Questions and Answers Worksheet_AMD01.xlsx

XLSX spreadsheet 169 KB Posted Dec 23, 2025

Attached to: Web Hosting and Development Professional Services
Solicitation number: 11316026Q0002OAS
Issued by: Executive Office of the President

About this file

Written by GovTribe AI · Dec 23, 2025

The provided file is a Questions and Answers (Q&A) Worksheet for a Web Hosting and Development Professional Services solicitation (RFQ 11316026Q0002OAS) issued by the Executive Office of the President (EOP), Office of Administration. The solicitation is a total small business set-aside under NAICS 518210, seeking a contractor to provide fully managed web hosting and development services for WhiteHouse.gov. Key details include a response deadline of January 6, 2026, at 11:00 AM ET, with an anticipated award in late January 2026.

Critical requirements include maintaining a WordPress VIP Agency Partner status at Silver level or higher, providing FedRAMP Moderate hosting, and supporting WhiteHouse.gov's web infrastructure with 24/7/365 enterprise support. Current incumbents are DialogConcepts LLC (web development) and Automattic Inc. (web hosting). The contract involves multiple task areas including fully managed cloud hosting, web development, maintenance, and enterprise support, with a 30-day transition-in period. Offerors must submit a Non-Disclosure Agreement to receive the full Performance Work Statement and must propose a technical approach addressing WordPress CMS hosting, development, security, and performance standards with specific metrics like 50ms time-to-first-byte and 99.99% uptime.

View the file

Other files

File	Type	Posted
Sol_11316026Q0002OAS_Amd_0001_12232025.pdf	PDF	Dec 23, 2025
Attachment 5 - Questions and Answers Worksheet.xlsx	XLSX spreadsheet	Dec 11, 2025
Sol_11316026Q0002OAS_12112025_.pdf	PDF	Dec 11, 2025
Attachment 1 - NDA.docx	DOCX document	Dec 11, 2025
Attachment 4 - Contractors Statement Addressing Executive Order 14173__Final.docx	DOCX document	Dec 11, 2025
Attachment 3 - Pricing Worksheet Template_v1.xlsx	XLSX spreadsheet	Dec 11, 2025
Attachment 2 - Past Performance Information Sheet.pdf	PDF	Dec 11, 2025

On GovTribe

Work with this file

Download the original file
Contacts named in this file
Similar government files
Ask GovTribe AI about this file

Try for free Login

Text version

The file's text, extracted by GovTribe without its formatting.

Instructions

Q&A INSTRUCTIONS: The purpose of these specific instructions is to expedite the process of providing responses to questions submitted. Please do not change the format of this document.

Complete the spreadsheet tab below named "Q&A" with all questions, and comments about the Solicitation.

Blue text is provided as sample language and should be deleted by contractor before submission.

COLUMN B: Complete the "Page" column. This is the page number reference from the solicitation. Do not include the total page number.

COLUMN C: Complete the "Section/Paragraph" column with the applicable section and paragraph number (if applicable) of the solicitation. Do not include any other extraneous identifiers or other information other then instructed here. If the reference is to a CLIN, Clause, Appendix, or Attachment etc. the entry goes in the next column.

COLUMN D: Complete the "CLIN/Clause/Other" column. Insert the CLIN, Clause, Provision, Appendix, or Attachment number. For example: CLIN 0001, 52.217-8, Appendix A, or Attachment L3.

COLUMN E: Complete the Questions/Comments column. Start the question by referencing the topic. This may help the sorting process. For example: Minimum Qualifications Checklist or Performance Area 10. Then insert the question or comment.

Issues must be submitted to the e-mail address as specified in the solicitation

Instructions for Government Response to Q&A: The purpose of these specific instructions is to expedite the process of answering questions. Please do not change the format of this document.

NOTE: Columns F/G/H of the Q&A Tab will be completed by the Government.

COLUMN F: Complete the Governments Response to Questions/Comments column. Start the response by referencing the topic. This may help the sorting process. For example: Minimum Qualifications Checklist or Performance Area 10. Then insert the response or comment.

COLUMN G: "Solicitation Change Required". Identify if there will be a change to the Solicitation in response to the Questions/Comments.

COLUMN H: Complete the "Location of Change" column with the applicable section and paragraph number (if applicable) of the RFP or it's CLIN, Clause, Appendix, or Attachment etc.

Q&A

Solicitation Number: 11316026Q0002OAS - Web Hosting and Development Professional Services
Question Number	Solicitation Page Number	Solicitation Section/ Paragraph Reference	CLIN/ Clause/ Appendix/ Attachment/ Other Reference	Questions/Comments	Government Response	Solicitation Change Required (Y/N)	Location of Change
1	Solicitation Letter Page 32-33	Section V, Addendum to FAR 52.212-2, Paragraph A	Factor 1: WordPress CMS Partner Silver or Higher	Factor 1 states the Government will verify whether "the Contractor" has a WordPress CMS Partner level of Silver or higher. Can this requirement be satisfied through a subcontractor or formal teaming arrangement, or must the prime contractor directly hold the WordPress CMS Partner Silver or higher certification?	This CMS Partner level or Silver or higher requirement can be satisfied through a subcontractor or formal teaming arrangement.	N	N/A
2	General	N/A	N/A	Is there a current contractor performing these services, and if so, what is the incumbent contractor’s name and contact number?	WH.gov Web Development

Contractor: DialogConcepts LLC Contract/Order Number: 11316024A0006EOP

WH.gov Web Hosting Contractor: Automattic Inc.

