Attachment 1 - DMS Support RFP Q and A Answered 111425.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 78 KB Posted
- Attached to
- Data Modernization Section Support Federal contract opportunity
- Solicitation number
- 21842
- Issued by
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
About this file
This document is a comprehensive Q&A file for the FDIC Data Modernization Section (DMS) Support Request for Proposal (RFP), detailing a solicitation for comprehensive data technology services. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is seeking a contractor to provide full lifecycle support for four primary areas: CDMA Platform, AlphaRex NLP solution modernization, enterprise AI capability operations, and new DMS solution development initiatives. The contract is a Time and Materials (T&M) arrangement with a 12-month base period and potential for three 12-month option periods, with a current proposal due date of December 4, 2025.
Key technical requirements include supporting Azure-based cloud platforms, modernizing legacy systems, implementing advanced data security, and developing enterprise AI capabilities. The incumbent contractors are Harmonia Holdings LLC and Microsoft. Specific constraints include US citizenship requirements, no offshore resources permitted, and work to be performed in the Continental United States. Offerors must submit comprehensive proposals across five volumes, including technical approach, past performance, pricing, and key personnel details, with an oral presentation phase following initial submission. The contract emphasizes innovative solutions, operational support, and continuous modernization of FDIC's data and AI technologies within a secure, FedRAMP-aligned cloud environment.
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Questions DMS Support Solicitation Offeror Questions and FDIC Responses
| # | RFP Section | RFP Page # | Question | FDIC Response | ||
| 1 | 3.1.1 CDMA | 3 | Support CDOS with achieving applicable FDIC annual Performance Goals (FPGs) related to CDOS business and technical objectives. | |||
| Question: Have the 2026 FPGs been defined? | No 2026 FPGs have not been defined | |||||
| 2 | 3.2.1 CDMA | 6 | Ensure CDMA operational builds are managed and maintained via agile development ceremony using FDIC’s Enterprise GitHub infrastructure code (Terraform). | |||
| Question: Is an agile methodology currently being utilized for the operational builds? Is GitHub utilized or will there need to be a conversion from TFS to GitHub? | Agile methodology is being utilized. the technology used for managing work and code is GitHub Enterprise. | |||||
| 3 | 4.5 Security | 11 | Support the identification, assessment and addressing security issues and findings from periodic security assessments by the Office Chief Information Security Organization (OCISO) and FDIC Information Security Managers (ISMs). | |||
| Question: Have there been security assessments conducted on exisiting architectural artifacts? If there have been assessments what are the current outstanding POAMS? | The intent of this requirement is to communicate that supporting security assessments and security findings are in scope. | |||||
| 4 | 7.3.2-01 | 38 | The place of performance for contractor personnel will predominantly be located at a Contractor Service Location. Highly interactive roles may be required to provide support at the FDIC Virginia Square Facility in Arlington, VA. | |||
| Question: Will there be work space made available for support at FDIC Virginia Square facility? | Yes. There will be workspace made available at FDIC Virginia Square facility if required to support the requirement. | |||||
| 5 | 7.3.2-27 - Oral Presentation | 44 | The actual facilities that will be used for the oral presentation, or facilities similar to them, will be made available to offerors for a 20-minute inspection, at a date to be determined by the Contracting Officer. An offeror must make a written request to the Contracting Officer to view the facilities, if it desires to inspect them prior to the oral presentation. | |||
| Question: Becuase of the statement regarding virtual presentation -- will the Government please confirm that Offerors will not view the facilities? | All presentations will be done virtually on Microsoft Teams. Offerors will not view the facilities. | |||||
| 6 | Could you kindly confirm whether this initiative represents a new undertaking, or is there an incumbent currently delivering these services? If an incumbent exists, may we request the relevant details of their contract, including the contract number? | Harmonia Holdings LLC and Microsoft | ||||
| 7 | Could you share the anticipated contract value associated with this opportunity? | We will not provide the anticipated contract value associated with this opportunity. | ||||
| 8 | Are there any set-aside considerations for this opportunity? | No. There are no set-asides for this opportunity. | ||||
| 9 | Estimated LCATs and Hours | 19 | The Totals row in the Estimated LCATs and Hours table do not match the overall sum of hours by Program - can the FDIC confirm the totals hours? | 16,234 is the correct amount of hours for the base period. The contractor may adjust the hours and LCATs based on their own estimations and approach. | ||
| 10 | Management Approach | 43 | The requirements stated in Management Approach (c)(1) mentions that the offeror must provide an agile team and address the work across the five areas. Can the FDIC clarify the 5th area? Page 1 of the RFP lists only 4 areas that require support under this contract - CDMA Platform, AlphaRex, AI Enterprise Capability Operations, New DMS Initiatives. | There are only 4 areas. The solicitation will be updated to reflect 4 areas. | ||
| 11 | Pricing | 39 | In section 7.3.2-12, the FDIC indicates that markup of the subcontractor rates are not permitted. Can the FDIC confirm that the Prime vendor is permitted to include the standard General and Administrative (G&A) markup for subcontractors? | All rates should be fully loaded. | ||
| 12 | Technical Approach | 42 | In 7.3.2-24, the Technical Approach has four components that must be included. The 4th component refers to employing advanced search capabilities. Aside from a reference to the Azure AI Search product, search and discoverability requirements are not discussed elsewhere in the document. Would FDIC elaborate on requirements that Offerors should plan to implement for this component? | The FDIC is building an enterprise Azure Open AI capability using CDMA Platform. The capability will require support as it is enhanced to address additional FDIC AI business needs. | ||
