Governments Resposne to Questions.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 123 KB Posted
- Attached to
- FBI Training Support
- Solicitation number
- 15F067CJIST
About this file
This is a Government Response to Questions document for Federal Bureau of Investigation Request for Quote 15F06726Q0000456, addressing 45 offeror inquiries regarding a five-day instructor-led reverse-engineering training course for the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia.
The acquisition is a 100% Small Business Set-Aside open to all eligible small business concerns under NAICS 611420, with quotations due September 19, 2026. The requirement covers one five-day (40-hour) training delivery during the base period (September 30, 2026 through September 29, 2027), with pricing to be submitted as a firm fixed price per course delivery or per student (up to ten students) rather than as hourly labor rates. All contractor-furnished resources are required, including laptops, reverse-engineering software, virtual machines, lab environments, and internet connectivity; the Government will provide only classroom space and will not supply devices, content, internet, or hotspots. The contractor's primary instructor must supply all travel and per diem costs within the firm fixed price and will require either verification of an active DOJ Top Secret Clearance or completion of a Limited Access Request (LAR) clearance package for escorted onsite access. The Government's preference for reverse-engineering tools is Ghidra, and students are expected to have intermediate programming experience with some advanced participants. Training materials must be provided to the Government for internal reference only, with no transfer of pre-existing contractor intellectual property. The Past Performance Questionnaire may be submitted within a short period after the quote due date and may reference the primary instructor's prior reverse-engineering training experience at other organizations.
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Sheet1 Federal Bureau of Investigation Request for Quote 15F06726Q0000456 Training Support
| No. | Referenced Document | Sheet or Page Number | Paragraph/ Section/ Misc | Offeror Question | Government Response |
| 1 | RFQ Instructions | 1-2 | Questions / FBI Answers / Solicitation Response Date | The RFQ states that Government responses to questions are anticipated on September 17, 2026, with quotations due September 19, 2026. Given the limited time between Government responses and the quotation deadline, will the Government extend the quotation due date by at least seven calendar days? We respectfully request an extension to no earlier than September 28, 2026. | No. |
| 2 | RFQ Instructions | 1 and 7 | General / Basis of Award | The RFQ identifies this acquisition as a 100% Total Small Business Set-Aside; however, Section 7 states that award will be made to a responsible SDVOSB concern. Please confirm whether eligibility for award is limited to SDVOSB concerns or whether this acquisition is open to all eligible small business concerns under the stated Total Small Business Set-Aside. | The RFQ has been updated. The requirment is open to all small businesses. |
| 3 | RFQ Instructions / Attachment D / Attachment B | 5 / 5 / Pricing Template | Factor 3 – Price / Schedule of Supplies and Services / Pricing Template | The RFQ requires pricing for a six-month base period and six-month option period, while the SF1449 identifies September 30, 2026 through September 29, 2027 as the Base Period, and Attachment B contains a Base Year and four Option Years. Attachment B also contains pricing fields and labor categories that do not appear applicable to this training requirement. Please confirm the intended base and option period structure, the number of Reverse Engineering Training deliveries to be priced in each period, whether each delivery should be priced as five days/40 instructional hours, and provide a revised Attachment B consistent with the requirement. | The pricing sheet has been updated. |
| 4 | RFQ Instructions / Attachment D / Attachment A | 3-6 / 72-73 / 6 | Quote Structure / FBI-0005 / Security Requirements | Attachment D requires a separate Security Proposal of up to 25 pages that will be evaluated Pass/Fail, while the RFQ Instructions identify only Past Performance, Technical Approach, and Price volumes, and the SOW states that no classified information will be accessed or handled. Please confirm whether FBI-0005 and the separate Security Proposal requirement apply to this solicitation. | The RFQ has been updated to remove FBI-0005. |
| 5 | Attachment D | 72 | DOJ-06 National Security Risk Assessment | DOJ-06 requires offerors to respond to an attachment titled “Acquisition Risk Questions”; however, that attachment was not included among the solicitation attachments. Please confirm whether the Acquisition Risk Questions apply to this requirement and, if so, provide the applicable attachment. | The RFQ has been updated to remove DOJ-06. |
| 6 | Attachment A | 3 and 5 | 3.2 Training Content / 8 Government Furnished Equipment or Information | The SOW requires hands-on practical exercises using reverse-engineering tools and states that Government-furnished laptops will be provided “if required.” Please clarify whether FBI will provide the student laptops, required reverse-engineering software and licenses, virtual machines or lab environments, administrative permissions, and internet connectivity necessary for the hands-on exercises, or whether any of these resources must be provided by the Contractor. | The statement of work (SOW) has been amended: Vendors shall supply their own equipment, materials, devices, and all necessary content. The goeverment will not supply devices, content, Internet nor Hot-spot. |