Contract/Order Number: 11316022P0005OAS

N	N/A
3	24	Section IV	PWS	Performance Work Statement (PWS) Timing: When will the PWS be released to offerors who have signed the NDA? Given the December 30 quotation deadline, will offerors have sufficient time to develop a compliant technical approach after PWS release?	The Government has since issued the PWS to offerors who signed the NDA. The Government has extended the response date to Tuesday 01/06/2026 at 11:00AM ET to give offerors additional time to submit a quotation response.	Y	RFQ
4	32-33	Section V, Factor 1	Evaluation Criteria	WordPress Partner Program Verification: Please confirm the specific WordPress Partner program referenced in Factor 1 (e.g., WordPress VIP Agency Partner, WP Engine Partner, or WordPress.com VIP Partner) and the exact URL the Government will use to verify partner status at the Silver level or higher.	The Partner program verification will be to confirm WordPress VIP Agency Partner. The link to verify the WordPress VIP Agency Partners is :

https://wpvip.com/partners/agency-partners/	N	N/A
	5	31	Section V, Volume IV	Attachment 3	FTE Estimate for Pricing: Can the Government provide the approximate number of Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) currently supporting this requirement to assist offerors with accurate pricing development?	The Government anticipates the offeror will scope the PWS requirements to gauge the appropriate level of FTE staffing based on their specific approach to meeting the requirements.	N	N/A
	6	21	Section III, E19	EOP Clause E19	Security Clearance Processing Timeline: What is the typical processing time for EOP security clearances, and can contractor personnel begin limited (unclassified) work while clearances are being processed during the 30-day transition-in period?	There is work that can begin in limited capacity. Security Clearance typically takes about 2-3 weeks and Contractor personnel must have a favorable outcome to attain a EOP assets in order to perform web development tasks.	N	N/A
	7	16	Section III, E10	EOP Clause E10	Key Personnel Positions: How many Key Personnel positions does the Government expect offerors to propose, and which specific roles should be designated as Key Personnel (e.g., Program Manager, Technical Lead)?	The Government anticipates 3 Key Personnel (PM, Tech Lead/Developer, UI/UX Designer). However, this is offered as a suggestion and is not to restrict the offeror from proposing key personnel in accordance with its specific approach to meeting the requirements.	N	N/A
	8	31-32	Section V, Volume IV	Attachment 3 / CLIN x001-x002	Cloud Hosting Cost Allocation: Should cloud hosting infrastructure costs (servers, CDN services, SSL certificates, monitoring tools, etc.) be included in the Labor FFP pricing under CLIN x001, or should they be itemized separately under ODC Materials (CLIN x002)?	No. These hosting costs should be itemized under the ODC Materials (CLIN x002).	N	N/A
	9	19	Section III, E17	EOP Clause E17	Incumbent Contractor Information: Is there an incumbent contractor for this requirement? If so, will incumbent personnel be available to support knowledge transfer during the 30-day transition-in period as specified in EOP Clause E17?	WH.gov Web Development

Contractor: DialogConcepts LLC Contract/Order Number: 11316024A0006EOP

WH.gov Web Hosting Contractor: Automattic Inc.

