36C10B23R0019 0001.docx

Amendment to a Previous Combined Solicitation

Amendment to a Previous Combined Solicitation See attached document: RFQ - Questions and Answers 7.18.23.

GENERAL INFORMATION

SET-ASIDE

Technology Acquisition Center

23 Christopher Way Eatontown NJ 07724

POINT OF CONTACT*

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

ADDRESS

POSTAL CODE

COUNTRY

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY’S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

AGENCY CONTACT’S EMAIL ADDRESS

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION

Please reference Amendment 0001 to Request for Proposal (RFP) 36C10B23R0019, entitled, “VCS Food Labeling Printers and Portal Solution,” for updated solicitation details.

5. PROJECT NUMBER (if applicable)

CODE

7. ADMINISTERED BY

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER

CODE

6. ISSUED BY

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NUMBER

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED

PAGE OF PAGES

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED

BPA NO.

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

FACILITY CODE

CODE

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

E. IMPORTANT:

is extended,

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning __________ copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

(REV. 11/2016)

is required to sign this document and return ___________ copies to the issuing office.

is not, A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO:

(Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

15C. DATE SIGNED

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER

Contractor

16C. DATE SIGNED

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

STANDARD FORM 30

PREVIOUS EDITION NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.243 (Type or print) (Type or print) (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

(Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code) (If other than Item 6) (Specify type of modification and authority) such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.)

(If required)

(SEE ITEM 11)

(SEE ITEM 13)

(X)

CHECK

ONE

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer) 7-18-2023

VA-23-00067297

To all Offerors/Bidders 36C10B23R0019

X X

Please See Continuation Page

Meghan McCloskey Contracting Officer

Department of Veterans Affairs Technology Acquisition Center 23 Christopher Way Eatontown, NJ 07724 Department of Veterans Affairs Technology Acquisition Center 23 Christopher Way Eatontown, NJ 07724

CONTINUATION PAGE

The purpose of Amendment 0001 to Request for Proposal (RFP) 36C10B23R0019, entitled, “VCS Food Labeling Printers and Portal Solution,” is as follows:

1. To incorporate a revised Section B.5 Product Description (PD) titled, “Food Labeling Printers and Portal Solution” version 3.0, dated June 29, 2023, with an updated PD titled “Food Labeling Printers and Portal Solution” version 4.0, dated July 17, 2023. The PD dated June 29, 2023 is hereby replaced with revised PD dated July 17, 2023. All changes are highlighted in yellow.

2. Any questions regarding this effort shall be submitted no later than Wednesday, July 19, 2023, by 10:00 AM Eastern Time.

3. All other terms and conditions remain in full force and effect.

B.5 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION (PD)

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Veterans Canteen Service

Food Labeling Printers and Portal Solution

Date: July 17, 2023

VA-23-000067297

PD Version Number: 4.0

1.0 PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veteran Canteen Services (VSC) requires a replacement of its MedVantage food labeling solution. These labels are required for proper compliance with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations. The food labeling solution will allow VCS to ensure food purchased by customers includes FDA-compliant food labels and up-to-date prep labels for employee food safety. The solution shall produce customer-facing nutrient and ingredient labels with price tags for packaged food items in VCS cafes, coffee shops, and retail stores.

The Contractor shall provide a SaaS FDA-compliant food labeling full enterprise-based solution inclusive of an administrative portal, thermal printers (including all docks and cables required for functionality), and labels. No installation required.

The FDA-compliant food labeling solution shall be compliant with Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 101.11 (21 CFR 101.11), Nutrition labeling of standard menu items in covered establishments. Food labels shall be in a Linear Display for nutrition facts to accommodate small packaging. The solution shall be capable of printing labels on demand that shall include, but is not limited to, the following:

· Nutrition facts

· Ingredients

· Allergen information

· UPCs

· Food best if used by date

· Best if used by dates shall automatically calculate based on inputs (for example: inputting ‘3 days’ shall automatically calculate three days from time of label print)

· Shall calculate by day and hour

· Received on date

· Costs

Administration Portal The Contractor shall deliver a centrally managed administration portal with a single interface to update menus, labels, and pricing, access roles and permissions, access data and reporting, and food & menu information. Portal interface shall be organized in a logical and clear manner that shall allow ease of label updates and maintenance by the administrators in VCS Whole Health & Nutrition Division. Changes made to menus, labels, and pricing shall be updated in real time within the administration portal.

The administration portal shall be capable of importing, reading, and updating information from .csv and Microsoft Excel files. The portal shall be capable of uploading and storing media files such as recipe cards and instructional videos. Media content shall be capable of being made available to all connected devices for employee/user education. Media files include MP4 video files and Portable Document Format (PDF) files.