| 7 | Attachment A | 6 | 10 Security Requirements / Attachment D Personnel Security Requirements | The SOW states that contractor personnel will comply with visitor processing and onsite escort procedures and that no classified information will be accessed or handled. Please confirm whether the primary instructor will be processed as an escorted visitor for the training or whether a Public Trust investigation, pre-employment waiver, or other personnel security processing is required before the instructor may perform onsite. | If the instructor has a DOJ Top Secret Clearance, our security will verify they clearance is active. If they do not have an active DOJ clearance, they will complete a Limited Access Request (LAR) clearance package we provide to them with fingerprints etc. Security will process the review and if favorable will approve and the instructor will receive an escorted access. |
| 8 | Attachment A | 6 | 12 Travel and Other Direct Costs | The requirement calls for onsite training at FBI CJIS facilities in Clarksburg, West Virginia, while the SOW states that no travel is anticipated and that Other Direct Costs are not authorized unless approved in advance. Please confirm whether vendors should include all instructor travel and per diem necessary for onsite delivery within the firm-fixed price and that travel will not be separately reimbursed. | All vendors should include all instructor travel and per diem necessary for onsite delivery within the firm-fixed price. |
| 9 | Attachment A / Attachment D | 3-4 / 24-28 and 71-72 | 3.3 Training Delivery Requirements / 6 Deliverables / Rights in Data | The SOW requires training materials, including slides, reference materials, and exercise content, to be provided to and retained by the Government for future internal reference. Please clarify whether pre-existing commercial or proprietary courseware and exercise materials may be identified and marked as such and whether the Government's retention requirement is intended for Government internal reference rather than transfer of ownership of pre-existing Contractor intellectual property. | The Government's retention requirement is intended for Government internal reference. There is no intention or expectation to transfer ownership of pre-existing Contractor intellectual property. |
| 10 | Attachment B – Pricing Template | Tab 'Pricing Template', rows 4–9; tab 'IDIQ Labor Categories' | CLIN structure | RFQ Section 5.C requires pricing for a 6-month base period and a 6-month option period, but the Pricing Template shows a Base Year (40 hours) and Option Years 1–4 pre-populated with 1,912 / 1,912 / 3,824 hours, and includes an 'IDIQ Labor Categories' tab listing forensic laboratory labor categories in Huntsville, AL and Quantico, VA. Please confirm the intended CLIN structure: is the base period one 5-day course delivery (40 hours) and the option period one additional 5-day delivery? Should Option Years 2–4 and the IDIQ Labor Categories tab be disregarded, or will a corrected template be issued? | The pricing sheet has been updated. |
| 11 | Attachment B – Pricing Template; RFQ Instructions Section 5.C | Tab 'Pricing Template', columns C–F | Pricing basis | Can we price this per student instead of per hours? The Pricing Template is structured as labor hours multiplied by an hourly rate, whereas commercial pricing for instructor-led training of this kind is typically a firm fixed price per course delivery or per student seat (the SOW specifies up to ten students). Will the Government accept a per-student or per-course firm fixed price in the template (for example, quantity = number of students, rate = price per student), and if so, will a revised template be issued? | The pricing sheet has been updated. |
| 12 | RFQ Instructions | Page 6, Section 7 | Basis of Award | RFQ Section 7 states the purchase order will be offered to the responsible 'SDVOSB concern,' while Section 1, Section 3, and the SF1449 Block 10 identify the acquisition as a 100% Total Small Business Set-Aside. Please confirm that any small business concern under NAICS 611420 is eligible for award. | The RFQ has been updated. The requirment is open to all small businesses. |
| 13 | Attachment A – SOW | Section 12; Sections 3.3–3.4 | Travel | SOW Section 12 states no travel is anticipated, while Sections 3.3–3.4 require onsite delivery in Clarksburg, WV. Please confirm that instructor travel is to be included in the firm-fixed price and will not be separately reimbursed. | All vendors should include all instructor travel and per diem necessary for onsite delivery within the firm-fixed price. |
| 14 | Attachment A – SOW | Section 8 | Government-furnished laptops / course environment | The SOW states the Government will provide laptops 'if required.' To scope the course environment: (a) will Government-furnished laptops be available for all students, and will they be Windows or Linux? (b) Will students or Government IT have local administrative rights to install a hypervisor (e.g., VirtualBox/VMware) or run portable tools? (c) Is there an approved process for transferring a course virtual machine image via removable media into the facility? (d) Alternatively, may the contractor bring standalone, non-networked laptops for the duration of the course? | (a) The statement of work (SOW) has been amended: Vendors shall supply their own equipment, materials, devices, and all necessary content. The goeverment will not supply devices, content, Internet nor Hot-spot. |
(b) If the vendor brings in the laptops, they must have Bluetooth/wifi disabled and will not be plugged into any FBI/CJIS network. They are merely stand alone.
