DESCRIPTION:
This notice is for informational and planning purposes only and is a market research tool to determine the availability and adequacy of potential business sources currently available for the award of an IDIQ contract. The Army is not obligated to and will not pay for any information received from potential sources because of response to this Sources Sought Notice. This notice does not constitute a solicitation for bids and proposals and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Army. The information provided herein is subject to change and in no way binds the Army to solicit for or award a contract. Unless otherwise stated herein, no solicitation regarding this announcement is available. Requests for the same will be disregarded. Please be aware that all information submitted in response to this request, whether written, oral, electronic, graphic, or any other medium, may be subject to disclosure upon receipt of a proper Freedom of Information Act request from any person. The Army will not pay for any materials provided in response to this synopsis, and submittals will not be returned to the sender.
This Sources Sought Notice seeks viable and proven approaches for services and maintenance/sustainment of the Cross Domain Enterprise User Repository (CENTAUR) sustainment of the operational infrastructure, enhancements/upgrade/modernization and planned future deployments, materials and software license procurement/renewal, production, integration, certification and accreditation of the system software and hardware, and on-site continental U.S. (CONUS) and outside the continental U.S. (OCONUS) Contractor Field Service Representative (CFSR) support to real-world intelligence operations.
INTRODUCTION:
Program Executive Office Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors (PEO IEW&S) is made up of a team of seven project managers dedicated to designing, delivering, and sustaining advanced technologies to give the warfighter the decisive edge. PEO IEW&S develops and integrates sensors and sensor data across multiple technologies ensuring warfighters have a complete understanding of the battlefield. Project Manager, Intelligence Systems & Analytics (PM IS&A) is one of the project managers of PEO IEW&S. PM IS&A fields and sustains modernized intelligence systems that integrate best of breed solutions for the battlefield of tomorrow by providing cutting-edge solutions which enable the Army’s Intelligence warfighter accessing information from a wide range of network. PM IS&A, within the Mounted Systems platforms which provides the support and service outcomes to warfighters, manages the acquisition of the Cross-Domain Enterprise All-source User Repository (CENTAUR) system.
BACKGROUND:
PM IS&A is responsible for increasing interoperability for joint and combined Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) Family of Systems (FOS) and the broader Defense Intelligence Information Enterprise (DI2E). PM IS&A implements agile Development Operations (DevOps) methodologies to deliver interoperability software and hardware (if necessary) to enable DI2E interoperability in alignment with the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence OUSD(I) modernization guidance and the National Defense Strategy. As part of the Army Life Cycle Management Center, PM IS&A will facilitate integration efforts to demonstrate opportunities for Intel and Command and Control (C2) synergies with DI2E. The CENTAUR provides electronic cross-domain chat, coalition data sharing, cross-domain DCGS Integration Backbone (DIB), and cross-domain Full Motion Video (FMV) common to all DCGS FOS and has begun integrating the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Warehouse Integration Interface (WII) and the Common Data Fabric (which supports the data transport and automates policy resolution), allowing agencies to share data quickly. The DIB provides a common framework to enable data exposure, transformation, and enables applications and users to discover and access information from a wide range of distributed sources. CENTAUR extends DIB’s capability and allows for cross-domain and cross coalition data flows.
Per National Cross Domain Strategy & Management Office (NCDSMO), NSA. dated 11 July 2022, the Raise the Bar (RTB) strategy was approved by the Department of Defense (DoD) Information Security Risk Management Committee (ISRMC) in December 2017. In the DoD Chief Information Officer (CIO) memorandum “Implementing Cross Domain Bug Bounty Remediation" dated 5 April 2018, all Cross Domain Suites (CDS) used by the DoD shall be compliant with RTB by FY2020. Under National Security Directive (NSD)-42 and National Security Memorandum (NSM)-8, all CDS developed for use to protect United States Government (USG) National Security Information (NSI) and National Security Systems (NSS) are required to implement the requirements of Raise the Bar (RTB) to be listed on the NCDSMO USG and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) CDS Baseline Lists. By implementing the requirements of RTB, a substantial reduction to the risk of an unsuccessful Lab-Based Security Assessment (LBSA) of the CDS and the additional costs to remediate the test findings afterwards is certain. Primarily the RTB strategy ensures the United States Government (USG) maintains secure and resilient CDS and enables the development of CDS that can be quickly and securely enhanced with new capabilities and features. CENTAUR is identified as a CDS and must render to the regulatory guidelines of RTB as directed by National Cross Domain Strategy & Management Office (NCDSMO), National Security Agency (NSA).
SCOPE:
This Sources Sought Notice is directed to potential prime contractors who have demonstrated experience in the following:
1. Maintain, sustain, and enhance CENTAUR systems and sub-components as operationally deployable capabilities, supporting security and enterprise data sharing infrastructures.