Contract/Order Number: 11316022P0005OAS

The expectation is that incumbent personnel will be available to support knowledge transfer during the 30-day transition period. However incumbent personnel may not be available for the entire 30-day period.	N	N/A
	10	29	Section V, R1	PWS Section 2.1	Service Level Agreements (SLAs): What specific Service Level Agreements for uptime percentage, response time, and incident resolution are required for the 24/7/365 support requirement referenced in the solicitation?	Incident response time SLAs are defined in PWS Section 3.3.2, which covers the 99.99 uptime requirement.	N	N/A
	11	Solicitation Order Page 31	B. Volume II: Technical/Management Approach		Does the Government provide existing tools for work tracking and resource capacity management or is the contractor expected to supply these? If Government furnished, what are the tools?	Work is to be tracked through the Government's furnished equipment (Laptops) and Government's JIRA instance.	N	N/A
	12	Solicitation Order Page 31	C. Volume III: Past Performance		Attachment 2 requests a Past Performance Information Sheet. Could the Government confirm if a performance reference from a commercial or non-federal public-sector entity will be considered, and how such a reference will be evaluated alongside federal Government contracts?	The Contractor shall provide past performance information, reflecting relevant and recent performance of itself. Performance reference from a commercial or non-federal public-sector entity will be considered and will be evaluated in accordance with the recency and relevancy criteria described in the RFQ.	N	N/A
	13	Solicitation Letter Page 32-33	Factor 1: WordPress Content Management System (CMS) Partner Silver or Higher		Can the government provide the website address being used to confirm WordPress partner status?	The link to verify the WordPress VIP Agency Partners is : https://wpvip.com/partners/agency-partners/	N	N/A
	14	PWS
Pg 1	1.2 Web Development Professional Services		Can the government provide an inventory list of all the WhiteHouse.gov sites/subdomains/microsites that are in scope (count, environments, traffic for each, and importance/priority)?	The inventory list of all the WhiteHouse.gov sites/subdomains/microsites will be provided to the awardee of the contract at the kick-off meeting.	N	N/A
	15	PWS
Pg 1	2.0 Scope		Are there any outliers for non - WhiteHouse.gov sites that need to be considered as part of this engagement?	No. The scope of this contract is for Whitehouse.gov.	N	N/A
	16	PWS Page 2	Section 2.2		Is whitehouse.gov a WordPress single site or WordPress multisite? If multisite, how many sites in the multisite WordPress?	Whitehouse.gov a WordPress single site with microsites.	N	N/A
	17	PWS Page 2	Section 2.2		How many current WordPress applications are in production on the current WordPress fully managed web host?	The number of WordPress applications in production will be provided to the awardee of the contract at the kick-off meeting.	N	N/A
	18	PWS Page 2	Section 2.2		How many additional WordPress applications are expected to be deployed to production in the contract base year and option years?	The Government doesn't know this quantity of additional WordPress application deployments. This will be worked out during the course of the base year and every option years.	N	N/A
	19	PWS Page 2	Section 2.2		How many users in whitehouse.gov's wp-admin?	The Government is unable to provide this information at this time. The number of wp admin users should be tied to the Contractor's specific approach to meeting the Government's requirement	N	N/A
	20	PWS Page 2	Section 3.1.3		Can the Government provide historicals for the past year: average number of resolved support tickets per month. Average resolution time per support ticket. Average weekly labor hours per labor category	The Government is unable to provide this information at this time and asks the offeror to propose its specific solution for support.	N	N/A
	21	PWS
Pg 2	2.2 Web Development Professional Services - (d) Platform Security - ii.		Is there a required CI/CD toolset, and are there change management windows/approvals required for the production deployments?	The Government has a Change Management process that will be discussed in kick-off.	N	N/A
	22	PWS
Pg 2	2.2 Web Development Professional Services - (c) Data Ownership		What qualifies as ‘AI tools’ requiring approval, and what is the approval workflow?	The Government has a process for approval of new tools used on the Government's network that can provided at kick-off.	N	N/A
	23	PWS
Pg 2	2.2 Web Development Professional Services - (a) Development - i.		Which content updates are going to be performed by the Government staff vs contractor, and what approvals are required? Will you all require more help with page building and content updates?	The Government will determine the role delineation on the content updates, as the need arises. Yes, the offeror should consider providing resource(s) to build pages and update content.	N	N/A
	24	PWS
Pg 2	2.2 Web Development Professional Services - (d) Platform Security - iii.		What analytics platforms are approved/required (e.g., GA, Adobe Analytics, etc.), and are there constraints tied to privacy/records retention?	Currently, the Government is using Google Analytics, but, can consider other analytic tools through the new tools process (cited in question 22). Yes, there are constraints around records retention, as cited in the Presidential Records Act (PRA) cited in the PWS.	N	N/A
	25	PWS
Pg 3	2.3 Contract Personnel		Are dual citizens allowed, and what is the required evidence/verification process for citizenship and residency?	The Government has a pre-employment security vetting process and each proposed resource must pass favorably, regardless of citizenship and residency. US residency is required.	N	N/A
	26	PWS
Pg 3	2.3 Contract Personnel		What is the expected timeline for security screening approvals, and does the Government provide interim access procedures during screening?	There is work that can begin in limited capacity. Clearance typically takes 2-3 weeks and Contractor personnel must have a favorable outcome to attain a EOP assets in order to perform web development tasks. There are no interim access procedures.	N	N/A
	27	PWS
Pg 4	2.3 Contract Personnel		How will surge support be ordered/approved, and what is the notice period typically expected?	Surge modifications will be within the scope of the contract and provide increased support for the defined task areas of this PWS. Surge will be approved by the Contracting Officer and ordered via a modification to the contract. There is no timeline for the notice.	N	N/A
	28	PWS
Pg 4	3.1 Task Area 1 - Program Management		Will the Government provide a weekly status report template or format that we should follow, or should the contractor propose a format for approval?	The Contractor shall propose a format for the Government's consideration.	N	N/A
	29	PWS
Pg 4	3.1.4 Jira / Performance Dashboard		Will the contractor be given full access to Jira, and there requirement fields/workflows we must use? Any documentation that you can share for this?	Yes, the Government will provide a JIRA projects supporting the contract to track development and support tickets. Documents will be provided upon kick-off.	N	N/A
	30	PWS
Pg 4	3.1 Task Area 1 - Program Management		In Sections 2.2 and 3.1, the PWS mentions integrating with EOP's ticketing system (Jira) and digital properties. Could the Government please provide a complete list of all Government-Furnished Information (GFI) and Government-Furnished Equipment (GFE), including all mandated third-party tools or systems, with which the successful offeror will be required to interface?	The complete list of all Government-Furnished Information (GFI) and Government-Furnished Equipment (GFE), including all mandated third-party tools or systems will be provided during kick-off.	N	N/A
	31	PWS
Pg 4	3.1 Task Area 1 - Program Management - 3.1.1		Can the Government provided a list of the current third-party platforms/plugins (AI Platforms, Elementor, Mailchimp, etc.) and licensing ownership expectations?	The list of the current third-party platforms/plugins (AI Platforms, Elementor, Mailchimp, etc.) and licensing ownership will be provided during kick-off.	N	N/A
	32	PWS
Pg 5	3.1.5.1 Performance Reporting (Weekly/monthly)		Would AQL reports that are required be needed per-domain, per-environment, or an aggregated total across all managed domains?	The AQL reports would be needed across all managed domains.	N	N/A
	33	PWS
Pg 5	3.1.5.1 Performance Reporting (Weekly/monthly)		What tools/measurement sources are considered the authoritative for uptime/latency?	Currently, the Government is using Google Analytics, but, can consider other analytic tools through the new tools process (cited in question 22). Yes, there are constraints around records retention, as cited in the Presidential Records Act (PRA) cited in	N	N/A