| 13 | Instructions | 41 | In 7.3.2-12 Past Performance, can FDIC confirm if past performance information is required for all subcontractors or only for major subcontractors? | Past performance is required for all subcontractors. | ||
| 14 | Factor A | 43 | Can the FDIC confirm when the Factor A Orals presentation slides are due? | Slides are not required for the Oral Presentation. Slides may be provided anytime before the presentation. | ||
| 15 | Pricing Workbook | Option Period 2 in the Detailed Price Tab states the period of performance ends on 1/31/28, can the FDIC confirm that the period of performance should end on 12/31/28? | That is a typo. It should be 12/31/2028. The solicitation has been updadted. | |||
| 16 | 3.1.1 | "Page 7 of 49" at the top, Page 3 at the bottom | Will the FDIC please provide the most recent FDIC annual Performance Goals (FPGs) related to CDOS business and technical objectives? | 2025 FPG: 5.02.a Implement capabilities that support sound data management practices across the FDIC. | ||
| 17 | 3.1.1 | "Page 8 of 49" at the top, Page 4 at the bottom | Will FDIC please provide approximately how many users are being migrated to the cloud platform per month? And what is the total number of users to be migrated? | CDMA Platform supports prioritized business initiatives versus individual users. | ||
| 18 | 1 | "Page 5 of 49" at the top, Page 1 at the bottom | Will the FDIC please clarify if the CDMA platform is solely Azure, or are there are requirements to establish a multi-cloud platform? The first paragraph on page 6 says "…since FDIC has a multi-cloud environment and in the the future there might be Enterprise AI solutions created using AI technology..." | CDMA Platform is in FDIC Azure and uses Azure cloud services. | ||
| 19 | 3.1.1 | page 8 / page 4 | Will the FDIC please clarify if there an existing roadmap of on-premises systems to be retired? | On-premises systems to be retired are not in scope of this work | ||
| 20 | 3.1.1 | page 7 / page 3 | Will the FDIC please clarify if the "AI solution is leveraging the CDMA Platform" in item #3 already defined, or would the contractor be responsible for defining the solution (then implementing and supporting)? | Solution will be in place and the scope is to provide operational support | ||
| 21 | 3.2.4 | page 11 / page 7 | With the FDIC please provide how many AI solutions are currently deployed? And how many users are requiring support? | Scope of support is adoption assistance and CDMA Platform operations. There are approximately 25 business initiatives using CDMA Platform advanced analytic and AI capabilities (approximately 90 initiaitve users). | ||
| 22 | 7 | page 19 / page 15 | Will the FDIC please clarify the LCAT hours in the table? The totals do not match with the individual lines (e.g., the transition period has 3 programs at 160 hours each, which is 480 hours, but the total says 640. Same for the Base Period - the rows add up to 16,234 but the total says 18,811. ) | 16,234 is the correct amount of hours for the base period. The contractor may adjust the hours and LCATs based on their own estimations and approach. | ||
| 23 | FDIC 3700/55 (3-08) | pages 1-2 | FDIC 3700/55 (3-08) |
Will the FDIC please confirm, that respondents are required tto complete the listed blocks of this form as listed in their submission: SOLICITATION/AWARD OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30?
| If so, please advise where in the response structure listed in Section L will respondents include this form? | Offerors are required to complete the form for propsal submission. | |||||
| 24 | 7.3.2-15 and 7.3.2-27 | pages 40 and 43 | Will the FDIC please clarify it is expecting statements or what type of response content to address Sections: Factor A - Oral Presentation (60 minute presentation) and Oral Presentation - July 2008 in respondents submissions, with the understanding Oral Presentations will take place following the initial proposal submission ? | Oral Presentation will be scheduled after proposal submission. Companies that are invited for an Oral Presentation will receive challenge questions, that they will be required to present on, 2 hours before the presentation. | ||
| 25 | 7.3.2-13 | page 40 | Will the FDIC please confirm where they wish respondents to address Section: Effective Period of Offer - July 2008 in their submissions? | This can be indicated anywhere in the proposal. Preferrably the cover letter or cover page of proposal. | ||
| 26 | 7.5.2-01 | page 44-45 | Will the FDIC please confirm that respondents are only expected to affirm compliance with the requirements in this Section: Background Investigation Questionnaires - May 2025 and complete only when or if requested after submission? | Background Investigation Questionnaires should be submitted with proposals. | ||
| 27 | 7.3.2-47 | pages 24, 30, 37, 39, | Will the FDIC confirm it requires respondents to complete the following documents in response to the Additional Information Section: |
- f3700-04a_-_FDIC_Contractor_Reps_and_Certs.pdf (Section K)
- f3700-12_-_FDIC_Integrity_and_Fitness_Reps_and_Certs.pdf
- 7.1.3-01 - Post-Government Employment Certification (Pre---Award) - May 2009 (if applicable)
| - Exceptions - Terms and Conditions (if applicable) | Respondents are required to complete form F3700-04a - FDIC Contractor Reps and Certs and include in the Additional Information Vol. | ||||
| 28 | General | N/A | Will the FDIC confirm if respondents are required to execute this form included in the Solicitation Documents f3700-46_-_Confidentiality_Agreement_(for_Contractor).pdf with their submission? | ||
| If so where would respondents include the executed form in the response structure provided in Section L? | Respondents are required to complete form F3700-46 - Confidentiality Agreement (for Contractor) with their submission and include in the Additional Information Vol. | ||||
| 29 | 7.3.2-10 | page 38 | Will the FDIC please confirm if respondents are required to submit their response one file per volume or all volumes combined? | ||
| (c) Each proposal shall be divided into five (5) separate parts | You can submit multiple documents in 1 zip file for each Volume, or you can have 1 file for each Volume. | ||||
| 30 | 7.3.2-27 | pages 43-44 | Will the FDIC please confirm that the orals presentation will occur only virtually? |
(b) The Oral Presentation will be conducted virtually on Microsoft Teams.