Changes made within the administration portal shall be capable of transmitting updates at an enterprise-level to all connected devices. Changes made within the administrative portal shall not be made available to users and connected devices until they are approved and published by administrators.

The solution shall provide enterprise and store level reporting for analytics of labels printed and media files view counts.

VCS has a preference for the labeling solution’s capability to customize labels with additional icons that indicate gluten free/better for you/climate smart/vegan Icons shall be customizable at the administrative level only.

Thermal Printers The Contractor shall provide a quantity of 200 high speed thermal label printer solutions with required power supply and peripherals for functionality. Of the 200 thermal printer solutions, it is anticipated that the majority of sites, see Attachment A, require one thermal printer solution be delivered per site with an estimated 10-20 sites requiring two thermal printer solutions. The Contractor shall provide an additional 20 thermal printer units that shall be made a part of an Advanced Exchange Depot (APS) program that the Contractor will provide storage and manage of this "seed stock" to ship out replacement Printers next day to locations with broken/damaged equipment. The Contractor will notify VCS Whole Health & Nutrition Division when “seed stock” is below a 2-printer solution threshold. At that time, the Government may exercise Optional Task Two to replenish the “seed stock.”

Printer solutions shall be easily interchangeable with replacement devices that do not require VCS to return the entire unit so as not to disrupt operations. All thermal printers shall meet the following requirements:

· Batch printing and reprint of labels

· Print a variety of label sizes but shall be able to support:

· Min 4x2 inch, Max 6x2 inch - front of the house retail labels

· Min 1x1 inch, Max 2x2 inch - back of the house prep labels

· Shall be able to print both label types without the need to change the label roll

· Between 200-300 dots per inch (DPI) Resolution

· Automatic Feed

· Open Paper Path

· Minimum Print speed between 4-6 inches per second

· Power supply to printer unit to be protected against water damage and spills;

· Shall connect to devices through internal wifi

· Bluetooth connection is acceptable if a single printer for all labels.

· Dimensions (not greater than)

· 12.0″W x 11.0″D x 10.0″H

Label Requirements The Contractor shall provide customizable direct thermal labels to include the VCS logo, provided by VCS, on all delivered labels. The Contractor shall adjust the label design if required by VCS during the period of performance. All labels shall be easily removable without leaving residue. Labels shall be white, printed monochromatic and have easily scannable barcodes. Barcode information shall be input by VCS into the portal. Compatible barcodes on labels shall include:

· UPC-A

· UPC-E

· Code 128 - Any Length

The Contractor shall deliver 2000 each, per location, of house retail and house prep labels to each VCS location identified in Attachment A.

· Label sizes shall be:

· Min 4x2 inch, Max 6x2 inch - front of the house retail labels

· Min 1x1 inch, Max 2x2 inch - back of the house prep labels

Contractor shall become Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) compliant to receive future label orders through VCS canteens. The following are EDI transactions that VCS utilizes:

Device Connection Requirements The food labeling portal shall be capable of functioning on tablet devices with touch-screen features. The Contractor’s solution shall be capable of functioning on devices that comply with OIT Technical Reference Model (VA TRM).

The period of performance is 12 months from date of award with four 12-month option periods and five optional tasks. The overall PoP shall not exceed 60 months.

Optional Task One is for the food labeling solution which includes the administration portal, thermal printers and labels. Optional Task One, the period of performance shall be up to 12 months from date of exercise which may be exercised once the FedRAMP Authorization and Agency ATO is granted. Equipment for Phase 1 shall be delivered within 45 days from FedRAMP Authorization and Agency ATO. Configuration and training shall be completed within 30 days from completion of Phase 1 delivery. Equipment for Phase 2 shall be delivered within 45 days of Phase 1 acceptance.

Optional Task Two is for replacement Thermal Printers. Optional Task Two may be exercised up to 100 times in the base and each option period. Delivery of Optional Task Two shall be within 5-7 business days of exercise.

Optional Task Three is for Additional Site Expansion and may be exercised up to 100 times throughout the PoP. Delivery of Optional Task Three shall be within 45 days of exercise.

Optional Task Four is for warranty and maintenance support for any additional thermal printers exercised shall align to the period exercised in and not exceed a total of 12 months per Option Period.

Optional Task Five is for additional training and may be exercised up to two times throughout the PoP.

1.1 FEDERAL RISK AND AUTHORIZATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (FEDRAMP) - MODERATE

The requirements are categorized as FedRAMP Moderate. The Contractor’s Administration Portal shall obtain FedRAMP approval within 12 months. The Government shall only exercise Optional Tasks for the food labeling solution upon FedRAMP authorization.

