36C10B27R0001 Final.docx

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1. REQUISITION NO.

2. CONTRACT NO.

3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE DATE

4. ORDER NO.

5. SOLICITATION NUMBER

6. SOLICITATION ISSUE DATE

a. NAME

b. TELEPHONE NO. (No Collect Calls)

8. OFFER DUE DATE/LOCAL

TIME

9. ISSUED BY

CODE

10. THIS ACQUISITION IS

UNRESTRICTED OR

SET ASIDE:

% FOR:

SMALL BUSINESS

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

(WOSB) ELIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

EDWOSB

8(A)

NAICS:

SIZE STANDARD:

11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINA-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

SEE SCHEDULE

12. DISCOUNT TERMS

13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13b. RATING

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

RFQ

IFB

RFP

15. DELIVER TO

CODE

16. ADMINISTERED BY

CODE

17a. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

CODE

FACILITY CODE

18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY

CODE

TELEPHONE NO.

UEI:

EFT:

PHONE:

FAX:

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN OFFER 18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK BELOW IS CHECKED

SEE ADDENDUM

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

ITEM NO.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

QUANTITY

UNIT

UNIT PRICE

AMOUNT

(Use Reverse and/or Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only) 27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA

ARE

ARE NOT ATTACHED.

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA

ARE

ARE NOT ATTACHED

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN _______________

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF. ___________________________________ OFFER

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND

DATED ________________________________. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION

DELIVER ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY

(BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE

ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED

SET FORTH HEREIN IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR 31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER) 30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (TYPE OR PRINT) 30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (TYPE OR PRINT) 31c. DATE SIGNED

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

(REV. NOV 2021)

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

STANDARD FORM 1449

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30

36C10B27R0001 10-07-2026 Ryan Sehulster 848-377-5190 10-12-2026

3:00PM

EST

36C10B Department of Veterans Affairs Technology Acquisition Center

23 Christopher Way Eatontown NJ 07724

X

541519 $34 Million

N/A

See Delivery Schedule

36C10B Department of Veterans Affairs Technology Acquisition Center

23 Christopher Way Eatontown NJ 07724

36C10A Department of Veterans Affairs Technology Acquisition Center Financial Services Center PO Box 149971 Austin TX 78714-8971

Title: Brand Name Active Navigation or Equivalent Discovery Center

Contracting Officer: Kimberly Geran, Kimberly.Geran@va.gov

Contract Specialist: Ryan Sehulster, Ryan.Sehulster@va.gov

Obligation Number: TBD

Table of Contents

A.2 COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION

(i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial products or commercial services prepared in accordance with part 12. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. Offers are being requested and a separate written solicitation will not be issued.

Solicitation number 36C10B27R0001 is issued as a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Brand Name Active Navigation or Equivalent Discovery Center.

This acquisition is set-aside for small business concerns. This solicitation incorporates provisions and clauses by reference. The full text of provisions and clauses may be accessed electronically at www.acquisition.gov.

(ii) See Section B below for the Schedule of Deliverables.

(iii) See Section B below for the Product Description.

(iv) See Section B below for the Delivery/Acceptance/F.O.B.

(v) See Section E below for the Provisions.

(vi) See Section C below for the Clauses.

(vii) Offers are due by 3PM EST on October 12, 2026. Offerors shall submit quotes via email to Ryan.Sehulster@va.gov.

(viii) Please contact Contract Specialist, Ryan Sehulster, Ryan.Sehulster@va.gov, (848) 377-5190, or Contracting Officer, Kimberly Geran, Kimberly.Geran@va.gov, (848) 377-5228 for information regarding the solicitation.