(i) The actual facilities that will be used for the oral presentation, or facilities similar to them, will be made available to offerors for a 20-minute inspection, at a date to be determined by the Contracting Officer. An offeror must make a written request to the Contracting Officer to view the facilities, if it desires to inspect them prior to the oral presentation.
| Oral presentations will only occur virtually. | |||||
| 31 | 7.3.1-06 | page 38 | Will the FDIC please consider extending the due date of the submission from October 30th to the week of November 20th to give respondents additional time to provide a comprehensive response and address the impacts of answers to questions. | No. We will not be extending the due date. | |
| 32 | General | N/A | Will the FDIC please define the use of subcontractor in clarifying the difference between a direct contracted resource to the respondent company versus a third party company performing scope under this solicitation? | Any company that has personnel that will be billed against this contract and is not the Prime Contractor is considered a subcontractor. | |
| 33 | 1. Introduction | 5 | Does the FDIC currently have any projects in place related to data modernization? | The scope of work includes supporting FDIC data modernization. | |
| 34 | 5.1 Contract Type | 16 | Is the FDIC’s intent to engage staffing firms to supply personnel for these projects, or to partner with a firm capable of delivering end-to-end solutions using in-house resources? | FDIC's intent to award a contract to a firm capable of delivering end-to-end solutions using in-house resources. | |
| 35 | 7. Estimated LCATs and Hours | 19 | Are the total hours specified by the FDIC considered a not-to-exceed limit, or may contractors adjust the proposed hours based on their own estimations and approach? | The contractor may adjust the hours and LCATs based on their own estimations and approach. | |
| 36 | 8. Additional Notes | 19 | Are the technologies listed in this section required at the company level, or are they required only for the individual resources being proposed? | The technologies are used to support FDIC Enterprise requirements. | |
| 37 | 9. Transition Period | 20 | Can FDIC provide the list of incumbents and previous arrangements realted to this new iniciative? | Harmonia Holdings LLC and Microsoft, CORHQ-21-G-0436-0002 | |
| 38 | Section K - Representations, Certifications and Other Statements of Offerors | 30 | According to the instructions, this section must be included as additional information and cannot be retyped. Should vendors extract and attach only the relevant pages of the RFP in the section mentioned above, or is it required to attach the entire RFP document? | Respondents can either extract and attached the relevant pages, or complete the Certs and Reps attachments included with the solicitation which were provided to make it easier for offerors to complete. | |
| 39 | Section L - Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors | 38 | Should the amendments be submitted separately from the proposal response? If so, can they be included in a single document, or must each amendment be submitted as an individual document? | There is no reference to amendments. You must be referring to Volume submissions. You can submit multiple documents in 1 zip file for each Volume, or you can have 1 file for each Volume. | |
| 40 | 7.3.2-27 - Oral Presentation | 43 | Since the Oral Presentation is part of Volume I, and to remain in compliance with the proposal format, should the contractor include any content in this section, or is it sufficient to simply indicate that the presentation will occur after submission? | No Oral Presentation information is require before sumbssion. | |
| 41 | 7.3.2-12 - Pricing Proposal | 39 | Are offshore resources allowed? | No. | |
| 42 | Attachment+2+-+DMS+Support+Pricing+Workbook | N/A | Column B lists specific labor categories. Are these intended to match exactly the categories requested in the RFP, or may the vendor propose additional labor categories based on their assessment? | The vendor may propose additional labor categories based on their assessment. | |
| 43 | Section L — 7.3.2-24 (Management Approach) | 42 | The RFP asks for an “agile team approach.” Please clarify if the management approach should include proposed sprint cadence, artifact examples, and a sample backlog. If so, are diagrams or sample artifacts excluded from the 15-page limit? | FDIC is not requiring a specific agile approach. | |
| 44 | Section L — 7.3.2-27 (Oral Presentation — Slides) | 43 | The RFP states there is no limit on slides but FDIC will not evaluate slides not projected. Please confirm whether the offeror may submit an appendix slide deck (not shown) as part of Volume I for evaluator reference, and whether that appendix would be included in page/slide counts. | Offerors may not submit appendix slide deck as part of Volume 1 as part of their submission. Offerors will be scheduled for an Oral Presentation after proposal submission. Offerors will be sent challenge questions 2 hours before the ir scheduled presentation. Offerors may submit slides anytime before the presentation. | |
| 45 | Section L — 7.3.2-12 (Pricing Workbook) & Section M — 7.3.2-22 (Evaluation of Pricing) | 38 & 48 | Attachment 2 Pricing Workbook is required. Please confirm: (a) whether offerors should include proposed escalation factors for option years or assume flat labor rates, and (b) whether FDIC requires fully-loaded rates (including G&A/overhead/fee) or prefers separate line items for burdened vs unburdened labor. | (a) Offerors may include proposed escalation factors for option years and articulate the rationale for escalation. (b) FDIC requires fully-loaded rates. | |
| 46 | Section M — 7.3.2-18 & 7.3.2-20 (Mission Capability & Past Performance) | 46 & 48 | For Past Performance evaluations, will FDIC accept commercial references and third-party performance metrics in lieu of government CPARS for relevant commercial contracts, and should those be submitted in Volume II or Volume IV? | Offeors may submit commerical references or thrid-party performance metrics in lieu of government CPARS for relevant contracts. The government may request POCs for projects not in CPARS to complete a Past Performance Questionnaire. | |
| 47 | 7.3.2-12 - Pricing Proposal | N/A | Should the proposed rates and prices be treated as not-to-exceed amounts, or is there flexibility to adjust them on a yearly basis? | The proposed rates and prices should be treated as not-to-exeed amounts. | |
| 48 | FDIC Contractor Representations and Certifications | N/A | Is the attachment FDIC Contractor Representations and Certifications including the same Representations and Certifications as the RFP? Should the vendors provide the separate form and not the pages included on the RFP? | The attachement FDIC Contractor Representation and Certifications includes the same Representations and Certifications as the RFP. The attachments were included to make it easier to complete. | |