A. If the RPM solution is not FedRAMP authorized:

1. The information system solution selected by the Contractor shall comply with the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA).

2. The Contractor shall comply with FedRAMP requirements as mandated by Federal laws and policies, including making available any documentation, physical access, and logical access needed to support this requirement.

3. Following guidance from the Federal CIO, VA will utilize existing JAB ATO or agency ATO issued by another agency as a starting point for FedRAMP requirements. If neither of those exist, VA will sponsor FedRAMP ATO. VA will be using the FedRAMP baselines as a starting point, since they are specifically tailored for cloud services.

4. The Contractor shall, where applicable, assist with the VA ATO Process to help achieve agency authorization of the cloud service or migrated application.

5. The Contractor shall complete a FedRAMP System Security Plan (SSP) and supporting documentation within 45 days after contract award. (If Data Security Categorization is High Impact, this will be due 85 days after contract award.)

6. The Contractor shall complete a Third-Party Assessment Organization (3PAO) Security Assessment Plan (SAP) within 90 days after contract award. (If Data Security Categorization is High Impact, this will be due after 130 days after contract award.)

7. The Contractor shall complete a 3PAO Security Assessment Report (SAR) within 140 days after contract award. (If Data Security Categorization is High Impact, this will be due 180 days after contract award.)

8. The Contractor shall afford VA access to the Contractor’s and Cloud Service Provider’s (CSP) facilities, installations, technical capabilities, operations, documentation, records, and databases.

9. If new or unanticipated threats or hazards are discovered by either VA or the Contractor, or if existing safeguards have ceased to function, the discoverer shall immediately bring the situation to the attention of the other party in accordance with the security addendum B.

10. The Contractor shall not release any data without the consent of VA in writing. All requests for release must be submitted in writing to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)/Contracting Officer (CO).

11. In order for live VA data to be used in this system, a FedRAMP Authorization and Agency ATO will be required.

Deliverables:

A. FedRAMP System Security Plan (SSP) and supporting documentation B. VA Implementation Diagram: This is a VA specific architecture diagram demonstrating the proposed implementation of this system at VA (VAID) C. 3PAO Security Assessment Plan (SAP) D. 3PAO Security Assessment Report (SAR)

B. If the RPM solution is FedRAMP Authorized but not VA FedRAMP Authorized:

1. The information system solution selected by the Contractor shall comply with the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA)

2. The Contractor shall comply with FedRAMP requirements as mandated by Federal laws and policies, including making available any documentation, physical access, and logical access needed to support this requirement

3. The Contractor shall, where applicable, assist with the VA ATO Process to help achieve agency authorization of the cloud service or migrated application.

4. The Contractor shall provide IRP scenario within 14 days and complete Table-Top exercise within 21 days of award unless current VA IRP can be provided

5. The Contractor shall provide a System Boundary Diagram that demonstrates implementation and any proposed VA interconnections including required ports and protocols at the time award

6. The Contractor shall complete a FedRAMP System Security Plan (SSP) and supporting documentation at the time of award

7. The Contractor shall complete a Third-Party Assessment Organization (3PAO) Security Assessment Plan (SAP) at the time of award

8. The Contractor shall complete a 3PAO Security Assessment Report (SAR) at the time of award

9. The Contractor shall afford VA access to the Contractor’s and Cloud Service Provider’s (CSP) facilities, installations, technical capabilities, operations, documentation, records, and databases

10. If new or unanticipated threats or hazards are discovered by either VA or the Contractor, or if existing safeguards have ceased to function, the discoverer shall immediately bring the situation to the attention of the other party in accordance with the security addendum B

11. The Contractor shall not release any data without the consent of VA in writing. All requests for release must be submitted in writing to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)/Contracting Officer (CO)

12. In order for live VA data to be used in this system, a FedRAMP Authorization and Agency ATO will be required

Deliverables:

A. System Boundary Diagram B. FedRAMP System Security Plan (SSP) and supporting documentation C. 3PAO Security Assessment Plan (SAP) D. 3PAO Security Assessment Report (SAR)

C. If the RPM solution is FedRAMP Authorized and VA FedRAMP Authorized:

1. The information system solution selected by the Contractor shall comply with the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), and have a current VA authorization

2. The Contractor shall comply with FedRAMP requirements as mandated by Federal laws and policies, including making available any documentation, physical access, and logical access needed to support this requirement

3. The Contractor shall, where applicable, assist with the VA ATO Sustainment Process to help maintain health and quality of agency authorization of the cloud service or migrated application.