2. Create enhancements using Agile methods and tools using the Contractor’s own-trained personnel to execute Agile responsibilities, such as, an internal Scrum Master.
3. Provide support for additional CENTAUR systems or sub-components at operational or test sites as they are deployed, in addition to providing support to the community, exercises, and testing.
4. Provide supporting for the modernization and sustainment of the structured and unstructured guards and their associated components while adhering to the RTB Standards and associated guidance.
5. Ensure the CENTAUR system’s connection to/interoperating with the cloud and supporting tactical message routing for standard US message text formatted (USMTF).
6. Have/use Common Data Fabric (CDF) to establish M2M Data Policy and to provide data-level protection for Risk Management Framework (RMF) Reciprocity, and Foundation of Defense Information Environment (DIE) Architectural Superiority Official Information Exchange (OIX) Solutions.
7. Purchase supplies for complete or partial systems/repair parts, any RTB hardware changes to include but not limited to servers, network switches, laptops, digital Keyboard, Video, Mouse (KVM) switches, and fiber optic and/or ethernet cables.
8. Provide support services for software engineering, integration, testing, configuration management (CM), quality assurance support, and software maintenance/sustainment and on-site full time Contractor Field Service (CFS) engineer support at each of the two (not limited to 2 in the future) mission locations CONUS and OCONUS.
9. Purchase CDS vendor approved Hardware (HW) (add data diode hardware, software, & filters to the configuration as applicable) in compliance with RTB guidelines.
DATA SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
All material submitted in response to this notice must be unclassified. Interested parties possessing the ability to provide product outlined above are requested to provide a response in electronic format describing their capabilities and should address the following items:
1. A Statement of Interest (SOI) along with concepts and strategies to support the activities envisioned under an IDIQ contract for the Mounted Systems platforms which manage the acquisition of the Cross-Domain Enterprise All-source User Repository (CENTAUR) system.
2. A Statement of Capabilities (SOC) describing qualifications as a prospective contractor. The Army will use the information from the SOCs to determine how many contractors are currently capable of meeting the Army's requirements. Please provide documentation describing how currently owned CENTAUR systems will be maintained, sustained, enhanced and supported.
3. Identify past experience/existing contracts with Government agencies under which the proposed services would be considered within scope and might be procured, including contact information for the current Government contracting officers for such contracts.
4. Identify whether company has a current approved DCAA accounting system necessary for performing cost type contracts. If not, describe how company will satisfy the requirement.
5. Identify whether company has a DCAA approved forward pricing rate agreement or approved provisional billing rates.
6. Respondents are also asked to identify if your business is Large, Non-profit, Small, Small Disadvantaged, 8(a), Woman-owned Small Business, Service-Disabled Veteran-owned Small Business, or HUBZone Small Business under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code (specify NAICS code here using: https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/files/Size_Standards_Table.pdf) with a size standard of (see size standards attached).
WRITTEN RESPONSE:
The Army requests that interested offerors submit an electronic response in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat format in the form of a quote mark white paper quote mark of not more than ten (10), 8.5 quote mark x 11 quote mark paper, 12 pitch font, with a minimum of one (1) inch margins all around. Any charts and/or brochures will be included as part of the ten (10) pages. Responses exceeding this page limit will not be reviewed. All responses must be unclassified. Responsible sources having proven operational experience of similar scope as detailed above may submit their white paper, via e-mail to Elizabeth Davies at elizabeth.a.davies8.civ@army.mil, cc: Greg Dreisbach at greg.w.dreisbach.ctr@army.mil and Cuong Luu cuong.b.luu.civ@army.mil no later than 4:00 PM (Eastern Time), 5 calendar days after release on SAM.gov. Responses received after this date and time will not be reviewed.
This Sources Sought Notice is for planning purposes only and does not constitute an Invitation for Bid (IFB) or a Request for Proposal (RFP). The issuance of this Sources Sought Notice does not restrict the Government as to the ultimate acquisition approach. PEO IEW&S, PM IS&A, and Army Contracting Command - Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG) will not release to any firm, agency, or individual outside the Government, any information properly marked with a proprietary legend without the written permission from the respondent. The Government will not pay for any information received in response to this synopsis, nor will the Government compensate a respondent for such.
Additional Info:
Point of Contact(s):
Contracting Officer Representative (COR): Elizabeth A. Davies, email: elizabeth.a.davies8.civ@army.mil
Technical Point of Contact (TPOC): Robert Whittaker, email: robert.l.whittaker2.civ@army.mil
Product Lead Point of Contact (PLPOC): Greg Dreisbach, email: greg.w.dreisbach.ctr@army.mil
Procuring Contracting Officer: Larry Holton, email: lawrence.j.holton.civ@army.mil
Contract Specialist: Cuong Luu, email: cuong.b.luu.civ@army.mil