| 49 | FDIC |
Integrity and Fitness Representations and
| Certifications | N/A | Is the attachment "FDIC Integrity and Fitness Representations and Certifications" including the same Representations and Certifications as the RFP? Should the vendors provide the separate form and not the pages included on the RFP? | The attachement FDIC Contractor Representation and Certifications includes the same Representations and Certifications as the RFP. The attachments were included to make it easier to complete. | |||
| 50 | Section M - Evaluation Factors for Award | N/A | Since no numeric subcontracting goal is stated, could FDIC clarify if small business participation plans are expected as part of evaluation? | Small business participation is not part of the evaluation. | ||
| 51 | Confidentiality agreement | N/A | Is submission of the attachment Confidentiality agreement required as part of the proposal response? If required, please clarify the specific section and volume in which it should be included. | Yes. The Confidentiality Agreement is required as part of the proposal response. It should be included in Volume V. | ||
| 52 |
Volume I - Mission Capability Oral Presentation (Factor A)
| 44 | As per our understanding oral presentation will be at a latter stage, and we don't need to include Factor A-Oral Presentation as part of Volume I, can you please confirm the same? | There will be no slides submitted for Factor A -Oral Presentationation at the time of submission in Volume I. | |||
| 53 | 7.3.2-10 - General Proposal Instructions | 44 | If Oral Presentation (Factor A), is required under volume I-Mission Capability, can you please confirm what exact information is being requested to identy in response to Factor A? | Please see Section 7.3.2-27 Oral Presentation on page 44 of soliciation to see what information will be required in response to Factor A. | |
| 54 | Section L - Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors | 44 | Can we include a cover letter at the beginning of Volume 1? | Yes. You may include a cover letter at the beginning of Volume 1. This will not count towards page count. | |
| 55 | Pricing Proposal (Time and Material or Labor Hour) | 39 | Please clarify whether there is an onsite work requirement for any of the Key Personnel roles, or if fully remote support is acceptable throughout the period of performance. | Please refer to Section 7.3.2-01 - Description of Goods or Services. | |
| 56 | Pricing Proposal (Time and Material or Labor Hour) | 39 | Does the Government have a preference for onsite vs. remote work for any specific roles (e.g., Architect, Databricks Engineer, AI Engineer)? | Please refer to Section 7.3.2-01 - Description of Goods or Services. | |
| 57 | Key Personnel | 44 | The solicitation identifies three Key Personnel positions. Would the Government allow proposers to propose more than three Key Personnel if doing so strengthens the technical approach? | The vendor may propose additional labor categories based on their assessment. | |
| 58 | Section M – Evaluation of Past Performance | 47 | Will the Government accept relevant State, Local (SLED) or commercial past performance references that demonstrate similar technical scope? | Yes. The government will accept relevant State, Local (SLED) or commercial past performance references that demonstrate similar technical scope. | |
| 59 | Pricing Proposal (Time and Material or Labor Hour) | 39 | Please confirm whether the contract will be Time & Materials only or if there are any Firm Fixed Price CLINs expected during the base or option periods. | The contract will only be Time and Materials. | |
| 60 | Section M – Evaluation Factors for Award | 46 | Could the Government provide additional clarity on the weighting of Key Personnel qualifications vs. corporate experience in the Technical Evaluation? | Key Personnel looks at if the individual propopsed for the role meets the minimum requirements. Corporate experience looks at the actual company has similar experience in scope and size to the requirement. | |
| 61 | Pricing Proposal (Time and Material or Labor Hour) | 39 | For pricing purposes, should offerors assume standard 40-hour work weeks, or are there any expected surge or overtime requirements? | Offerors should assume standard 40-hour work weeks. | |
| 62 | Volume V – Background Investigation | 39 | Are there any minimum security clearance requirements for Key Personnel or other proposed staff? | Personnel must be able to pass a background investigation. Please refer to the Background Investigation forms included with the soliciation for more information. | |
| 63 | Pricing Proposal (Time and Material or Labor Hour) | 39 | Could the Government clarify whether travel is anticipated during the performance period, and if so, should travel costs be priced separately or included in labor rates? | Travel is not anticipated during this performance period. | |
| 64 | Transition Requirements | 42 | For the Transition Period, can the Government clarify whether the 30-day period is expected to be full-time engagement or a part-time ramp-up? | Fulltime engagement. | |
| 65 | Section L – Oral Presentation | 44 | The solicitation states under “Volume I – Oral Presentation” that offerors must include oral presentation materials in Volume I. Later, it states that only selected offerors will be invited to provide oral presentations. Could the Government clarify whether oral presentation materials are required to be submitted with the initial proposal, or only upon invitation for selected offerors? Additionally, please confirm whether oral presentations will be evaluated for all offerors or only for those selected to present. | Oral Presentation will only be evaluated for offerors that are invited to present. Oral presentation slides will not be submitted with the initial submission because offeors will not receive the challenge questions they will be presenting until 2 hours before their presentation is scheduled to begin. | |
| 66 | Section L – Oral Presentation | 44 | The RFP says oral presentation materials should be included in Volume I, but later mentions that only selected offerors will be invited to present. Can you confirm if offerors may leave this section blank in the initial submission and submit oral presentation materials only if notified? | Oral Presentation will only be evaluated for offerors that are invited to present. Oral presentation slides will not be submitted with the initial submission because offeors will not receive the challenge questions they will be presenting until 2 hours before their presentation is scheduled to begin. | |
| 67 | 2. Scope: CDMA Platform Support | 6 | Can FDIC confirm the current CDMA environment setup (e.g., number of workspaces, resource groups, data lakes, Databricks clusters) and whether there is any existing IaC (Terraform) repository for reference? | The CDMA Platform Azure services and all infrastructure configurations are managed via Terraform | |