4. The Contractor shall provide access to FedRAMP authorized and VA authorized environment.

5. The Contractor shall afford VA access to the Contractor’s and Cloud Service Provider’s (CSP) facilities, installations, technical capabilities, operations, documentation, records, and databases

6. If new or unanticipated threats or hazards are discovered by either VA or the Contractor, or if existing safeguards have ceased to function, the discoverer shall immediately bring the situation to the attention of the other party in accordance with the security addendum B

7. The Contractor shall not release any data without the consent of VA in writing. All requests for release must be submitted in writing to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)/Contracting Officer (CO)

8. In order for live VA data to be used in this system, access must be provided to the FedRAMP Authorized and Agency Authorized environment

9. The Contractor shall participate in monthly Agency and FedRAMP Sustainment meetings

10. The Contractor shall participate monitoring and reoccurring security artifacts, including monthly POAM reports

Deliverables:

A. Dates for current ATO expiration, due at award B. Most recent monthly POAM (Plan of Action and Milestones) finding reports

1.2 Optional Task One – Food Labeling Solution

The Contractor shall provide a food labeling solution in accordance with PD paragraph 1.0. This optional task may be exercised up to one time, once FedRAMP Authorization and Agency ATO is granted.

1.2.1 Delivery, Configuration, and Rollout

Delivery shall be completed in a phased approach. Phase 1, the Contractor shall deliver its solution for a single location to the VCS Central Officer (VCSCO) and four additional locations that will be coordinated with the Contractor at time of award. The Contractor shall be available to support VCS in troubleshooting and initial configuration of the devices and portal. The Contractor shall conduct the initial upload all food label information provided by VCS into its portal solution.

Upon acceptance of successful delivery and functionality of Phase 1, the Contractor shall deliver its solution to the remaining VCS locations in Phase 2. Please see Attachment A for a list of the VCS locations.

All delivery shall include tracking information to VCS. Delivery of devices shall include set-up instructions in both physical and electronic format.

1.2.2 Warranty and Maintenance Support

The Contractor shall ensure the food label solution technology lifecycle is maintained throughout the PoP. The Contractor shall provide maintenance support including all upgrade/update releases, modifications to software/firmware, periodic updates, firmware, drivers, bug fixes, patches, hotfixes, and related documentation. If at any time following installation, the solution becomes inoperable or requires maintenance, whether discovery is by the Contractor or VA, the Contractor shall provide necessary patches to ensure its continuous operation, in accordance with the functionalities, capabilities, and requirements defined herein.

The Contractor shall provide Help Desk support services and technical support during normal business hours Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST) throughout the PoP. A self-service portal, email and phone number shall be provided by the Contractor to report, track and view incidents. In the event any updates to the solution results in an update to user guides, the Contractor shall provide updated aforementioned user guides.

The Contractor shall notify VA of any software or firmware updates within one week of publication of any general availability release. Prior to any maintenance actions, the Contractor shall identify and coordinate with the COR and hosting environment point of contact (POC) for approval to implement any maintenance actions to ensure any updates, patches and fixes will not impact the operations of the hosting environment. Any planned maintenance shall occur during typical off business hours so as not to disrupt VA VCS operations. VCS off business hours are defined as 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. CST Monday through Friday and 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. CST Saturday and Sunday.

The food labelling administrative portal must be available in a reliable operating manner, with a system uptime of 99.5% to 99.99%, 99.99% uptime is the target goal. The Contractor’s solution shall meet the minimum recovery requirements, Recovery Point Objective (RPO): 24hr; Recovery Time Objective (RTO): 48hr; Maximum Tolerable Downtime (MTD): 72hr.

The Contractor shall provide its commercial warranty coverage for all hardware and associated peripherals starting when VCS locations receives shipment of unit. The Contractor shall be responsible for providing replacement parts or hardware devices in the event equipment fails under warranty coverage. Shall the Contractor notify the VCS that damaged or defected units are required to be shipped back, the Vendor will assume all shipping costs associated with return. Replacements under warranty shall be delivered no later than two (2) business days of notification to the Contractor. If Contractor does not require the damaged or defect units back, the VCS is authorized to “destroy in field” within the local guidance of the VA Medical Center’s recycling policy.

1.2.3 Training

The Contractor shall provide virtual instructor led training for up to 10 attendees to the VCSCO for administrative and usability training of the administration portal. The training shall include a comprehensive overview of the solution including at a minimum system functionality, useability and navigation of the solution, features, and operating requirements. Additionally, the training shall provide troubleshooting, establishing roles and hierarchy with details on how to administer, maintain and optimize the solution. As part of the training, the Contractor shall provide all related user guides for the solution.

