This is a Questions and Answers document for a Department of State Request for Information (RFI) regarding a Customizable Virtual Machine and Cloud Computing Platform solution. The document contains 19 questions and responses addressing technical requirements, submission details, and vendor qualifications.
Key details include: responses are due February 7, 2025 at 3:00PM ET; the RFI is open to all business sizes and socioeconomic categories; there is no incumbent; all solution components must be FedRAMP High certified; vendors must own 100% of their fiber optic cable network connecting datacenters (applies to OEM); datacenters cannot operate in mainland China; and past performance information is required in RFI responses, with preference given to vendors having federal experience supporting agencies of similar size and scope to DOS. The Department is seeking a COTS cloud service solution with customizable virtual machine instances, serverless computing capabilities, and globally located data centers. Software Attestations and SCRM Questionnaire forms are required with RFI responses.
The file's text, extracted by GovTribe without its formatting.
Customizable Virtual Machine and Cloud Computing Platform Request for Information Questions and Responses
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Question
Response
1
Does the Dept of State have a specific technology manufacturers solution in mind to complete this project?
The RFI is vendor agnostic.
2
How many days does the Dept of State envision from award to completion of this project?
The Department expects Offerors to propose an implementation plan/schedule.
3
Would a 2 week extension for the RFI submission be considered?
No, however since this is an RFI and not a solicitation, the Department may accept responses a few days after closing.
4
In the RFI Document (Section 1.1), the government has indicated that NAICS code 541519 (w/exception) is desired in association with Small Business. Can the government confirm if responses from Large Business holding this NAICS code is desired as well?
The RFI is open to all business sizes and socioeconomic categories to help the Department determine the marketplace for the acquisition.
5
Under Mandatory Requirements (Section 2.1) item h, the government has indicated that “The solution provider must own 100% of its fiber optic cable network that connects its datacenters. The solution provider must not operate datacenters in or through mainland China”, please confirm our understanding that requirement applies to the OEM and not the offeror as a reseller and services integrator.
Yes, requirement applies to the OEM. State is conducting market research to understand industry offerings and commercially available solutions. The RFI is being used to identify alternative OEM solutions that have been proven in the federal space.
6
Under the Enterprise Cloud Services (Section 2.2) item a, the government states that “The solution offers a Cloud Management Platform (CMP) on-premises software”, can the government elaborate as to if the solution “must” be a Hybrid Cloud Solution?
State is interested in better understanding all possible commercially available solutions. Vendors are encouraged to describe all possible environments their solution can operate.
7
Under Section 2.8 (Ai/Machine Learning) item a, the government has stated “The solution provides a FedRAMP-High cloud-based platform”, is our conclusion correct that all components of our solution should be FedRamp High across the board?
Yes, this is required for all components of the solution. Please include detailed explanation why any modules do not include certification.
8
Is there a current incumbent, and if so, can the government provide the Incumbent’s name, the contract number and current program title.
Not applicable
9
Under Section 2.9 (Developer Tools), is there a preference to an Agile or SAFE Agile approach and associated tools to “write, deploy, debug and manage applications”?
State is conducting market research and State does not have a preference at this time, however the solution must meet State and Federal cybersecurity requirements.
10
Under Section 2.12 (Other Considerations) item b, the government mentions “an active or provisional The Department Authority to Operate (ATO)”, will the government consider solutions that have been proven in the commercial sector and are you open to providing sponsorship for an ATO for such a solution?
Yes, State prefers a vendor that has a proven track record in the USG with demonstrated experience supporting U.S. agencies of similar size, global scope, and mission complexity as The Department.
11
If the government will accept commercial or Non-USG past performance? There is extensive commercial innovation that would benefit the customer and would apply to this program.
Yes, State prefers a vendor that has a proven track record in the USG with demonstrated experience supporting U.S. agencies of similar size, global scope, and mission complexity as The Department.
12
Under Section 3 (Past Performance), will the government consider requesting past performance references during the actual RFP process vs at the RFI stage.
Past performance information is required for the RFI response. The Department prefers a vendor that has a proven track record in the USG with demonstrated experience supporting U.S. agencies of similar size, global scope, and mission complexity as The Department.
13
If non-USG past performance is acceptable, will the government accept past performance without naming the customer? Due to existing NDAs, it can be a burden to seek a release in advance of an actual RFP, where we will be able to commit to responding and obtaining necessary legal steps to release specific customer information.
Yes, however the Offeror should include some defining information such as the type of business, size of the business, etc.
14
Please confirm if the Software Attestations and SCRM Questionnaire form is required for the RFI response phase? We believe that these forms are more appropriate for the RFP phase, when more specific and final requirements are released by the government.
They are required for the RFI.
15
On SAM, itis posted that the response due date is February 7th at 3AM EST, however, on the RFI document, it states that submissions are due on February 7th at 3PM EST. Can you please confirm the correct due date and time?
The due date is February 7, 2025 at 3:00PM ET
16
Is the platform intended to be an enterprise cloud solution utilized across Department of State Bureaus and Missions globally? Or is it intended only for the Bureau of Diplomatic Technology (DT) use?
Viable partners should have demonstrated experience deploying cloud-based solutions and delivering the ongoing support required to maintain, expand, and upgrade them solution over time for an organization of similar size, global scope, and mission complexity.
17
Is the vertically integrated platform meant to exclude hybrid multi cloud architecture?
State is conducting market research; we’re not excluding any architecture. State is interested in better understanding industries offerings; please describe all possible environments/architecture your solution can operate.
18
Is DT seeking a reseller of the requirements described in Section 2.2? Or a solution that is architected and integrated by a vendor that may or may not be a reseller themselves?
Resellers are encouraged to respond. The following qualifications and capabilities are mandatory requirements for any potential solution addressing the needs outlined in this notice. Vendors must assess these requirements carefully and fully describe their ability to meet them.
19
Is the auditing subsystem requirement limited to the boundary of a given CSP, or will the responsibility for monitoring extend to all the apps deployed across platform?
State is conducting market research, and we are interested in better understanding what is possible. Please describe if the requirement must be limited to the boundaries, or how your firm can monitor deployed apps across the platform.
2/5/2025
File details come from the government source that posted it.
Updated .