| 68 | 2. Scope: CDMA Platform Support | 6 | What are the integration points between CDMA and other FDIC systems or clouds (e.g., AWS, GCP, on-premises)? | We use Microsoft ExpressRoute for connecting to on-premises | |
| 69 | 2. Scope: CDMA Platform Support | 6 | Is there a defined data ingestion framework (e.g., Azure Data Factory vs. Synapse pipelines) or should the contractor propose modernization enhancements? | Enterprise data movement framework is currently in place. | |
| 70 | 2. Scope: CDMA Platform Support | 6 | What’s the expected scope for “continuous modernization” — does it include architecture redesign, tool evaluation, or automation expansion? | Modernization based on technology advancements and scope is to be determined | |
| 71 | 2. Scope: CDMA Platform Support | 6 | Will FDIC provide access to its GitHub Enterprise environment and existing IaC scripts for managing CDMA builds? | Yes | |
| 72 | 2. Scope: CDMA Platform Support | 6 | What level of monitoring and reporting is expected for platform performance (e.g., SLAs for uptime, latency, or data refresh rates)? | There are not specific SLAs at this time | |
| 73 | 2. Scope: CDMA Platform Support | 6 | How are business initiatives prioritized for onboarding to the CDMA platform? | Outside of the scope for CDMA since there are existing intake governance processes for business initiatives | |
| 74 | 2. Scope: CDMA Platform Support | 6 | Does FDIC expect the contractor to retire legacy on-premises systems as part of the CDMA adoption roadmap? | No | |
| 75 | 2. Scope: CDMA Platform Support | 6 | Are there defined KPIs or performance goals (e.g., data migration velocity, time-to-insight) that measure CDMA’s success? | No | |
| 76 | 2. Scope: AlphaRex Modernization | 6 | What is the current technology stack of the on-premises AlphaRex implementation (e.g., NLP models, Python version, database, APIs)? | Linux servers, Oracle database and SAP Data Services ETL | |
| 77 | 2. Scope: AlphaRex Modernization | 6 | What is the expected volume and structure of unstructured and semi-structured data to be processed post-migration? | To be determined | |
| 78 | 2. Scope: AlphaRex Modernization | 6 | Are there specific Azure AI/Cognitive Services (e.g., Document Intelligence, AI Search) FDIC wants to leverage for NLP and text analytics? | Modern architectuture using CDMA Platform technology | |
| 79 | 2. Scope: AlphaRex Modernization | 6 | What is the expected integration path with Power BI/Tableau for visualizations — are existing dashboards to be migrated or reimagined? | Modern AlphaRex visualization to be determined | |
| 80 | 2. Scope: AlphaRex Modernization | 6 | Are there defined performance benchmarks for the new AlphaRex solution (e.g., accuracy, processing time, scalability)? | To be determined | |
| 81 | 2. Scope: AlphaRex Modernization | 6 | How will validation of model outputs (e.g., NLP entity extraction, classification) be handled by FDIC teams? | Modernization and validation work is within scope | |
| 82 | 2. Scope: AI Enterprise Capability Operations | 7 | Can FDIC share more details about the AI solution(s) currently under the Enterprise AI program (e.g., models, architecture, integration layer)? | Enterprise AI solution operations support required for phased creation of capabilities: Enterprise Chat, Enterprise RAG, and enterprise application embedding. | |
| 83 | 2. Scope: AI Enterprise Capability Operations | 7 | What are the monitoring and usage reporting expectations — should CCS implement dashboards for AI usage, performance, and feedback? | Requirements for monitoring cost, performance, security, and usage. | |
| 84 | 2. Scope: AI Enterprise Capability Operations | 7 | Does FDIC envision centralized AI operations (MLOps) for all divisions, or per-solution operational models? | Centralized, secure, operational AI capabilities that are then used by business initiatives | |
| 85 | 2. Scope: AI Enterprise Capability Operations | 7 | What tools are being used for access control and role-based management — Azure AD, Entra ID, or custom integrations? | AD and Entra ID | |
| 86 | 2. Scope: New DMS Initiatives (Starting 2027) | 7 | Can FDIC provide insight into anticipated initiative types (e.g., data security, AI, automation, predictive analytics)? | Data modernization and modernization of data and AI enterprise capabilities | |
| 87 | 2. Scope: New DMS Initiatives (Starting 2027) | 7 | Will new initiatives be CDMA extensions, or can they include independent architectures or cloud solutions? | To be determined | |
| 88 | 2. Scope: New DMS Initiatives (Starting 2027) | 7 | Is there an expectation for contractors to propose proofs of concept (POCs) as part of ideation and discovery? | yes | |
| 89 | 2. Scope: New DMS Initiatives (Starting 2027) | 7 | What governance structure will approve and prioritize new DMS initiatives? | There are multiple enterprise governance processes required for approval and prioritization | |
| 90 | 9. Transition Period | 16 | Could the Agency clarify whether a Transition Plan must be submitted with the proposal? If yes, please specify which section or volume it should be included under. | Yes. In either Technical or Management Appoach in Volume I. | |
| 91 | Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) | 17 | Could the Agency clarify whether a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) is required to be submitted with the proposal? If yes, please specify which section or volume it should be included under. | The Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) is required to be submitted with the proposal in Volume I. | |
| 92 | Volume II - Past Performance (Factor D) | 39 | Could the Agency clarify whether past performance references from subcontractors may be included and evaluated as part of the offeror’s submission? If yes, please confirm any specific requirements or limitations for using subcontractor references. | Past performance is required for all subcontractors. The requirement is the same for the Prime Contractor. | |
| 93 | Section C | 20 | The solicitation refers to “transition from incumbent support,” but the incumbent name is not stated. Can FDIC confirm the incumbent contractor currently providing DMS or related support services? | Harmonia Holdings LLC and Microsoft | |
| 94 | Section C | 16 | The solicitation mentions pricing will be managed within ceilings but does not state a total contract value. Can FDIC provide the expected contract ceiling amount? | The FDIC will not be providing an established ceiling amount. The ceiling will be based on the awarded amount. | |
| 95 | Section B & Section C | 3 & 20 | The RFP describes DMS as a new contract yet references transition planning. Is this procurement a recompete of an existing contract or an entirely new requirement? | New contract | |