The Contractor shall provide on-demand web-based training for users and administrators to ensure continuous sustainment and knowledge. The training shall include system functionality, usability and navigation, and critical configuration functions.

The Contractor shall provide to the Government all access and/or links for hosting the training.

1.3 OPTIONAL TASK TWO – Replacement Thermal Printers

The Contractor shall provide replacement printer units up to a quantity of 100 per year.

1.4 OPTIONAL TASK THREE – Additional Site Expansion

The Contractor shall provide its FDA-compliant food labeling solution inclusive of the administrative portal and thermal printers (including all docks and cables required for functionality) to additional sites, up to 100 throughout the PoP.

1.5 OPTIONAL TASK FOUR – ADDITIONAL WARRANTY AND MAINTENANCE SUPPORT

The Contractor shall provide warranty and maintenance support as described PD paragraph 1.2.2 for thermal printers exercised under Optional Task Three throughout the PoP.

1.6 OPTIONAL TASK FIVE – ADDITIONAL TRAINING

The Contractor shall perform all the tasks identified in Section 1.2.3. This Optional task may be exercised up to two times throughout the PoP.

1.7 OPTION PERIODS ONE THROUGH FOUR

If an Option Period is exercised by the VA, the Contractor shall perform all tasks identified in Section 1.2.2.

2.0 NOTICE OF THE FEDERAL ACCESSIBILITY LAW AFFECTING ALL INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) PROCUREMENTS (SECTION 508)

On January 18, 2017, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) revised and updated, in a single rulemaking, standards for electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained, or used by Federal agencies covered by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as well as our guidelines for telecommunications equipment and customer premises equipment covered by Section 255 of the Communications Act of 1934. The revisions and updates to the Section 508-based standards and Section 255-based guidelines are intended to ensure that information and communication technology (ICT) covered by the respective statutes is accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.

2.1 SECTION 508 – INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) STANDARDS

The Section 508 standards established by the Access Board are incorporated into, and made part of all VA orders, solicitations and purchase orders developed to procure ICT. These standards are found in their entirety at: https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule/text-of-the-standards-and-guidelines. A printed copy of the standards will be supplied upon request.

Federal agencies must comply with the updated Section 508 Standards beginning on January 18, 2018. The Final Rule as published in the Federal Register is available from the Access Board: https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule.

The Contractor shall comply with “508 Chapter 2: Scoping Requirements” for all electronic ICT and content delivered under this contract. Specifically, as appropriate for the technology and its functionality, the Contractor shall comply with the technical standards marked here:

2.2 COMPATABILITY WITH ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

The standards do not require installation of specific accessibility-related software or attachment of an assistive technology device. Section 508 requires that ICT be compatible with such software and devices so that ICT can be accessible to and usable by individuals using assistive technology, including but not limited to screen readers, screen magnifiers, and speech recognition software.

2.3 ACCEPTANCE AND ACCEPTANCE TESTING

Deliverables resulting from this solicitation will be accepted based in part on satisfaction of the Section 508 Chapter 2: Scoping Requirements standards identified above.

The Government reserves the right to test for Section 508 Compliance before delivery. The Contractor shall be able to demonstrate Section 508 Compliance upon delivery.

3.0 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY USING ENERGY-EFFICIENT PRODUCTS

The Contractor shall comply with Sections 524 and Sections 525 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007; Section 104 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005; Executive Order 13834, “Efficient Federal Operations”, dated May 17, 2018; Executive Order 13221, “Energy-Efficient Standby Power Devices,” dated August 2, 2001; and the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to provide ENERGY STAR®, Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) designated, low standby power, and Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) registered products in providing information technology products and/or services.

3.1 EPEAT

EPEAT product compliance is not required in this acquisition.

3.2 ENERGY STAR

As required in clause 52.223-15 Energy Efficiency in Energy-Consuming Products, the Contractor shall provide products that earn the ENERGY STAR label and meet ENERGY STAR specifications for energy efficiency. For information about ENERGY STAR, see http://www.energystar.gov for complete product specifications and updated lists of qualifying products.

3.3 FEMP

FEMP or FEMP low standby power product compliance is not required in this acquisition.

Ship To and Mark For:

Primary

Alternate

4.1 SPECIAL SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS

Prior to shipping, Contractor shall notify Site POCs, by phone followed by email, of all incoming deliveries including line-by-line details for review of requirements. The Contractor shall not make any changes to the delivery schedule at the request of Site POC.

Contractors shall coordinate deliveries with Site POCs before shipment of hardware to ensure sites have adequate storage space.