	34	PWS
Pg 5	3.1.5.1 Performance Reporting:		For availability calculations, what is the definition of downtime (full outage only vs partial degradation, endpoint health checks, admin-only outages)?	Full outage and web site degradation are considered metrics for downtime calculations.	N	N/A
	35	PWS
Pg 5	3.1.5.1 Performance Reporting:		Are response time targets measured for the full page load, TTFB only, API endpoints, or all of the above?	All of the metrics cited should be considered.	N	N/A
	36	PWS
Pg 6	3.1.5.3 - Incident Response Plan		What triggers a required update to IRP (every month regardless vs only after material changes), and who approves the updated plan?	Only Material changes to the IRP are needed.	Y	Section 9.0 Deliverables. 3.1.5.3 - Under Frequency; Within 15 calendar days of contract award; Remove "updated monthly" and replace with "after material changes."
	37	PWS
Pg 6	3.1.5.4 - Disaster Recovery Plan		Does the annual DR test require Government observation/participation, and must results be delivered in a formal after-action report?	Yes, Government observation/participation is required and must result in a summary report.	N	N/A
	38	PWS
Pg 9	3.3.2 Enterprise Support:		Do response times measure ‘time to acknowledge’ or ‘time to engage with meaningful troubleshooting,’ and what channels are considered official?	Yes, response times are measured for both requests and support. Email, JIRA ticket updates and/or phone are considered official.	N	N/A
	39	PWS Page 10	Section 3.4.1 Bullet (b)		Can the government provide historicals from the past year on ad-hoc Design requirements requests of social graphics, maps, graphs, etc.	The Government is unable to provide historicals at this time. This will be provided as part of a transition in phase after award of contract.	N	N/A
	40	PWS Page 10	Section 3.4.1 Bullet (c)		Can the government provide historicals from the past year on "Special Requests" per month?	The Government is unable to provide historicals at this time. This will be provided as part of a transition in phase after award of contract.	N	N/A
	41	PWS Page 10	Section 3.4.2		Can the government provide an inventory of WH.gov digital properties?	The Government is unable to provide at this time. This inventory will be provided as part of a transition in phase after award of contract.	N	N/A
	42	PWS Page 10	Section 3.4.2		Are all of the existing WH.gov digital properties currently in production on fully managed web hosting optimized for the WordPress CMS? If not, where are they hosted?	The Government is unable to provide at this time. This information will be provided as part of a transition in phase after award of contract.	N	N/A
	43	PWS
Pg 10	3.4 Task Area 4 - Web Development - 3.4.1 - c) Special Requests		Can you clarify what after-hours expectations for development support versus operational incident response? Is 24x7 expected for ops only?	The expectation for after hours development support is on as-needed basis to support White House operations. Incident support is 24x7 based on issues/problems with the WH.gov website.	N	N/A
	44	PWS Page 11	Section 3.4.2		Do all of the existing WH.gov digital properties use the WordPress CMS?	Yes.	N	N/A
	45	PWS Page 11	Section 3.4.2 Bullet (a)		What modern codebases and frameworks are in use in wh.gov digital properties?	The Government is unable to provide at this time. The Government will share such information at kick-off.	N	N/A
	46	PWS Page 12	Section 3.5.2 Bullet (b)		Can the government provide historicals from the past year on content management requests per month?	The Government is unable to provide at this time. The historicals will be provided as part of a transition in phase after award of contract.	N	N/A
	47	PWS
Pg 12	3.4.4 Accessibility Testing:		Will the Government specify approved tooling for automated accessibility scans, and what standard should be used for reporting (WCAG 2.1 AA, etc.)?	This information will be provided during kick-off.	N	N/A
	48	PWS
Pg 12	3.4.4 Accessibility Testing:		For 'remediate within 5 business days in production,' what is the severity tiering and is there an exception process?	No Severity tiering. Currently there is no exception process in place, but, the issue can be discussed to determine exclusions.	N	N/A
	49	PWS
Pg 13	3.5 Task Area 5 - Maintenance and Enterprise Support - 3.5.2 - (g)		Is there a schedule or a list of special events that you all have and or a number of events that we should assume, and what are the typical traffic spikes for those events? We know that 2026 is an incredible year for the administration and our country with our 250 years of independence as a nation. We are expecting there to be a large surge in the summer, and we are assuming a lot more potential events. Is this something that you all have and can provide?	The Government is unable to provide at this time. The awardee will have these data points in the new year. Offerors can anticipate events such as 250 years of independence would have a surge.	N	N/A
	50	PWS
Pg 15	3.7.1 Transition-in Plan:		Will the Government confirm for us the anticipated award date and the planned Phase-in period start/end dates?	The anticipated award date is scheduled for around the last week in January 2026, if not sooner, and the Phase-in period shall commence within 3-days of award.	N	N/A
	51	PWS
Pg 15	3.7.1 Transition-in Plan:		For the "Contract Transition-In" task, please provide further detail on the anticipated scope of knowledge transfer from the current provider, including a notional timeline and the mechanism for a non-incumbent to gain access to the existing codebase, documentation, and system environments.	The details for Transition In will be provided immediately after the kick-off with the awardee. The timeline for transition should not take longer than 30 days. Artifacts would include design templates, content, integrations, certificates, etc.	N	N/A
	52	PWS
Pg 15	3.7 Task Area 7 - Contract Transition-in		What is the required duration for the phase-in, and what access to incumbent systems/artifacts will be provided during this phase?	The details for Transition In will be provided immediately after the kick-off with the awardee. The timeline for transition shouldn't take longer than 30 days. Artifacts would include design templates, content, integrations, certificates, etc.	N	N/A
	53	PWS
Pg 15	3.7 Task Area 7 - Contract Transition-in - 3.7.1 Transition-in Plan: c) Readiness Assessment		Is there a readiness assessment checklist the Government will provide (security controls validated, DR test, monitoring live, etc.)?	The readiness assessment checklist will be provided to the selected awardee of the contract at the kick-off meeting.	N	N/A
	54	PWS
Pg 17	4.0 Performance Standards - Row 2 Column 3		Who owns domain registration and DNS Authority, and is the contractor expected to manage any DNS changes directly or is the expectation to have the agency provide detailed instructions and requirements?	The Government owns the domain registration and DNS authority. The contractor will work with the Government on DNS changes.	N	N/A
	55	PWS
Pg 19	5.0 Place of Performance		Is there a desire to complete an in person kickoff or onsite for this project? Is there an expected travel budget that we need to account for or budget for?	With the primary place of performance being offsite at the Contractor facility which must be located in the Continental United States (CONUS), and in the interest of time, there is no desire to complete an in person kickoff.	N	N/A
	56	PWS
Pg 19	8.0 Other Pertinent Information of Special Considerations - a) Identification of Possible Follow-on Work		Can the Government clarify which areas are most likely to expand? Are we talking more sites in the schedule, more dev work outside of the general scope, additional compliance needs, etc.	The Government doesn't anticipate any expansion of scope.	N	N/A
	57	PWS
Pg 20 - 21	9.0 Deliverables		Is the Government planning to share templates or formats that the contractor must follow or can the Contractor produce those deliverables based on industry and enterprise standards?	Yes, the Government plans to share templates and format to maintain the website appearance.	N	N/A
	58	PWS
Pg 20 - 21	9.0 Deliverables		Several of the Deliverables and Plans are due within 15 calendars days of award, will the Government require 100% completion of those deliverables or drafts while we make updates through reviews with the office. What is the acceptance process?	The Government expects final deliverables to be completed within the specified time in the Deliverables table. The Government will discuss into details the acceptance process with the selected awardee during the kickoff.	N	N/A
	59	Appendix A