| 96 | Section C | 17 | Can FDIC share the approximate number of personnel and key roles currently supporting these functions? | Key Personnel are listed in Section 6 of SOO. Offerors have the flexibility to propose their own categories as skill mixes. | |
| 97 | Section M | 46-49 | Will FDIC evaluate subcontractor and joint-venture partner past performance with equal weight as the prime contractor’s experience, or treat them as supporting references only? | Subcontractor and joint-venture past performace will be treated with equal weight as the prime contractor's experience. | |
| 98 | Section C | 20 | Can FDIC specify the expected duration or overlap period between the incumbent and the new awardee during transition? | 30 days. | |
| 99 | Section C | 20 | What historical challenges or lessons learned from prior DMS transitions should contractors consider in developing transition plans? | Ensure that the team has the right mix of expertise | |
| 100 | Section C | 19,21 | Can FDIC provide historical workload metrics, average sprint velocities, or volume of deliverables for resource planning purposes? | Not available | |
| 101 | Section C | 13-17 | Can FDIC provide an overview of the existing Azure environment, including major deployed resources, datasets, and integration points, to help offerors develop an accurate and informed technical approach? | Technology listed in section 8 Additional Notes of the SOO | |
| 102 | Section C | 13-21 | What are the typical turnaround times for FDIC architecture, security, and deliverable approvals? | Depends on complexity and other factors | |
| 103 | Section L | 43 | Will FDIC provide debrief or feedback to offerors following the completion of oral presentations? | Offeors can request a debrief - and receive feeback on the Oral Presenation and the rest of their proposal - after award. | |
| 104 | Section C | 16–18 | Will FDIC provide required software licenses for tools and platforms identified in the scope? | Access will be provided for FDIC approved technology required to perform work | |
| 105 | Section C | 4-21 | Are there any known pain points or challenges within the DMS environment that FDIC advises offerors to address in their management and risk plans? | Technology listed in section 8 Additional Notes of the SOO | |
| 106 | Section C | 17-20 | The solicitation lists three Key Personnel roles (Microsoft Azure Cloud and Enterprise Data Architect, Azure Databricks Engineer, and AI Engineer) and provides estimated hours(LCATS) by program area. Can FDIC confirm whether these categories are equivalent to the Key Personnel required for this contract? | Key Personnel are listed in Section 6 of SOO. Offerors have the flexibility to propose their own categories as skill mixes. | |
| 107 | Cover Page vs. Section 7.3.1-06 | 1 & 38 | The cover page lists the Offer Due Date as October 20, 2025, while Section 7.3.1-06 lists October 30, 2025. Can FDIC confirm the correct proposal due date for this solicitation? | The due date is December 4, 2025. The cover page is updated. | |
| 108 | N/A | N/A | Please confirm that this work is not being solicited under an established contracting vehicle and offerors are to develop their own T&M rates and labor categories specific to this standalone RFQ. | This work is not being solicited under an established contracting vehicle. Offerors are to develop their own T&M rates and labor categories, or the ones provided in the solicitation, to this standalone RFQ. | |
| 109 | 5.2 | 12 | Please update the Period of Performance listed in section 5.2 of the solicitation to account for the 1 month transition PoP which is to occur in the 30 days prior to the start of the base period. | Updated to include Transition Period. | |
| 110 | 5.3 | 12 | Please Clarify the roadmap language in the description section of planning. Currently states "Develop roadmap of XYZ on ABC." | Developing roadmaps are in scope and are to be determined. | |
| 111 | 7.3.1-06 | 38 | The proposal due date is listed as October 30 under this section, and as October 20th in Block 8 on page 1. Can the Government confirm October 30th is correct? | The due date is December 4, 2025. The cover page is updated. | |
| 112 | 7.3.2-01 | 38 | Section 7.3.2-01 states that highly interactive roles may be required to support at FDIC Virginia Square Facility in person. Would the government please confirm how many seats, if any, they will be providing in office for contractors to support these roles? | This is to be determined and if required FDIC will provide work space | |
| 113 | 7.3.2-10 | 39 | Will the Government clarify what attachments should be included in Volume IV - Additional Information? | Any exception the offerors takes with the solicitation. Any additional information you think is relevant to the requirement that doesn’t fall into the other volumes. | |
| 114 | 7.3.2-12 | 39 | Are Offerors allowed to include a Price Narrative along with Attachment 2 in Volume III? | Yes. | |
| 115 | 7.3.2.12 | 39 | Section 7.3.2.12 - Pricing Proposal (Time and Material or Labor Hour) - February 2025 states, "Markup of subcontractor labor rates by the prime contractor is not permitted." Assuming the offeror will propose a single set of labor category rates for all team members in delivery of the SOO, please remove this language from the solicitation. | Will remain in solicitation. | |
| 116 | 7.3.2-15 | 40 |
Section 7.3.2.12 / Page 39
| Attachment 2 - DMS Pricing Support Workbook | Section 7.3.2-15 - Mission Capability - Proposal Instructions - June 2025 states, "estimated compensation to the subcontractor, including detailed information concerning labor categories and labor rates, must be included in the Pricing Volume." The pricing proposal instructions in Section 7.3.2-12 - Pricing Proposal (Time and Material or Labor Hour) - February 2025, do not state that this level of detail for the subcontractor is required to provide. Attachment 2 - DMS Pricing Support Workbook does not allow permit offerors to provide subcontractor labor details. Please confirm that offerors are not required to submit "estimated compensation to the subcontractor, including detailed information concerning labor categories and labor rates" in this proposal submission. | Offerors are required to submit estimated compensation to the subcontractor, including detailed information concerning labor categories and labor rates. This can be done in the Subcontracting Plan and/or price narrative. This information is needed to ensure the Prime Contractor will be doing atleast 51% of the work. | ||||
| 117 | 7.3.2-16 | 41 | “The maximum number of pages to be submitted for the Relevant Experience and Past Performance Volume across the 5 work areas is eight (8) pages.” Please confirm there are four work areas: CDMA Platform, AlphaRex, AI Enterprise Capability Operations, New DMS Initiatives | There are only 4 work areas. | ||