All shipments, either single or multiple container deliveries, shall bear the VA IFCAP Purchase Order number on external shipping labels and associated manifests or packing lists. In the case of multiple container deliveries, a statement readable near the VA IFCAP PO number shall indicate total number of containers for the complete shipment (e.g. “Package 1 of 2”), clearly readable on manifests and external shipping labels.

Packing Slips/Labels and Lists shall also include the following:

IFCAP PO #: ____________ (e.g., 166-E11234 (the IFCAP PO number is located in block #20 of the SF 1449)) Project Description: (e.g. Tier I Lifecycle Refresh)

Total number of Containers: Package ___ of ___. (e.g., Package 1 of 3)

The Contractor shall support the VA enterprise management framework. In association with the framework, the Contractor shall comply with OIT Technical Reference Model (VA TRM). The VA TRM is one component within the overall Enterprise Architecture (EA) that establishes a common vocabulary and structure for describing the information technology used to develop, operate, and maintain enterprise applications. Moreover, the VA TRM, which includes the Standards Profile and Product List, serves as a technology roadmap and tool for supporting OIT. Architecture & Engineering Services (AES) has overall responsibility for the VA TRM.

5.2 SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (SSN) REDUCTION

The Contractor solution shall support the Social Security Number (SSN) Fraud Prevention Act (FPA) of 2017 which prohibits the inclusion of SSNs on any document sent by mail. The Contractor support shall also be performed in accordance with Section 240 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) 2018, enacted March 23, 2018, which mandates VA to discontinue using SSNs to identify individuals in all VA information systems as the Primary Identifier. The Contractor shall ensure that any new IT solution discontinues the use of SSN as the Primary Identifier to replace the SSN with the Integrated Control Number (ICN) in all VA information systems for all individuals. The Contractor shall ensure that all Contractor delivered applications and systems integrate with the VA Master Person Index (MPI) for identity traits to include the use of the ICN as the Primary Identifier. The Contractor solution may only use a Social Security Number to identify an individual in an information system if and only if the use of such number is required to obtain information VA requires from an information system that is not under the jurisdiction of VA.

5.3 INTERNET PROTOCOL VERSION 6 (IPV6)

The Contractor solution shall support Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) based upon the memo issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on November 19, 2020 (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/M-21-07.pdf). IPv6 technology, in accordance with the USGv6 Program (https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/usgv6-program/usgv6-revision-1), NIST Special Publication (SP) 500-267B Revision 1 “USGv6 Profile” (https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.500-267Br1), and NIST SP 800-119 “Guidelines for the Secure Deployment of IPv6” (https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-119), compliance shall be included in all IT infrastructures, application designs, application development, operational systems and sub-systems, and their integration. In addition to the above requirements, all devices shall support native IPv6 and dual stack (IPv6 / IPv4) connectivity without additional memory or other resources being provided by the Government, so that they can function in a mixed environment. All public/external facing servers and services (e.g. web, email, DNS, ISP services, etc.) shall support native IPv6 and dual stack (IPv6 / IPv4) users and all internal infrastructure and applications shall communicate using native IPv6 and dual stack (IPv6 / IPv4) operations.

5.4 POSITION/TASK RISK DESIGNATION LEVEL(S)

In accordance with VA Handbook 0710, Personnel Security and Suitability Program, the position sensitivity and the level of background investigation commensurate with the required level of access for the following tasks within the PWS are:

Position Sensitivity and Background Investigation Requirements by Service Task/Item Number Service Task/ Item Number

The Tasks identified above and the resulting Position Sensitivity and Background Investigation requirements identify, in effect, the Background Investigation requirements for Contractor individuals, based upon the tasks the particular Contractor individual will be working. The submitted Contractor Staff Roster must indicate the required Background Investigation Level for each Contractor individual based upon the tasks the Contractor individual will be working, in accordance with their submitted proposal.

5.5 SOFTWARE AND LICENSING REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall be responsible for the provision of all software licenses and any associated licensing maintenance required for any development, delivery, integration, operation, and/or maintenance associated with its proposed application(s), software products, software solution, and/or system including, but not limited to, any and all application(s), software and/or software products that comprise, are a part of, or integrate with the Contractor’s proposed application(s), software products, software solution, and/or system for the life of any resulting contract.

5.6 INFORMATION SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS

All VA sensitive information shall be protected at all times in accordance with local security field office System Security Plans (SSP’s) and Authority to Operate (ATO)’s for all systems/LAN’s accessed while performing the tasks detailed in this Product Description.