A.3 GOVERNING LAW

Federal law and regulations, including the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), shall govern this Contract/Order. Commercial license agreements may be made a part of this Contract/Order but only if both parties expressly make them an addendum hereto. If the commercial license agreement is not made an addendum, it shall not apply, govern, be a part of or have any effect whatsoever on the Contract/Order; this includes, but is not limited to, any agreement embedded in the computer software (clickwrap), any agreement that is otherwise delivered with or provided to the Government with the commercial computer software or documentation (shrinkwrap), or any other license agreement otherwise referred to in any document. If a commercial license agreement is made an addendum, only those provisions addressing data rights regarding the Government’s use, duplication and disclosure of data (e.g., restricted computer software) are included and made a part of this Contract/Order, and only to the extent that those provisions are not duplicative or inconsistent with Federal law, Federal regulation, the incorporated FAR clauses and the provisions of this Contract/Order; those provisions in the commercial license agreement that do not address data rights regarding the Government’s use, duplication and disclosure of data shall not be included or made a part of the Contract/Order. Federal law and regulation including, without limitation, the Contract Disputes Act (41 U.S.C. § 7101 et seq.), the Anti-Deficiency Act (31 U.S.C. § 1341 et seq.), the Competition in Contracting Act (41 U.S.C. § 3301 et seq.), the Prompt Payment Act (31 U.S.C. § 3901 et seq.), Contracts for Data Processing or Maintenance (38 USC § 5725), Source Code Harmonization and Reuse in Information Technology Act “SHARE IT Act” (P.L. 118-187), and FAR clauses 52.212-4, 52.227-14 shall supersede, control, and render ineffective any inconsistent, conflicting, or duplicative provision in any commercial license agreement. In the event of conflict between this clause and any provision in the Contract/Order or the commercial license agreement or elsewhere, the terms of this clause shall prevail. The Contractor shall deliver to the Government all data first produced under this Contract/Order with unlimited rights as defined by FAR 52.227-14, this includes any custom code developed for the purpose of performing under this contract. Claims of patent or copyright infringement brought against the Government as a party shall be defended by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 516; at the discretion of DOJ, the Contractor may be allowed reasonable participation in the defense of the litigation. Any additional changes to the Contract/Order must be made by modification (Standard Form 30) and shall only be made by a warranted Contracting Officer. Nothing in this Contract/Order or any commercial license agreement shall be construed as a waiver of sovereign immunity.

A.4 SOFTWARE LICENSE, SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE AND SOFTWARE TECHNICAL SUPPORT:

1. Definitions.

a. Licensee. The term “licensee” shall mean the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) and is synonymous with “Government.”

b. Licensor. The term “licensor” shall mean the Contractor having the necessary license or ownership rights to deliver license, software maintenance and support of the computer software being acquired. The term “Contractor” is the party identified in Block 17a on the SF1449. If the Contractor is a reseller and not the Licensor, the Contractor remains responsible for performance under this Contract/Order.

c. Software. The term “software” shall mean the licensed computer software product(s) cited in the Schedule of Supplies/Services.

d. Maintenance. The term “maintenance” is the process of enhancing and optimizing software, as well as remedying defects. It shall include all new fixes, patches, releases, updates, versions, and upgrades, as further defined below.

e. Technical Support. The term “technical support” refers to the range of services providing assistance for the software via the telephone, email, a website or otherwise.

f. Release or Update. The term “release” or “update” are terms that refer to a revision of software that contains defect corrections, minor enhancements, or improvements of the software’s functionality. This is usually designated by a change in the number to the right of the decimal point (e.g., from Version 5.3 to 5.4). An example of an update is the addition of new hardware.

g. Version or Upgrade. The term “version” or “upgrade” are terms that refer to a revision of software that contains new or improved functionality. This is usually designated by a change in the number to the left of the decimal point (e.g., from Version 5.4 to 6).

2. Software License.

a. Unless otherwise stated in the Schedule of Supplies/Services, the Performance Work Statement, or Product Description, the software license provided to the Government is a perpetual, nonexclusive license to use the software.

b. The Government may use the software in a networked environment.

c. All limitations of software usage are expressly stated in the Schedule of Supplies/Services and the Performance Work Statement/Product Description.

d. The commercial computer software delivered under this contract may not be used, reproduced, or disclosed by the Government except as provided below or as expressly stated otherwise in this contract. The commercial computer software may be-

i. Used or copied for use with the computer(s) for which it was acquired, including use at any Government installation or agency to which the computer(s) may be transferred;

ii. Used or copied for use with a backup computer if any computer for which it was acquired is inoperative;

iii. Reproduced for safekeeping (archives) or backup purposes;

iv. Modified, adapted, or combined with other computer software;

v. Disclosed to and reproduced for use by support service Contractors or their subcontractors, subject to the same restrictions set forth in this contract; and

vi. Used or copied for use with a replacement computer.

e. Unauthorized Obligations.