Pg 24

1.13 Incident Response Planning		Is the contractor required to use a specific incident taxonomy (SEV levels) and postmortem template, or may the contractor propose standards for these?	The Government can provide the template prescribed by our Incident Management team to the selected awardee.	N	N/A
	60	Appendix A
Pg 24	1.14 Incident Response Testing		How does the Government define High Risk vs Moderate Risk systems for determining semiannual vs annual testing?	The Government will provide definitions as they relate to the systems to the awardee.	N	N/A
	61	Solicitation Order Pages 29 - 30	Instructions to Offerors		Could the Government provide clarification regarding the rationale for the December 30, 2025, submission deadline, given that the due date falls during a major holiday period?	The Government considered the strict timeline to required to make an award in determining the due date for this effort. The Government has extended the response date to Tuesday 01/06/2026 at 11:00AM ET to give offerors additional time to submit a quotation response.	Y	RFQ
	62	Solicitation Order Pages 29 - 30	Instructions to Offerors		Will the government consider a two week extension on the quotation due date given the December holiday season?	The Government has extended the response date to Tuesday 01/06/2026 at 11:00AM ET to give offerors additional time to submit a quotation response.	Y	RFQ
	63			Attachment 3 - Pricing Worksheet Template	Would you like us to provide the narrative that details the assumptions for our budget submission within the pricing workbook or as a separate PDF document? If so, how should we execute it.
	Contractors may submit a price narrative document (no page limit) separate from the Pricing Worksheet, that details the assumptions for its budget submission and any other pricing information. The price narrative document shall contain only supporting pricing information.	Y	RFQ R2. Instructions to Contractor Volume IV: Price
	64			Attachment 3 - Pricing Worksheet Template, CLIN x002	CLIN x002 (Other Direct Costs – Materials) is pre-populated in the Pricing Worksheet at $300,000 per year. Please clarify:

(1) Should offerors use the Government-provided amount as-is, or may offerors propose their own estimated materials costs?

(2) Is the stated amount intended to represent a Not-to-Exceed (NTE) ceiling for reimbursement during contract performance?

(3) Does the same approach apply to CLIN x003 (Travel), which is pre-populated at $10,000 per year?	Due to the likely inability of any offeror to accurately estimate ODC travel and material/equipment purchases associated with this requirement, the Government is providing plug numbers to be used by all offerors when proposing ODCs. Offerors are instructed to propose plug numbers for ODCs in the EXACT amounts provided in Attachment 3 - Pricing Worksheet, however actual travel shall be authorized by the COR in writing prior to performance and will be paid IAW FAR 31.205-46. No profit or fee will be authorized for travel or ODCs. Applicable burdens, e.g., G&A, may apply to travel and ODCs IAW the contractor’s accounting practices.	Y	RFQ R2. Instructions to Contractor Volume IV: Price
	65		PWS Section 3.1.6	PWS - Performance Standards	Regarding PWS Section 3.1.6 (Performance Standards), please clarify whether modifications to AQLs require a bilateral contract modification per FAR 52.243. Please clarify: (1) Will modifications to performance standards require a bilateral contract modification per FAR 52.243? (2) If standards can be modified unilaterally, what notice will be provided to the Contractor prior to implementation?	Modifications to AQLs and performance standards shall be executed bilaterally	N	N/A
	66	N/A	Section L – Instructions to Offerors	Section L – Instructions to Offerors	Is there a page limit for the technical proposal sections?	The page limit for Volume II: Technical/Management Approach shall not exceed 30 pages	Y	RFQ Section R2. Instructions to Contractor
	67	1	Block 10; Addendum to 52.212-1	NAICS 518210	Topic - Incumbent and Large-Business Eligibility. The RFQ is issued as a total Small Business set-aside under NAICS 518210. Please confirm whether the current incumbent (and any other large businesses that exceed the size standard) are eligible to compete as primes, or whether such entities may participate only as subcontractors to eligible small-business primes.	This is a total Small Business (SB) set-aside, and vendors must be a SB in www.sam.gov and under the NAICS 518210 at the time of quotation submission.	Y	RFQ Section R1. Introduction
	68	1	General / Background	N/A	Topic - Incumbent Information. Is there an incumbent contractor currently performing these services? If so, please provide the Incumbent Contractor Name and the previous Contract/Task Order Number.	WH.gov Web Development

Contractor: DialogConcepts LLC Contract/Order Number: 11316024A0006EOP

WH.gov Web Hosting Contractor: Automattic Inc.

Contract/Order Number: 11316022P0005OAS	N	N/A
	69	32	Addendum to 52.212-2 / Section (a), Factor 1	N/A	Topic - WordPress CMS Partner Tier (Public Sector Status). Factor 1 requires a "WordPress CMS partner level of Silver or higher." The Government is advised that WordPress VIP recently introduced a "Public Sector" partner designation specifically for vendors capable of meeting federal security requirements (requiring a UID). Failing to recognize this tier may limit competition to only 1 or 2 vendors. Please confirm that: (a) the "Public Sector" designation is considered equivalent to or higher than Silver/Gold; and (b) Public Sector partners not explicitly listed as Silver/Gold on the public site will be treated as meeting Factor 1.	All Public Sector Partners are Agency Partners. Factor 1 is explicit about being listed as a WordPress VIP Agency Partner level of silver or higher at the time of quotation submission.	N	N/A
	70	8	Section III / Paragraph (b)(18)	FAR 52.219-6; 13 CFR 125.6	Topic – Limitations on Subcontracting (50% Rule) & Impossibility of Performance.

