Open federal opportunities

Grand Jury Court Reporting Services; USAO, Eastern District of Tennessee (Knoxville, Chattanooga, Greeneville)

JUSTICE, DEPARTMENT OF.OFFICES, BOARDS AND DIVISIONS.EOUSA-ACQUISITIONS STAFF · Response deadline: Wed, 11 Nov 2026

What the government is buying

The Department of Justice's Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA) is seeking grand jury court reporting services for the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Tennessee. The work covers three office locations: Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Greeneville. Court reporting for federal grand jury proceedings involves creating verbatim records of testimony, transcribing proceedings, and producing official transcripts under strict confidentiality requirements. Grand jury work demands specialized expertise: reporters must hold appropriate certifications, maintain security clearances or suitability determinations, and comply with Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure regarding sealed proceedings. Services typically include realtime reporting, daily copy delivery, expedited transcript production, and secure handling of classified or sensitive materials. The nature of grand jury work means contractors often need to be available on short notice and able to produce transcripts under tight deadlines.

Key facts

Who can bid

This opportunity is totally reserved for small businesses under NAICS 561492 (Court Reporting and Stenotype Services). To qualify, your business must meet SBA size standards for this NAICS code—generally requiring average annual receipts below the applicable threshold. You must be a certified court reporter or employ reporters with federal grand jury experience. Given the security-sensitive nature of grand jury work, your personnel will likely need to pass DOJ background checks and obtain suitability clearances. If your business lacks direct federal criminal court reporting experience, partnerships or subcontracting arrangements with qualified reporters may strengthen your proposal, though see the solicitation for subcontracting limitations. Ensure your SAM.gov registration is active and that your business is certified as small in the Dynamic Small Business Search.

How to put together a competitive bid

For federal court reporting services, agencies evaluate more than price. Demonstrate your reporters' federal certifications—Registered Professional Reporter (RPR), Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR), or Certified Broadcast Captioner (CBC)—and any federal security clearances already held. Detail your capacity to cover three geographically dispersed locations (Knoxville, Chattanooga, Greeneville) with guaranteed availability during business hours and emergency coverage protocols. Address transcript turnaround times explicitly: standard delivery, expedited, and daily copy options with associated pricing. Describe your secure transcription workflow, including encrypted file transfer and chain-of-custody procedures for sealed grand jury materials. If you have prior experience with DOJ, USAOs, or federal district courts, provide performance references contract numbers. Your pricing should be transparent—per-page transcript rates, appearance fees, realtime hourly rates, travel and per diem structures, with clear escalation terms. Given this is a small business set-aside, emphasize your firm's agility, direct principal involvement, and dedicated account management compared to larger competitors.

Next steps

Read the full solicitation on SAM.gov using solicitation number 15JA0527Q00000001. Confirm all technical requirements, certification prerequisites, and security clearance processes. Pay close attention to any required proof of grand jury experience or DOJ suitability procedures. The response deadline is November 11, 2026 at 1:00 PM Eastern Time—submit well before this cutoff, as late submissions are inadmissible. Prepare any questions for the contracting officer early; see the solicitation for the Q&A submission window and anticipated amendment schedule.

View the official notice on SAM.gov →