i. Except as stated in paragraph (ii), when any supply or service acquired under this contract is subject to any commercial supplier agreement (as defined in 502.101) that includes any language, provision, or clause requiring the Government to pay any future fees, penalties, interest, legal costs or to indemnify the Contractor or any person or entity for damages, costs, fees, or any other loss or liability that would create an Anti-Deficiency Act violation ( 31 U.S.C. 1341), the following shall govern:

1. Any such language, provision, or clause is unenforceable against the Government.

2. Neither the Government nor any Government authorized end user shall be deemed to have agreed to such clause by virtue of it appearing in the commercial supplier agreement. If the commercial supplier agreement is invoked through an “I agree” click box or other comparable mechanism (e.g., “click-wrap” or “browse-wrap” agreements), execution does not bind the Government or any Government authorized end user to such clause.

3. Any such language, provision, or clause is deemed to be stricken from the commercial supplier agreement.

ii. Paragraph (u)(1) of this clause does not apply to indemnification or any other payment by the Government that is expressly authorized by statute and specifically authorized under applicable agency regulations and procedures.

f. Commercial supplier agreements unenforceable clauses.

i. This agreement is a part of a contract between the commercial supplier and the U.S. Government for the acquisition of the supply or service that necessitates a license or other similar legal instrument (including all contracts, task orders, and delivery orders under FAR 12).

ii. End user. This agreement shall bind the ordering activity as end user but shall not operate to bind a Government employee or person acting on behalf of the Government in his or her personal capacity.

iii. Law and disputes. This agreement is governed by Federal law. Any language purporting to subject the U.S. Government to the laws of a U.S. state, U.S. territory, district, or municipality, or a foreign nation, except where Federal law expressly provides for the application of such laws, is hereby deleted.

1. Any language requiring dispute resolution in a specific forum or venue that is different from that prescribed by applicable Federal law is hereby deleted. Any dispute regarding the license grant or usage limitations shall be resolved in accordance with the Disputes Clause incorporated in FAR 52.212-4(e).

2. Any language prescribing a different time period for bringing an action than that prescribed by applicable Federal law in relation to a dispute is hereby deleted.

3. Continued performance. The supplier or licensor shall not unilaterally revoke, terminate, or suspend any rights granted to the Government except as allowed by this contract. If the supplier or licensor believes the ordering activity to be in breach of the agreement, it shall pursue its rights under the Contract Disputes Act or other applicable Federal statute while continuing.

4. Arbitration; equitable or injunctive relief. In the event of a claim or dispute arising under or relating to this agreement, a binding arbitration shall not be used unless specifically authorized by agency guidance, and equitable or injunctive relief, including the award of attorney fees, costs or interest, may be awarded against the U.S. Government only when explicitly provided by statute (e.g., Prompt Payment Act or Equal Access to Justice Act).

iv. Updating terms. After award, the contractor may unilaterally revise commercial supplier agreement terms if they are not material. A material change is defined as:

1. Terms that change Government rights or obligations;

2. Terms that increase Government prices;

3. Terms that decrease overall level of service; or

4. Terms that limit any other Government right addressed elsewhere in this contract.

5. For revisions that will materially change the terms of the contract, the revised commercial supplier agreement must be incorporated into the contract using a bilateral modification.

6. Any agreement license terms or conditions unilaterally revised subsequent to award that are inconsistent with any material term or provision of this contract shall not be enforceable against the Government, and the Government shall not be deemed to have consented to them.

v. No automatic renewals. If any license or service tied to periodic payment is provided under this agreement (e.g., annual software maintenance or annual lease term), such license or service shall not renew automatically upon expiration of its current term without prior express consent by an authorized Government representative.

vi. Indemnification. Any clause of this agreement requiring the commercial supplier or licensor to defend or indemnify the end user is hereby amended to provide that the U.S. Department of Justice has the sole right to represent the United States in any such action, in accordance with 28 U.S.C. 516.

vii. Audits. Any clause of this agreement permitting the commercial supplier or licensor to audit the end user's compliance with this agreement is hereby amended as follows:

1. Discrepancies found in an audit may result in a charge by the commercial supplier or licensor to the ordering activity. Any resulting invoice must comply with the proper invoicing requirements specified in the underlying Government contract or order.

2. This charge, if disputed by the ordering activity, will be resolved in accordance with FAR 52.212-4(e); no payment obligation shall arise on the part of the ordering activity until the conclusion of the dispute process.