(c) Yes
(D) Yes
| 15 | Attachment A – SOW | Section 3.2 | Tools | Does the Government have a preference or requirement for a specific disassembler/decompiler (e.g., Ghidra vs. IDA Pro), and does CJIS currently hold licenses for any commercial reverse-engineering tools that students will continue to use after the course? | The Government's preference is Ghidra. | |
| 16 | Attachment A – SOW | Section 3.1 | Student background | Can the Government describe the expected background of the up to ten students (e.g., programming experience in C/C++ or Python, prior exposure to assembly or debugging) so that the course can be pitched at the appropriate level? | Intermediate with some folks that are more advanced in these languages. | |
| 17 | RFQ Instructions | Page 5, Section 5.A | PPQ timing | Must the assessor's completed Past Performance Questionnaire be received by the Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist by the quote due date (19 September 2026, 1:00 PM CT), or may it follow within a short period after the due date? | The Past performance may follow within a short period after the due date. | |
| 18 | Attachment D – SF1449 | Page 1, Block 20 | PSC code | SF1449 Block 20 lists PSC R408 while the RFQ Instructions list PSC U012 – Information Training. Please confirm the applicable PSC. (Administrative.) | The SF1449 has been updated. | |
| 19 | Attachment A – SOW | Section 3.4 / RFQ Section 2.D | Anticipated training dates | Does the Government have a preferred window for delivery within the period of performance (e.g., a target quarter), and is it anticipated that the option period would be used for a second cohort? | Estimated 2nd quarter. | |
| 20 | Attachment D - SF1449 Terms and Conditions | 72-73 | FBI-0005 Provision for Security Evaluation Factor | FBI-0005 requires a separate security proposal (pass/fail) describing classified material storage and the contractor's cleared facilities, CAGE and Cognizant Security Agency. Attachment A SOW Section 10 states no classified information will be accessed or handled. Please confirm FBI-0005 does not apply to this RFQ, that no security proposal is required, and that a facility clearance is not required to quote or receive award. | The RFQ has been updated to remove FBI-0005. | |
| 21 | Attachment D - SF1449 Terms and Conditions | 72 | DOJ-06 National Security Risk Assessment | DOJ-06 references an attachment titled "Acquisition Risk Questions" that must be answered with the offer. That attachment was not posted with the RFQ. Please confirm whether DOJ-06 applies to this training services requirement and, if so, provide the attachment. | The RFQ has been updated to remove DOJ-06. | |
| 22 | Attachment D - SF1449 Terms and Conditions | 39 | DOJ-03 Alt I | Please confirm what personnel security processing applies to instructors for this unclassified onsite course (for example, visitor processing and escort per SOW Section 10) and that DOJ-03 Alt I facility clearance provisions do not apply. | If the instructor has a DOJ Top Secret Clearance, our security will verify they clearance is active. If they do not have an active DOJ clearance, they will complete a Limited Access Request (LAR) clearance package we provide to them with fingerprints etc. Security will process the review and if favorable will approve and the instructor will receive an escorted access. | |
| 23 | RFQ Instructions - Training Support | 1 and 7 | Section 1 Set-Aside; Section 7 Basis of Award | Section 1 and SF1449 Block 10 identify a 100% Total Small Business set-aside, while Section 7 states award will be offered to the responsible "SDVOSB concern." Please confirm this RFQ is open to all small business concerns under NAICS 611420. | The RFQ has been updated. The requirment is open to all small businesses. | |
| 24 | RFQ Instructions - Training Support | 2 and 5 | Section 2.D Period of Performance; Section 5.C Factor 3 Price | Section 2.D states a period of performance of 30 September 2026 to 29 September 2027, while Section 5.C requires pricing for a 6-month base period and a 6-month option period. Please confirm the period structure, whether the single training course is delivered in the base period, and what (if anything) the option period covers. | Changes have been made to reflect to correct quote period, (5 day estimate). | |