Task Area 2 requires a specific enterprise-grade hosting platform (e.g., WordPress VIP) owned by a Large Business, which entails significant costs relative to the total contract value.

The Government is advised that strictly applying the Limitations on Subcontracting (FAR 52.219-14) to these mandatory hosting costs would likely render compliance mathematically impossible for any Small Business Offeror. (i.e., The pass-through payment to the Large Business platform provider will arguably exceed 50% of the total contract value).

To avoid a defective solicitation, will the Government:

(a) Procure the subscription directly as Government Furnished Property (GFP)? or

(b) Confirm that these platform fees are excluded "Other Direct Costs" (ODCs) or "ancillary services" exempt from the 50% calculation? The Government will NOT procure the subscription directly .

Confirming the platform fees need to be explicitly priced to task area 2 and not as ODCs.	N	N/A
	71	9	Section III / Paragraph (25)	FAR 52.219-27	Topic - SDVOSB Set-Aside Consideration. Clause 52.219-27 is listed but not checked. Would the Government consider re-issuing this as an SDVOSB set-aside if market research demonstrates two or more capable SDVOSB firms (including Public Sector WordPress partners) respond to this solicitation?	The Government will not re-issue this as an SDVOSB set-aside.	N	N/A
	72	7	PWS 3.2.2	Task Area 2	Topic - FedRAMP ATO Responsibility & Costs. PWS 3.2.2 requires a FedRAMP Moderate platform. Please clarify the financial and technical boundary of the Authority to Operate (ATO). Does the Government intend to leverage the existing FedRAMP ATO of the hosting platform (e.g., WordPress VIP) via inheritance? Or will the Contractor be required to fund and sponsor a separate Third Party Assessment (3PAO) for the application layer?	The Government intends to leverage the existing FedRAMP package for ATO. There is no need to fund and sponsor a separate Third Party Assessment (3PAO) for the application layer.	N	N/A
	73	16	PWS 3.9.1	Transition	Topic - Transition-In Period (Billable Status & Duration). The PWS mentions a transition requirement (Phase In). Please clarify: (a) Is the transition-in period separately billable (e.g., via a separate CLIN), or should these costs be amortized into the base year monthly pricing? (b) What is the expected duration of the transition (e.g., 30 days)? (c) What artifacts (source code, DNS, runbooks) will be provided at award to ensure a seamless phase-in?	The pricing worksheet (Attachment 3) allows for the breakout of the price for the various task areas. The Transition In cost should be captured separately on the Base Period Tab (Attachment 3)

The expected duration of the transition is 30 days.

Artifacts would include design templates, content, integrations, certificates, etc.	N	N/A
	74	33	Addendum to 52.212-2 / Section (c), Factor 3	N/A	Topic - Definition of "Similar in Size and Nature" for Past Performance. Please confirm that the Government will consider as relevant: (a) projects supporting high-traffic federal/state sites with comparable security requirements; and (b) projects where the contractor performed development on a PaaS/SaaS platform (like WordPress VIP) rather than owning the data centers directly.	The Government will consider (a) projects supporting high-traffic federal/state sites with comparable security requirements; and (b) projects where the contractor performed development on a PaaS/SaaS platform (like WordPress VIP) as long as they meet the recency and relevancy definitions in the RFQ.	N	N/A
	75	31	Addendum to 52.212-1 / Section C	Attachment 2	Topic - Past Performance for Teaming Partners (CTA). Please confirm the definition of a CTA for this RFQ and required documentation (e.g., CTA agreement). Additionally, if a Small Business Prime proposes a major subcontractor (non-CTA), can the subcontractor's experience be referenced under Factor 2 (Technical Approach) to demonstrate capability, even if it is not scored under Factor 3?	Contractor Teaming Arrangement (CTA). The term “Contractor Teaming Arrangement” or “CTA” refers to when two or more contractors work together to meet ordering activity needs.

The term “Contractor Teaming Arrangement Leader” or “CTA Leader” refers to the entity that is the lead entity for a CTA. Only one CTA Leader is allowed per CTA. The CTA Leader is responsible for ensuring that only one CTA Team Member responds to the Request for Quote issued. The CTA Leader is responsible for ensuring CTA Team Members comply with both the CTA document and reporting requirements.

Y	Volume III: Past Performance
76	31	Volume III	Attachment 2	Topic - SAM Registration for Team Members. For a CTA submission, must each member have an active SAM registration/UEI at the time of submission? For non-CTA subcontractors, is SAM registration required at submission or only prior to award/onboarding?	Each member of the CTA shall have an active SAM registration/UEI at the time of quotation submission.