3. Any audit requested by the contractor will be performed at the contractor's expense, without reimbursement by the Government.

3. Software Maintenance and/or Technical Support.

a. If the Government desires to continue software maintenance and support beyond the period of performance identified in this Contract/Order, the Government will issue a separate contract or order for maintenance and support. Conversely, if a contract or order for continuing software maintenance and technical support is not received, the Contractor is neither authorized nor permitted to renew any of the previously furnished services.

b. The Contractor shall provide software support services, which includes periodic updates, enhancements and corrections to the software, and reasonable technical support, all of which are customarily provided by the Contractor to its commercial customers to cause the software to perform according to its specifications, documentation or demonstrated claims.

c. Any telephone support provided by Contractor shall be at no additional cost.

d. The Contractor shall provide all maintenance services in a timely manner in accordance with the Contractor’s customary practice or as defined in the Performance Work Statement or Product Description. However, prolonged delay (exceeding two business days) in resolving software problems will be noted in the Government’s various past performance records on the Contractor (e.g., www.cpars.gov).

e. If the Government allows the maintenance and support to lapse and subsequently wishes to reinstate it, any reinstatement fee charged shall not exceed the amounts that would have been charged if the Government had not allowed the subscription to lapse.

4. Disabling Software Code.

The Government requires delivery of computer software that does not contain any code that will, upon the occurrence or the nonoccurrence of any event, disable the software. Such code includes but is not limited to a computer virus, restrictive key, node lock, time-out, or other function, whether implemented by electronic, mechanical, or other means, which limits or hinders the use or access to any computer software based on residency on a specific hardware configuration, frequency of duration of use, or other limiting criteria. If any such disabling code is present, the Contractor agrees to indemnify the Government for all damages suffered as a result of a disabling caused by such code, and the contractor agrees to remove such code upon the Government’s request at no extra cost to the Government. Inability of the Contractor to remove the disabling software code will be considered an inexcusable delay and a material breach of contract, and the Government may exercise its right to terminate for cause. In addition, the Government is permitted to remove the code as it deems appropriate and charge the Contractor for consideration for the time and effort expended in removing the code.

5. Manuals and Publications.

Upon Government request, the Contractor shall furnish the most current version of the user manual and publications for all products/services provided under this Contract/Order at no cost.

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A.5 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

1. Contract Administration: All contract administration matters will be handled by the following individuals:

2. CONTRACTOR REMITTANCE ADDRESS: All payments by the Government to the contractor will be made in accordance with:

3. INVOICES: Invoices shall be submitted in arrears:

4. GOVERNMENT INVOICE ADDRESS: All Invoices from the contractor shall be submitted electronically in accordance with VAAR Clause 852.232-72 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is transitioning to a new financial and acquisition management system, the Integrated Financial and Acquisition Management System (iFAMS).

Vendors must submit invoices against iFAMS funding separately through Tungsten, the VA’s vendor invoice submission portal. Invoices must reference:

a. The Obligation Number: (TBD);

b. The Contract Line-Item Number (CLIN) and/or Sub-line Item Number (SLIN) being invoiced.

Additionally, invoices should reference the following to help facilitate certification:

a. The Integrated Purchase Request (IPR) number: TBD;

b. The iFAMS Line Number: Will be identified in the Award Distribution (TBD).

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS: The offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the Solicitation numbered and dated as follows:

SECTION B

B.1 PRICE SCHEDULE

NOTE: Vendors are instructed to complete Section B.1 and submit with their quote.

Vendors are cautioned that alterations to the line items as specified below may render quotes unacceptable. All questions shall be directed to the Contract Specialist, Ryan Sehulster, Ryan.Sehulster@va.gov and Contracting Officer, Kimberly.Geran@ga.gov prior to the closing date and time specified in the Request for Proposals (RFP).

Base Period

The Period of Performance (PoP) shall be 12 months from date of Award.

Qty

Unit

Unit Price Extended Price

SharePoint Connector, Perpetual

Due by the 1st of the month.

Electronic submission to: VA PM, COR

Inspection: Destination Acceptance: Destination

Due by the 1st of the month.

Electronic submission to: VA PM, COR

Inspection: Destination Acceptance: Destination

Option Period 1

This 12-month option period may be exercised in accordance with FAR 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (MAR 2000). Work shall not commence until, and unless, a formal modification is issued by the Contracting Officer. If exercised, this option period shall commence immediately after expiration of the Base Period.

