AmeriCorps Grantee Background Checks - Award

The contract action was awarded as a sole source action for Truescreen Inc. This single-award Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) is for the Contractor to provide FBI Channeling and Non-Channeling activities for AmeriCorps grant recipients, including facilitating FBI fingerprint-based checks, obtaining state Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) and nationwide sex offender registry records (NSOPW), and providing adjudication recommendations.

Only a small number of companies can provide the FBI channeling services. A current list is available at: https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/compact-council/list-of-approved-channelers.

Market Research demonstrated: - Only four or five of the 24 approved FBI channelers may also be able to provide the NSOPW and state checks. - Meets need for network of fingerprinting sites, with access to 1,900 locations through its sister company, Fieldprint, which meets AmeriCorps current service level. - Can implement system changes at no additional, direct cost, as grant recipients pay the cost of all services when they order checks. - Continuity of services: This will produce a seamless transition for both the Agency and its grant recipients and ensure there is no lapse in services for grant recipients.

A lapse in service would jeopardize the ability of hundreds of grant recipient to complete checks on time, which corresponds to thousands of individuals experiencing a possible delay in starting their work or service on an AmeriCorps project. - Reduced cost to create new guidance materials and retrain grant recipients, including minimal disruption to grant recipients: AmeriCorps and Truescreen have created numerous written materials and recordings to instruct grant recipients how to use the system.

A sample of this guidance is viewable to the public at https://americorps.gov/grantees-sponsors/history-check. Other materials, including training records and user guides, are stored on the Agency’s private e-learning platform.