An active SAM registration at the time of quotation submission is required as well for a non-CTA subcontractor	N	N/A
	77	31	Part D	Attachment 1	Topic - NDA Requirements. Please confirm whether the Attachment 1 NDA is intended to be executed by the prime entity only at submission, with individual personnel NDAs collected post-award.	Attachment 1- NDA is required to be executed by the Prime entity and submitted as part of the quotation submission. Individual Contractor personnel NDA will be executed post award.	N	N/A
	78	7	PWS 3.2.3	Task Area 2	Topic - Technical Scope (Environments). PWS 3.2.3 references Production, Development, and Staging environments. Please confirm the current number of environments, how they are segmented (e.g., per site), and whether additional environments are required for testing/release management.	Offeror should propose the segmentation; No additional environments are required above development and staging for testing/release management.	N	N/A
	79	2	PWS 2.2	Scope	Topic - Property Inventory. Please provide an inventory of all domains and sites in scope at award (including subdomains/microsites) and indicate which are currently on WordPress VIP versus other platforms.	The inventory will be provided to the selected awardee at the kick-off meeting.	N	N/A
	80	4	PWS 3.1.1	Scope	Topic - Integrations and Plugins. Please provide the current list of third-party integrations, plugins, and custom services in use (e.g., Analytics, CRM, Search, CDN/WAF) to ensure accurate pricing of licensing and maintenance.	This will be provided to the selected awardee of the contract at the kick-off meeting.	N	N/A
	81	10	PWS 3.4.1	Task Area 4	Topic - Scope Sizing (Ticket Volume). Please provide historical work volume for the last 12 months (tickets/requests per month, severity distribution) to support accurate staffing and Level of Effort (LOE) estimates.	This will be provided to the selected awardee of the contract at the kick-off meeting.	N	N/A
	82	12	PWS 3.4.4	Accessibility	Topic - Accessibility Acceptance Criteria. Please clarify the required standards (e.g., WCAG version/level), testing methods, and the Government's acceptance criteria for accessibility (e.g., VPAT expectations, defect severity thresholds).	The acceptance criteria and standards shall be discussed at kick-off meeting with the selected awardee	N	N/A
	83	14	PWS 3.6.1	Task Area 6	Topic - UX/Design Deliverables. Please clarify the expected UX deliverables (wireframes, prototypes, comps) and the review/approval cadence so offerors can price this Firm Fixed Price task with certainty.	The expected UX deliverables (wireframes, prototypes, comps) and the review/approval cadence shall be with the selected awardee at the kick-off meeting.	N	N/A
	84	17	PWS 4.0	SLA / Task Area 2	Topic - Performance Standards & Support Tier. PWS 4.0 defines uptime standards. Please identify the current WordPress VIP hosting/support tier in use today (Standard, Enhanced, Signature) and confirm whether the Government expects the Prime to maintain this specific tier to meet the PWS uptime/response requirements.	Yes. The hosting/support tier must be maintained.	N	N/A
	85	14	PWS 3.4.8	Operations	Topic - Coverage Hours. Please confirm which task areas require 24x7x365 coverage (e.g., hosting ops, incident response) versus business hours availability (e.g., development, UX).	Refer to PWS for task areas that require 24x7x365 coverage.	N	N/A
	86	19	PWS 8.0(b)	Admin	Topic - Subcontractor Changes. Please confirm the approval process and lead time for adding/removing subcontractors during performance.	The Prime Contractor at its own discretion may add or remove subcontractors to its team after CO and COR notification. There is no approval process, the requirement is to notify the Government.	N	N/A
	87	4	PWS	Surge	Topic - Surge Support Pricing. The PWS references surge support, but the solicitation is FFP. Is surge support (1) included in the base FFP scope, or (2) ordered via a separate pre-priced mechanism (e.g., Surge CLIN)?	Surge modifications will be within the scope of the contract and provide increased support for the defined task areas of this PWS. Surge will be approved by the Contracting Officer and ordered via a modification to the contract. Surge support may be ordered via a separate pre-priced mechanism and is not included in the base FFP scope.	N	N/A
	88	14	PWS 3.6.2(b)	Instructions to Offerors	Topic - Procurement Channel & Reseller Role. If the Contractor is required to procure the WordPress VIP subscription through the only authorized reseller (e.g., Vertosoft (https://vertosoft.com/wordpress-vip/)): (a) Must the reseller be named as a formal "Subcontractor/CTA Member," or can they be treated as a supply vendor/ODC provider? (b) Should the subscription cost be priced as a separate CLIN (pass-through) or amortized into the single FFP monthly price?	The subscription cost for hosting is an annual pricing.	N	N/A
	89	12	PWS 3.4.3	Migration	Topic - CMS Migration. PWS 3.4.3 mentions CMS migration. Is a migration anticipated during the base period? If so, should it be priced as an optional CLIN or included in the base FFP?	Yes, the migration is anticipated during the base period. It should not be an option CLIN. Task area 7 is Transition In and should be factored into the base year. Attachment 3 - Pricing Worksheet Template_v1) does account for the breakdown of cost for the different task areas.	N	N/A
	90	31	Attachment 3	Attachment 3 (Pricing)	Topic - Labor Categories. Please confirm whether blended labor roles are acceptable in Attachment 3 and how the Government prefers offerors to map labor for hosting operations versus development/design.	Blended labor roles are acceptable given the requirement is Firm Fixed Price.	N	N/A
	91	34	Attachment 5	Attachment 5 (Q&A)	Topic - Q&A Schedule. Please confirm the planned date for posting Q&A responses and whether the quotation due date will be extended if answers materially change the requirements.	The planned date for posting responses to questions is 12/23/2025. The Government has extended the response date to Tuesday 01/06/2026 at 11:00AM ET to give offerors additional time to submit a quotation response	Y	RFQ
	92	PWS Page 1-2	PWS 2.1 (Fully-Managed Web Hosting) and utilization estimate immediately prior to PWS 2.2	PWS	For pricing against WordPress VIP tiers sold as "up to X http requests," please define what the Government intends "http requests" to mean for this requirement (for example: do requests include page assets like images/CSS/JS, API calls, admin/editor traffic, and CDN/edge hits). Please also confirm whether the request-volume sizing should be based on (a) production only or (b) production plus dev/stage/test environments described in the PWS.	The Government cited the request in PWS section 2.1 of the PWS.	N	N/A