Period of Performance shall be 12 months from the expiration of the Base Period.

Qty

Unit

Unit Price Extended Price

Due by the 1st of the month.

Electronic submission to: VA PM, COR

Inspection: Destination Acceptance: Destination

Due by the 1st of the month.

Electronic submission to: VA PM, COR

Inspection: Destination Acceptance: Destination

Option Period 2

This 12-month option period may be exercised in accordance with FAR 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (MAR 2000). Work shall not commence until, and unless, a formal modification is issued by the Contracting Officer. If exercised, this option period shall commence immediately after expiration of Option Period One.

Period of Performance shall be 12 months from the expiration of Option Period 1.

Qty

Unit

Unit Price Extended Price

SharePoint Connector, 12 months maintenance and support

Due by the 1st of the month.

Electronic submission to: VA PM, COR

Inspection: Destination Acceptance: Destination

Due by the 1st of the month.

Electronic submission to: VA PM, COR

Inspection: Destination Acceptance: Destination

Option Period 3

This 12-month option period may be exercised in accordance with FAR 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (MAR 2000). Work shall not commence until, and unless, a formal modification is issued by the Contracting Officer. If exercised, this option period shall commence immediately after expiration of Option Period Two.

Period of Performance shall be 12 months from the expiration of Option Period 2.

Qty

Unit

Unit Price Extended Price

Due by the 1st of the month.

Electronic submission to: VA PM, COR

Inspection: Destination Acceptance: Destination

Due by the 1st of the month.

Electronic submission to: VA PM, COR

Inspection: Destination Acceptance: Destination

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B.2 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION (PD)

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Office of Information & Technology (OIT) Financial Service Center

Brand Name or Equivalent – Active Navigation Discovery Center

Date: September 22, 2026

VA-27-00000574

PD Version Number: 1.2

1.0 PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Financial Service Center (FSC), has a requirement for the purchase of brand name Active Navigation (or equivalent) to provide an agentless Advanced Electronic File Analysis Solution (hereafter referred to as “the Solution”) to index, categorize, and tag documents within 10 terabytes (TB) of unstructured repositories. The Solution shall discover redundant, obsolete, and trivial data and remediate information at risk of spillage. The Solution must also store electronic content holdings in VA File Shares to identify duplicated content and de-duplicate files as appropriate, remediate sensitive content such as personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI), agency confidential documents, and other information that should be controlled to minimize risk. The number of repositories will be determined by the electronic file analysis Solution but should not be limited. The file types within the repositories are based on the data owners and include but are not limited to common office file types such as xlsx, docx, pptx, pdf, etc.

The Period of Performance (PoP) shall be a 12-month base period with three (3) 12-month Option Periods for maintenance and support. The Solution shall be server based and its location and control will be managed by the FSC.

Vendor access will be configured using existing cybersecurity methodologies in VA Directive & Handbook.(https://vaww.va.gov/vapubs/search_action.cfm?dType=2)

VA’s requirements are detailed in the table below.

Quantity

SharePoint Connector, Perpetual

Due by the 1st of the month.

Due by the 1st of the month.

Quantity

Due by the 1st of the month.

Quantity

SharePoint Connector, 12 months maintenance and support

Due by the 1st of the month.

Quantity

Due by the 1st of the month.

1.1 ADVANCED ELECTRONIC FILE ANALYSIS SOLUTION SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS

The Solution’s salient characteristics are specified below:

1. Definitions:

a. Electronic File Analysis Solution – electronic file analysis Solution that extracts meaningful metadata universally from all supported file types. This Solution will enable VA to quickly identify and categorize documents by using policy metadata extraction rules.

b. Agentless – Software is not loaded on each workstation/area, rather centrally located.

2. Records Management Standards:

a. Develop rule-based records taxonomies and file plan structures that can be used to discover and auto-categorize files into retention schedules and manage this content in place or migrate it to restructured file shares or other systems.

b. Provide an automated method of monitoring ongoing compliance with information governance policies and periodically updating taxonomies and records metadata.