| 118 | 7.3.2-23 | 49 | Section 7.3.2-23 - Evaluation of Financial Capability - July 2008 states that "The FDIC will evaluate the financial capability of the potential awardee(s) on a "pass/fail" basis." What is required to prove acceptable financial capability of the offeror? In what volume should offerors write to their financial capability? | The offerors' company will be reviewed for Financial Capability from a current Dun and Bradstreet report. | ||
| 119 | 7.3.2-47 | 30 | Will the Government clarify if Offerors are required to submit Section K in its entirety in Volume IV? | Offerors can submit Section K, or the Certs and Reps attachments included in the solicitation which has the same information, in Volume V. | ||
| 120 | 7.5.2-01 | 44 | Please confirm that the Background Investigation Questionnaire(s) for Contractor and Subcontractor Personnel (FDIC 16000/04) and the Background Investigation Questionnaire for Contractors (FDIC 1600/07) are to be submitted for key personnel only during the pre-award period, after proposals have been submitted and not at time of proposal submission. | The Background Investigation Questionnaires should be submitted for all personnel that will need to be cleared to work on the contract with proposal submission. | ||
| 121 | Attachment 2 - DMS Pricing Support Workbook | N/A | Please confirm that offerors are permitted to propose both prime and subcontractor staff under the single set of labor category rates to be proposed in Attachment 2 - DMS Support Pricing Workbook. | Offerors are permitted to propose both prime and subcontractor staff under the single set of labor category rates to be proposed. | ||
| 122 | RFQ package | Section B (“Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs”) | The solicitation specifies a Time & Materials (T&M) contract type. In line with OMB and Executive Branch guidance encouraging performance-based and outcome-focused contracting, would FDIC consider a hybrid approach that permits Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) CLINs, well-defined deliverables (e.g., migration tasks, dashboards), while retaining T&M for agile and uncertain activities? This would reduce FDIC’s risk, improve cost predictability, and align with federal best practices. | No. This will remain Time and Materials. | ||
| 123 | RFP - General | Are contractors or vendors currently supporting these requirements? | see answer # 160 | |||
| 124 | RFP - General | If contractors or vendors are currently supporting these requirements, what is the contract information for these requirements? Specifically, the name of the vendor or vendors, total contract value, period of performance, and scope. | see answer # 160 | |||
| 125 | SOO 1. Introduction | 5 | "CDMA has 25 FDIC business initiatives using the CDMA platform…" |
| How does the FDIC define business initiatives? | Business initiatives are projects / workloads | ||||
| 126 | SOO 1. Introduction | 5 | "CDMA has 25 FDIC business initiatives using the CDMA platform…" |
| Does the FDIC anticipate the number of initiatives to increase? If so, to what extent? | Yes. The FDIC is modernizing and the initiatives will navigate multiple FDIC governance processess. | |||||
| 127 | SOO 6. Key Personnel | 17 | For key personnel resumes, can the government confirm that three total resumes are required for each of the labor categories listed in Section 6. Key Personnel of the SOO? | One Key Personnel Resume is required for each proposed Key Personnel LCAT. | ||
| 128 | SOO 7. Estimated LCATS and Hours | 19 | There is a discrepancy in the estimated total hours between the program hours and the total hours. For example, the base period hours across program areas do not total 18811. Can the government please reconcile this error and clarify the accurate total? | 16,234 is the correct amount of hours for the base period. The contractor may adjust the hours and LCATs based on their own estimations and approach. | ||
| 129 | SOO 7. Estimated LCATS and Hours | 19 | Can the government clarify the purpose of the base FTEs and surge FTEs columns in the estimated total house table? | 16,234 is the correct amount of hours for the base period. The contractor may adjust the hours and LCATs based on their own estimations and approach. Because the program areas require ongoiong support and some projects may require surge in resources to meet short term requirements this column is meant to account for that | ||
| 130 | SOO 7. Estimated LCATS and Hours | 19 | Does the government have an estimated number of hours for Surge FTE support? | Because the program areas require ongoiong support and some projects may require surge in resources to meet short term requirements this column is meant to account for that. Use best judgement and provide justification in the pricing narrative | ||
| 131 | 7.3.2-10 - General Proposal Instructions - Oral Presentation - December 2023 | 39 | "(c )Each proposal shall be divided into five (5) separate parts:" |
| Can the government confirm proposal submissions should consist of one document with one attachment (Volume III - Pricing Spreadsheet)? | The Pricing template is required for Volume III. A pricing narrative may be included in this Volume. | |||||
| 132 | 7.3.2-10 - General Proposal Instructions - Oral Presentation - December 2023 | 39 | If the government instructs offerors to submit one document for proposal submission, can the government update (d) to reflect one cover page for the entire proposal submission? | A Cover Letter should be included with each Volume. | ||
| 133 | 7.3.2-10 - General Proposal Instructions - Oral Presentation - December 2023 | 39 | Does the government have a preference for page formatting including font size? |
| We recommend "A page is defined as one side of sheet, 8 1/2” x 11”. Proposal will consist of the following (narrative: font size 12, Times New Roman) (tables/figure labels/graphics: font size 8 or 12, Times New Roman) (titles/heading: larger fonts acceptable, Times New Roman). | No preference | |||||
| 134 | 7.3.2-12 - Pricing Proposal (Time and Material or Labor Hour) - February 2025 | 39 | Can the government confirm that offerors may submit a narrative describing the support rationale for how the pricing proposal was developed and what methodology was used as part of Volume III - Pricing (Factor E)? | Offerors may submitt a pricing narrative with Volume III. | ||
| 135 | 7.3.2-12 - Pricing Proposal (Time and Material or Labor Hour) - February 2025 | 39 | "(b) Subcontracting is permitted under this solicitation; however, markup of the subcontractor labor rates by the prime contractor is not permitted." |
As the government seeks to obtain the highest quality of services in a best value procurement, this clause introduces financial risk and reduces the incentive for teaming and subcontracting. At minimum a prime must coordinate efforts with a subcontractor, incurring additional subcontractor handling and material costs as applicable.