| 25 | Attachment B - Pricing Spreadsheet | Pricing Template and IDIQ Labor Categories tabs | Entire template | The pricing template includes an IDIQ Labor Categories tab (Huntsville, AL laboratory categories) and a Pricing Template tab with a 40-hour base year and four option years of 1,912 to 3,824 hours. Please confirm this is the correct template for this RFQ, or provide a corrected template, and confirm how the firm-fixed price for one 5-day course (and any option) should be entered. | The pricing sheet has been updated. | |
| 26 | Attachment A - SOW | 3 and 6 | Section 12 Travel and Other Direct Costs; Section 3.4 Place of Performance | SOW Section 12 states no travel is anticipated, while Sections 3.4 and 5 require onsite delivery at FBI CJIS in Clarksburg, WV. Please confirm that instructor travel should be included within the firm-fixed price. | All vendors should include all instructor travel and per diem necessary for onsite delivery within the firm-fixed price. | |
| 27 | Attachment A - SOW | 5 | Section 8 Government Furnished Equipment | Please describe the classroom lab environment: whether Government-furnished laptops will be provided for all students, whether vendor-provided virtual machines and reverse-engineering tools (for example, Ghidra, IDA Free, x64dbg) may be installed or used, and whether internet access is available in the classroom. | The statement of work (SOW) has been amended: Vendors shall supply their own equipment, materials, devices, and all necessary content. The goeverment will not supply devices, content, Internet nor Hot-spot. | |
| 28 | Attachment A - SOW | 3 | Section 3.2 Training Content | Please indicate the expected student experience level (foundational, intermediate, advanced), any preferred or required tools, and the processor architectures and binary formats of highest interest (for example, x86/x64 and ARM; PE, ELF, Mach-O, Android APK). | Intermediate with some folks that are more advanced in these languages. | |
| 29 | RFQ Instructions - Training Support | 5 | Section 5.A Factor 1 Past Performance | Section 5.A.ii defines relevant experience at the organizational level. Please confirm whether a Past Performance Questionnaire may address reverse-engineering training or engagements performed by the proposed primary instructor (Key Personnel) while employed by or subcontracted to another firm within the past five years. | Yes. Past Performance Questionnaire may address reverse-engineering training or engagements performed by the proposed primary instructor (Key Personnel) while employed by or subcontracted to another firm within the past five years. | |
| 30 | RFQ Instructions - Training Support | 3 | Section 3.E Quote Structure | Please confirm the page limits: Volume I Past Performance 4 pages and Volume II Technical 15 pages, with cover pages and the Volume II glossary excluded. | The RFQ has ben updated to reflect new page requirements. glossary is still excluded. | |
| 31 | Is there any incumbent/recompete or this is a brand-new project? If yes, could you please provide us with their award number or even if the customer bought similar services in the past. | This is a new award | ||||
| 32 | SOW & | |||||
| SF1449 | 2 | |||||
| 1 | 3.1 | |||||
| 21 & 22 | Would the Government please confirm that during the Period of Performance, 30 September 2026 – 29 September 2027, that the Government is only requiring one iteration of this course? | yes The Government is only requiring one iteration of this course during the Period of Performance, 30 September 2026 – 29 September 2027, | ||||
| 33 | SOW | 3 & 4 | 3,4,5,6 | Is the Government’s expectation that the Contractor quote a commercial off the shelf (COTS) course? | No. | |
| 34 | Pricing Template & | |||||
| RFQ Instructions - Training Support | 2 | D | The Pricing Template (ATTACH B) includes hidden columns alluding to the Period of Performance including a Base Year and four Option Years. Would the Government confirm the Period of Performance and how many years the Contractor needs to price? | The pricing sheet has been updated. | ||
| 35 | Would the Government be agreeable to procuring this training through an existing GSA MAS contract through which the FBI currently receives this commercial off the shelf (COTS) training? | No. | ||||