6.0 POINTS OF CONTACT

VA Program Manager:

Contracting Officer’s Representative:

Contracting Officer:

Contract Specialist:

ADDENDUM B – VA INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEM SECURITY/PRIVACY LANGUAGE

APPLICABLE PARAGRAPHS TAILORED FROM: THE VA INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEM SECURITY/PRIVACY LANGUAGE, VA HANDBOOK 6500.6, APPENDIX C, MARCH 12, 2010

B1. GENERAL

Contractors, Contractor personnel, Subcontractors, and Subcontractor personnel shall be subject to the same Federal laws, regulations, standards, and VA Directives and Handbooks as VA and VA personnel regarding information and information system security.

B2. ACCESS TO VA INFORMATION AND VA INFORMATION SYSTEMS

a. A Contractor/Subcontractor shall request logical (technical) or physical access to VA information and VA information systems for their employees, Subcontractors, and affiliates only to the extent necessary to perform the services specified in the contract, agreement, or task order.

b. All Contractors, Subcontractors, and third-party servicers and associates working with VA information are subject to the same investigative requirements as those of VA appointees or employees who have access to the same types of information. The level and process of background security investigations for Contractors must be in accordance with VA Directive and Handbook 0710, Personnel Suitability and Security Program. The Office for Operations, Security, and Preparedness is responsible for these policies and procedures.

c. Contract personnel who require access to national security programs must have a valid security clearance. National Industrial Security Program (NISP) was established by Executive Order 12829 to ensure that cleared U.S. defense industry contract personnel safeguard the classified information in their possession while performing work on contracts, programs, bids, or research and development efforts. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not have a Memorandum of Agreement with Defense Security Service (DSS). Verification of a Security Clearance must be processed through the Special Security Officer located in the Planning and National Security Service within the Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness.

d. Custom software development and outsourced operations must be located in the U.S. to the maximum extent practical. If such services are proposed to be performed abroad and are not disallowed by other VA policy or mandates (e.g. Business Associate Agreement, Section 3G), the Contractor/Subcontractor must state where all non-U.S. services are provided and detail a security plan, deemed to be acceptable by VA, specifically to address mitigation of the resulting problems of communication, control, data protection, and so forth. Location within the U.S. may be an evaluation factor.

e. The Contractor or Subcontractor must notify the CO immediately when an employee working on a VA system or with access to VA information is reassigned or leaves the Contractor or Subcontractor’s employ. The CO must also be notified immediately by the Contractor or Subcontractor prior to an unfriendly termination.

B3. VA INFORMATION CUSTODIAL LANGUAGE

1. Information made available to the Contractor or Subcontractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract or information developed by the Contractor/Subcontractor in performance or administration of the contract shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be used in any other way without the prior written agreement of VA. This clause expressly limits the Contractor/Subcontractor's rights to use data as described in Rights in Data - General, FAR 52.227-14(d) (1).

2. VA information should not be co-mingled, if possible, with any other data on the Contractors/Subcontractor’s information systems or media storage systems in order to ensure VA requirements related to data protection and media sanitization can be met. If co-mingling must be allowed to meet the requirements of the business need, the Contractor must ensure that VA information is returned to VA or destroyed in accordance with VA’s sanitization requirements. VA reserves the right to conduct on site inspections of Contractor and Subcontractor IT resources to ensure data security controls, separation of data and job duties, and destruction/media sanitization procedures are in compliance with VA directive requirements.

3. Prior to termination or completion of this contract, Contractor/Subcontractor must not destroy information received from VA, or gathered/created by the Contractor in the course of performing this contract without prior written approval by VA. Any data destruction done on behalf of VA by a Contractor/Subcontractor must be done in accordance with National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requirements as outlined in VA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management and its Handbook 6300.1 Records Management Procedures, applicable VA Records Control Schedules, and VA Handbook 6500.1, Electronic Media Sanitization. Self-certification by the Contractor that the data destruction requirements above have been met must be sent to the VA CO within 30 days of termination of the contract.

4. The Contractor/Subcontractor must receive, gather, store, back up, maintain, use, disclose and dispose of VA information only in compliance with the terms of the contract and applicable Federal and VA information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies. If Federal or VA information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies become applicable to VA information or information systems after execution of the contract, or if NIST issues or updates applicable FIPS or Special Publications (SP) after execution of this contract, the parties agree to negotiate in good faith to implement the information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies in this contract.

5. The Contractor/Subcontractor shall not make copies of VA information except as authorized and necessary to perform the terms of the agreement or to preserve electronic information stored on Contractor/Subcontractor electronic storage media for restoration in case any electronic equipment or data used by the Contractor/Subcontractor needs to be restored to an operating state. If copies are made for restoration purposes, after the restoration is complete, the copies must be appropriately destroyed.