	93	PWS Page 1-2	PWS 1.1, PWS 2.2	PWS	Please confirm how the Government intends offerors to scope WordPress VIP "platform" subscriptions for WH.gov and "all associated stand-alone sites, subsites, microsites" (PWS 2.2): is this expected to be priced as a single VIP platform subscription covering all those properties, or multiple VIP platform subscriptions. If multiple, please identify how sites/environments should be grouped for pricing.	The pricing should be single WordPress VIP platform subscription.	N	N/A
	94	PWS Page 1-2; RFQ Page 5; Vertosoft Schedule Page 27-28	PWS 2.1; RFQ invoicing/billing note ("Orders for subscriptions may be billed on a one-time basis.")	Vertosoft Schedule GS-35F-688GA (WordPress VIP line items)	To support an apples-to-apples price quote, Please confirm the incumbent WordPress VIP subscription tier and support level currently used for WH.gov and associated stand-alone sites/subsites/microsites, including the “up to X HTTP requests” tier and the support level (Standard, Enhanced, or Premier). For clarity, please answer in the same format as the Vertosoft schedule descriptions, for example: “WordPress VIP Enterprise Platform up to 1,000,000,000 HTTP requests including Enhanced Support” (VIP-1B-ENH) or “WordPress VIP Enterprise Platform up to 2,000,000,000 HTTP requests including Enhanced Support” (VIP-2B-ENH). If the Government is using a different tier/support combination, please specify the exact tier and support level.	The Government is unable to provide this information at this time.	N	N/A
	95		Section II, Para 7	N/A	Does the Government require the hosting provider to be FedRAMP Authorized at the time of proposal submission, or will the Government accept platforms that meet NIST 800-53 security controls but do not currently hold a FedRAMP Authorization to Operate (ATO)?	The Government request the platform must be FedRAMP authorized moderate. No bypass with just security controls.	N	N/A
	96		Section V, Factor 1	N/A	Could the Government provide the specific URL of the "WordPress Partner website" it intends to use for verification to ensure there is no ambiguity regarding platform-specific partner programs?	The link to verify the WordPress VIP Agency Partners is : https://wpvip.com/partners/agency-partners/	N	N/A
	97		Section V, Factor 1	N/A	Regarding the "WordPress CMS Partner" requirement, will a vendor who is a Silver-level (or higher) partner on the Pantheon Platform satisfy this requirement, or is this limited exclusively to the WordPress VIP partner directory?	No. This is exclusively WordPress VIP partner.	N	N/A
	98		Section II, Para 7	N/A	Does the Government require the hosting provider to be FedRAMP Authorized at the time of proposal submission, or will the Government accept platforms that meet NIST 800-53 security controls but do not currently hold a FedRAMP Authorization to Operate (ATO)?	The Government request the platform must be FedRAMP authorized moderate. No bypass with just security controls.	N	N/A
	99		N/A	Non-Disclosure Agreement and PWS	We have submitted an NDA to receive the PWS materials. Will Vendors be allowed to ask questions regarding the scope, after receiving and reviewing the PWS?	The Government reserves the right NOT to answer questions submitted after the question submission deadline stated in the RFQ.	N	N/A
	100	PWS Page 7	Section 3.2.1(d)(i)	N/A	Topic - Leverage a highly available Content Delivery Network (CDN) & Performance Standards - The PWS states that the current time to first byte is an average of 224 ms. In section 3.2.1(d)(i), the government requires that the time to first byte must be 50ms or less. This is repeated again in section 4.0 performance standards. The PWS also repeatedly states the Contractor shall follow industry best practices. Industry standard for “good” TTFB scores are generally considered to be 200-800ms. Post-award, is the government open to a phased approach to bringing down this metric over time or re-thinking the performance standards to be more in line with industry standards? For example, Exceptional: <50ms; Very Good: 51-200ms; Satisfactory: 200-800ms; Marginal: 800-1800ms; Unsatisfactory: > 1800ms	The Government can review this with the selected awardee. The current requirement for response is cited in the PWS.	N	N/A
	101	PWS Page 2	Section 2.1 (d)	N/A	Topic - Average utilization estimate: The PWS states that the WH.gov currently sees 350,000 active users per day and up to 1M and 10M max. How many unique visitors does that translate to per month?	The Government doesn't have that data at the moment. The assumption is that most of the visitors are unique.	N	N/A
	102	PWS Page 18	Section 4.0 Performance Standards	N/A	Topic - Performance Standards: Will the government work with the Contractor post-award to consider other measures like Core Web Vitals (CWV) which provide a more holistic and accurate picture of user experience and web performance?	Yes. The Government can work with the selected awardee to consider other measures.	N	N/A
	103	PWS Page 8	Section 3.2.5	N/A	Topic - High Availability and Geographic Diversity: The PWS requires the Contractor to provide the end user responses from the nearest location to them. It also requires all hardware be located within the continental US (CONUS). Does that requirement include CDN edge locations that will only serve published content to be served to end users or only hardware accessed directly by White House staff that will contain un-published content and non-public sensitive data (wp-admin, databases, etc.)?	The CDNs will serve published content to end users.	N	N/A
	104	PWS Page 20	Section 8.0 (g)	N/A	Topic - System Security Clearance: Are all employees of the Contractor required to be favorably adjudicated for TS or only those working directly with White House personnel?	Any contractor working on White House content, design, and other Government data that requires a Government asset and log into the Government's network are required to be favorably adjudicated for TS.	N	N/A
	105	PWS Page 14	Section 3.5.4 (i)	N/A	Topic - Task Area 5 subpart 4 states: “Post-mortem / after-action report within 48 hours of resolution.” Is this for all tickets submitted or only those above a certain CVSS level?	Only for incidents.	N	N/A
	106	Sol Page 30	ii. Part B: Compliance Statement (vi)	Attachment 4	Topic - Attachment 4: Do all vendors and subcontractors need to submit Attachment 4 or just the prime contract holder?	The Government requires the Prime and Subcontractor or CTA Leader and all CTA members to submit Attachment 4.	N	N/A
	107	PWS page 6,8	Section 3.3.2(a)	N/A	Topic - US Based 24 Hour Support: Is a requirement for the 24 hosting support team to be located in the US?	Yes.	N	N/A
	108	CLIN Summary, page 1		Attachment 3, CLIN Summary	Topic - Attachment 3: Is the 300,000 pre-filled into Other Direct Costs (Materials) indicative of the price the government intends to pay for specific ODCs? If so, what does the government expect these ODCs to include?	The Government is unable to determine at this time what will be included in the ODC Material as this will be tied for the most to the specific approach of the Contractor	N	N/A

This is the start of the file's text. The full file is on GovTribe.

File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated Dec 23, 2025.