| 36 | RFQ Instructions - Training Support | 7 | 7 | Would the Government please advise if this anticipated award shall be specifically to a SDVOSB or open to all small business categories? | The RFQ has been updated. The requirment is open to all small businesses. | |
| 37 | Would the Government be agreeable to opening RFQ responses to this contemplated award to a large business prime who currently offers this COTS course? | No. | ||||
| 38 | SF1449 | |||||
| Pricing template | 1 | 21,22,23,24 | The SF1449, reflects a Quantity of one and the Unit as Each with the expectation that the Contractor populate the Unit Price and Amount; however, the Pricing Spreadsheet (ATTACH B) reflects an expectation for the Contractor to provide a Rate indicative of a cost model build up to price as opposed to a Firm Fixed Price. Would the Government please advise if Unit Price and Amount are sufficient as opposed to a labor rate pricing model? | The pricing sheet has been updated. | ||
| 39 | SOW | 6 | 8 | The Government stated, "The Government will provide classroom space and Government-furnished laptops, if required." Will the Government be providing commercial internet as well? | The statement of work (SOW) has been amended: Vendors shall supply their own equipment, materials, devices, and all necessary content. The goeverment will not supply devices, content, Internet nor Hot-spot. | |
| 40 | RFQ Instructions / SF1449 | Page 7 (RFQ) / Page 1 (SF1449) | Section 7 – Basis of Award / Block 10 | Set-Aside Type Contradiction. Section 7 of the RFQ Instructions states that "A firm fixed-price purchase order will be offered to the responsible SDVOSB concern whose quotation represents the 'best value' to the Government." However, Section 1 of the RFQ Instructions and Block 10 of the SF1449 both identify this solicitation as a 100% Small Business Set-Aside, not an SDVOSB set-aside. Please clarify whether this solicitation is set aside for Small Business concerns generally or exclusively for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) concerns. | The RFQ has been updated. The requirment is open to all small businesses. | |
| 41 | RFQ Instructions / SOW | Page 2 (RFQ) / Page 2 (SOW) | Section 2.A (RFQ) / Section 1.1 (SOW) | Training Duration Clarification. The RFQ Instructions describe the training as "multi-day (5-day estimated)." The SOW similarly refers to a "multi-day, instructor-led training course" but does not specify an exact number of days. Is 5 days (40 hours) the firm requirement, or may vendors propose a different duration if their curriculum addresses all required topics? How will variations in training duration be evaluated? | Changes have been made to reflect to correct quote period, (5 day estimate). | |
| 42 | SOW / RFQ Instructions | Page 6 (SOW) / Page 2 (RFQ) | Section 12 – Travel / Section 2.D – Place of Performance | Travel Costs for Onsite Training. SOW Section 12 states "No travel is anticipated for this requirement. Other Direct Costs are not authorized unless approved in advance by the Contracting Officer." Since the training must be delivered onsite at FBI CJIS facilities in Clarksburg, WV, the contractor's instructor will almost certainly need to travel. Should vendor travel costs to Clarksburg, WV be included in the firm fixed-price, or does the Government intend to authorize travel as a separate ODC? | All vendors should include all instructor travel and per diem necessary for onsite delivery within the firm-fixed price. | |
| 43 | SOW | Page 3 (SOW) | Section 4 – Key Personnel | Key Personnel Qualifications. The SOW designates the primary training instructor as Key Personnel and requires "demonstrable experience in software reverse engineering and instruction in technical subject matter." However, the SOW does not specify minimum years of experience, required certifications, or the format in which the instructor's qualifications should be presented. Should vendors include instructor résumés or CVs in the Technical Volume? Are there specific certifications (e.g., GREM, GIAC) or minimum years of experience the Government considers necessary? | Vendors shall submit Key Personnel reumes in the technical volume. | |
| 44 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Is there any incumbent/recompete or this is a brand-new project? If yes, could you please provide us with their award number or even if the customer bought similar services in the past. | This is a new award | |
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