,000 full-time staff to support its work.

2. Objectives The USPTO is seeking to establish a single-award Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) with a firm specializing in executive-level recruitment. The ideal partner will possess a proven track record of sourcing high-caliber passive candidates through proprietary networks, global executive databases, and direct headhunting methodologies.

The vendor must demonstrate the ability to identify and attract diverse, competitive talent for Senior Executive Service (SES) and Senior Level (SL) equivalent roles, with a specific focus on passive candidates currently employed in top-tier organizations across the following disciplines: Patent, Trademark, Information Technology, Finance, Cyber Security, General Law, and Administrative Services.

3. Abbreviated Scope of Work This effort is for executive search services to identify, deliver and recruit highly qualified candidates for identified USPTO SES and/or SL vacancies and to have those candidates submit applications through USAJobs for the specified vacancies. The contractor shall ensure that all identified candidates possess the required professional, technical and executive core qualifications as outlined in the attached position description associated with each vacancy and as outlined by each specific call order.

The contractor shall present a detailed recruitment plan for each specified vacancy, that provides a detailed approach to marketing, searching for candidates, and the process for assisting the candidate with the USAJobs application process.The contractor shall maintain a record of contact/information exchange with all contractors identified candidates and notify the USPTO when their identified candidate(s) have submitted their application to USAJobs.

The contractor shall provide weekly status reports to the USPTO outlining progress related to the specified search. 4. Deliverables Deliverables shall carry over to each BPA Call as follows: EVENT 1: Draft Recruitment Plan DELIVERY DATE: Date of Proposal Submission EVENT 2: Kick-Off Meeting DELIVERY DATE: Within five (5) business from award (to be scheduled by the Government) EVENT 3: Final Recruitment Plan DELIVERY DATE: Five (5) days after Kick-off Meeting EVENT 4: Application Notification DELIVERY DATE: Within 2 business days of applicant submitting via USAJobs, as applicable 4.

Special Requirements For the applicants to be considered for the position, their application package must be successfully uploaded to the USAJobs.gov website, unless otherwise specified by the specific call order. Applications must meet the requirements that will be stated in the vacancy announcement by the closing date of the posting. 5.

Place of Performance a) This work will be performed via virtual recruitment and/or at the contractor’s offsite location. b) All work related to this contract shall be performed in the United States (U.S.) and legally authorized U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), at either the USPTO’s campus in Alexandria, Virginia, the Contractors’ and subcontractors’ facilities authorized in the USPTO granted Authorization to Operate (ATO), and/or from USPTO approved telework locations.

Work at any other location is prohibited unless authorized by the Contracting Officer. This shall be construed to include all means of telecommunication access to the ATO system and supporting infrastructure as well. c) Any work authorized pursuant to this contract under a telework provision, for any reason, is subject to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) approval. The following additional requirements must also be met: All authorized telework shall be conducted solely on USPTO authorized sy

The description continues in the official notice.