| For this reason, would the government consider removing this clause from the solicitation? | This clause will remain in the solicitation. | ||||
| 136 | 7.3.2-15 - Mission Capability - Proposal Instructions - June 2025 | 40 | "The proposal must address the following: |
Factor A - Oral Presentation (60 minute presentation) Factor B - Technical Approach and Management Approach (15 Page Maximum) Factor C - Key Personnel (Each resume 2 page maximum)"
| For Factor A, are offerors instructed to add a tab as a place holder in Volume I - Mission Capability? Or are there specific contents requested? | Please see page 43 of 49, Section 7.3.2-27 Oral Presenation to see what is required for the Oral Presenation. | ||||
| 137 | 7.3.2-15 - Mission Capability - Proposal Instructions - June 2025 | 40 | (b) Subcontracting Information. The Mission Capability Volume must convey an understanding of the work that will |
be performed by the offeror, as compared to that which will be performed by each subcontractor. Subcontracting information will be considered in the evaluation of proposals.
| Can the government clarify under which Volume and Factor subcontractor information should be provided? | It should be provided in Volume 1 - Mission Capability, as stated in the soliciation. | ||||
| 138 | 7.3.2-15 - Mission Capability - Proposal Instructions - June 2025 | 40 | (b) Subcontracting Information. The Mission Capability Volume must convey an understanding of the work that will |
be performed by the offeror, as compared to that which will be performed by each subcontractor. Subcontracting information will be considered in the evaluation of proposals.
| Can the government clarify this information is not included in page count? | Subcontracting information is not included in the page count. | ||||
| 139 | 7.3.2-16 - Past Performance - Proposal Instructions - June 2025 | 41 | "(b) Example Contracts (Recent and Relevant) |
The maximum of pages to be submitted for relevant experience and past performance volume across the 5 work areas is eight pages."
| The 5 work areas reference does not appear to align with the scope of the statement of objectives. Can the government please clarify the work areas or revise this section to reflect the scope of the DMS support contract to include page count? | There are only 4 work areas. The solicitaition has been updated. | ||||
| 140 | 7.3.2-16 - Past Performance - Proposal Instructions - June 2025 | 41 | "(b) Example Contracts (Recent and Relevant) Also include past performance information on up to three (3) recent |
contracts performed by each of your subcontractors and joint venture partners, if any, which you consider the most relevant in demonstrating their ability to perform this requirement."
Can the government explain the rationale for this requirement? For a concise of evaluation of past performance, we recommend the following:
"Offerors are required to submit the following information for three (3) recent and relevant projects (within the past five years) from the prime offeror that best represent their experience in these areas. Offerors are permitted to use no more than one (1) recent and relevant project from a subcontractor or joint venture partner. "
| Language will remain unchanged. | ||||
| 141 | 7.3.2-16 - Past Performance - Proposal Instructions - June 2025 | 41 | "(b) Example Contracts (Recent and Relevant) Also include past performance information on up to three (3) recent |
contracts performed by each of your subcontractors and joint venture partners, if any, which you consider the most relevant in demonstrating their ability to perform this requirement."
| If the government intends to require each subcontractor and/or joint venture partner to submit up to three recent contracts, what is the page limit for each subcontractor and/or joint venture submission? | It is still an 8 page limit for this volume. | ||||
| 142 | 7.3.2-24 - Technical Approach - July 2008 | 43 | "(b) If the proposed approach is similar to that used successfully by the offeror in performing previous services, which are similar in size and scope to those required in the solicitation, describe the experience and how it supports the mission capability of this effort." |
| How is the government defining similar size (e.g., total dollar value)? | Similar is size is total dollar value. | ||||
| 143 | 7.3.2-24 - Technical Approach - July 2008 | 43 | "Management Approach |
(1) An agile team approach for addressing the work across the five areas."
| The five areas referenced do not appear to align with the scope of the statement of objectives. Can the government please clarify the work areas or revise this section to reflect the scope of the DMS support contract? | There are only 4 work areas. The solicitaition has been updated. | |||||
| 144 | 7.3.2-27 - Oral Presentation - July 2008 | 44 | As sub-section (b) states the oral presentation will be conducted virtually on Microsoft Teams, can the government confirm sub-section (i) is not relevant to this procurement and can be removed for the instructions? | Oral presentations will only occur virtually. Sub-section (i) is not relevant to the procurement and has been removed. | ||
| 145 | 7.3.2-23 - Evaluation of Financial Capability - July 2008 | 49 | Can the government clarify what part of the proposal submission is being evaluated for "financial capability"? | The offerors' company will be reviewed for Financial Capability from a current Dun and Bradstreet report. | ||
| 146 | 7.3.2-23 - Evaluation of Financial Capability - July 2008 | 49 | As there are no instructions or guidance for meeting "financial capability" standards, can the government remove this requirement from evaluation? | This requirement is mandatory for all awards exceeding $1M at FDIC and will remain. |
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