6. If VA determines that the Contractor has violated any of the information confidentiality, privacy, and security provisions of the contract, it shall be sufficient grounds for VA to withhold payment to the Contractor or third party or terminate the contract for default or terminate for cause under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) part 12.

7. If a VHA contract is terminated for cause, the associated Business Associate Agreement (BAA) must also be terminated and appropriate actions taken in accordance with VHA Directive 1605.05, Business Associate Agreements. Absent an agreement to use or disclose protected health information, there is no business associate relationship.

8. The Contractor/Subcontractor must store, transport, or transmit VA sensitive information in an encrypted form, using VA-approved encryption tools that are, at a minimum, FIPS 140-2 validated.

9. The Contractor/Subcontractor’s firewall and Web services security controls, if applicable, shall meet or exceed VA minimum requirements. VA Configuration Guidelines are available upon request.

10. Except for uses and disclosures of VA information authorized by this contract for performance of the contract, the Contractor/Subcontractor may use and disclose VA information only in two other situations: (i) in response to a qualifying order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or (ii) with VA prior written approval. The Contractor/Subcontractor must refer all requests for, demands for production of, or inquiries about, VA information and information systems to the VA CO for response.

11. Notwithstanding the provision above, the Contractor/Subcontractor shall not release VA records protected by Title 38 U.S.C. 5705, confidentiality of medical quality assurance records and/or Title 38 U.S.C. 7332, confidentiality of certain health records pertaining to drug addiction, sickle cell anemia, alcoholism or alcohol abuse, or infection with human immunodeficiency virus. If the Contractor/Subcontractor is in receipt of a court order or other requests for the above mentioned information, that Contractor/Subcontractor shall immediately refer such court orders or other requests to the VA CO for response.

12. For service that involves the storage, generating, transmitting, or exchanging of VA sensitive information but does not require Assessment and Authorization (A&A) or a Memorandum of Understanding-Interconnection Security Agreement (MOU-ISA) for system interconnection, the Contractor/Subcontractor must complete a Contractor Security Control Assessment (CSCA) on a yearly basis and provide it to the COR.

B4. INFORMATION SYSTEM DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

1. Information systems that are designed or developed for or on behalf of VA at non-VA facilities shall comply with all VA directives developed in accordance with FISMA, HIPAA, NIST, and related VA security and privacy control requirements for Federal information systems. This includes standards for the protection of electronic PHI, outlined in 45 C.F.R. Part 164, Subpart C, information and system security categorization level designations in accordance with FIPS 199 and FIPS 200 with implementation of all baseline security controls commensurate with the FIPS 199 system security categorization (reference VA Handbook 6500, Risk Management Framework for VA Information Systems – Tier 3: VA Information Security Program, and the TIC Reference Architecture). During the development cycle a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) must be completed, provided to the COR, and approved by the VA Privacy Service in accordance with Directive 6508, Implementation of Privacy Threshold Analysis and Privacy Impact Assessment.

2. The Contractor/Subcontractor shall certify to the COR that applications are fully functional and operate correctly as intended on systems using the VA Federal Desktop Core Configuration (FDCC), and the common security configuration guidelines provided by NIST or VA. This includes Internet Explorer 11 configured to operate on Windows 10 and future versions, as required.

3. The standard installation, operation, maintenance, updating, and patching of software shall not alter the configuration settings from the VA approved and FDCC configuration. Information technology staff must also use the Windows Installer Service for installation to the default “program files” directory and silently install and uninstall.

4. Applications designed for normal end users shall run in the standard user context without elevated system administration privileges.

5. The security controls must be designed, developed, approved by VA, and implemented in accordance with the provisions of VA security system development life cycle as outlined in NIST Special Publication 800-37, Guide for Applying the Risk Management Framework to Federal Information Systems, VA Handbook 6500, Risk Management Framework for VA Information Systems – Tier 3: VA Information Security Program and VA Handbook 6500.5, Incorporating Security and Privacy in System Development Lifecycle.

6. The Contractor/Subcontractor is required to design, develop, or operate a System of Records Notice (SOR) on individuals to accomplish an agency function subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, (as amended), Public Law 93-579, December 31, 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) and applicable agency regulations. Violation of the Privacy Act may involve the imposition of criminal and civil penalties.

7. The Contractor/Subcontractor agrees to:

a. Comply with the Privacy Act of 1974 (the Act) and the agency rules and regulations issued under the Act in the design, development, or operation of any system of records on individuals to accomplish an agency function when the…