3. Security and Compliance:

a. Authentication: Users and services must authenticate with Smart Card aware with the ability to authenticate with a username/password as a requirement for accountability.

b. Software: All software to be installed/used will be evaluated on and approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs One‐VA Technical Reference Model (One‐VA TRM) approved list and be locally installed behind the VA FSC firewall to meet VA security requirements (www.va.gov/trm/searchpage.aspx). Contractor must submit names of all software to be used.

c. Accountability: Create an audit log entry that includes the minimum requirements:

i. Date/timestamps for activity

ii. Username associated with activity/action

iii. Status

iv. Starting / stopping services. The VA FSC uses windows integrated authentication, and do not store this information anywhere.

4. Request Type: For tasks such as index processing and deletions, the VA FSC store an edited by and created by value, along with an updated date record.

5. Software Support:

a. 24 x 7 x 365 software ticketing

b. Software Updates as released

c. Software Upgrades as released

1.1.1 ON-SITE SUPPORT AS NEEDED (WITHIN 24 HOURS) - ADVANCED ELECTRONIC FILE ANALYSIS SOLUTION GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The Solution shall:

1. Extract meaningful metadata universally from all supported file types. The Solution shall enable VA to quickly identify and categorize documents by using policy metadata extraction rules.

2. Be Agentless software is not loaded on each workstation/area, rather centrally.

3. Adhere to Records Management Standards at a minimum,

a. Develop rule-based records taxonomies and file plan structures that can be used to discover and auto-categorize

b. Place files into retention schedules and manage this content in place or migrate it to restructured file shares or other systems.

c. Provide an automated method of monitoring ongoing compliance with information governance policies and periodically updating taxonomies and records metadata.

4. Be scalable to millions of files per day.

5. Identify documents that are due for disposition based on internal or external policies, tag metadata, and mark-up documents for review, deletion, migration etc.

6. Discretely categorize documents regardless of format.

7. Be an agentless Solution that has 3% or less of total index size of total content under management.

1.1.2 ADVANCED ELECTRONIC FILE ANALYSIS SOLUTION TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

The solution has multiple phase requirements: Classification, Metadata creation and Extraction, and auto-classification. Specifically:

1. Classification Requirements:

a. Solution shall classify documents by textual analysis, keywords or layout, and then extract data from unstructured files.

b. Rules sets may be written to help identify the location of the text to be used for classification and extraction.

c. Shall pull key information directly from electronic documents fast and accurately.

d. Shall be able to identify and make sense of a wide variety of documents, regardless of their size, use of symbols, and language.

e. Shall recognize, sort and extract data from unstructured documents.

2. Metadata Extraction Requirements:

a. Metadata extraction rulesets shall be able to be modeled against the extracted metadata to refine logic sets and utilize regular expressions for pattern match and recognition.

b. All Metadata extraction structures shall be fully customizable in order to refine the categorization/classification rules for document identification.

c. Work packages shall be exportable to ensure integration with business processes.

d. Once index values have been identified, the software shall be able to extract data for review later in the validation process.

e. Software shall be able to compare recognized data to data that exists in unstructured environments.

3. Delivery Requirements:

a. After document repositories have gone through the previous stages, the documents along with its metadata, index information shall be able to be released to any of the following: database, Content Management System, file system, Line of Business Application, archive location, XML file, API with third party applications, or other specified destinations.

1.1.3 ADVANCED ELECTRONIC FILE ANALYSIS SOLUTION SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

1. Provide Security and Compliance including:

a. Authentication: Users and services shall authenticate with a unique id as a requirement for accountability.

b. Software: All software to be installed/used will be evaluated on and shall pass the Department of Veterans Affairs One‐VA TRM approved list and be locally installed behind the VA FSC firewall to meet VA security requirements (www.va.gov/trm/searchpage.aspx). Contractor shall submit names of all software to be used.

c. Accountability: Create an audit log entry that includes the minimum requirements including:

i. Date/timestamps for activity

ii. Username associated with activity/action

iii. Status

iv. Starting/stopping services. The FSC uses windows integrated authentication, and do not store this information anywhere.

v. Request Type: For tasks such as index processing and deletions, the VA FSC store an edited by and created by value, along with an updated date record

2. Support at a minimum, the following Operating Systems:

a. Windows Platforms

b. Windows Server 2008 64 bit

c. Windows Server 2008 R2

d. Windows Server 2012

e. Windows Server 2012 R2

f. Windows Server 2016

g. Windows Server 2019 (once AGM approved)

h. Windows 10

3. Support at a minimum, the following Databases:

a. Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (X64) - All Versions

b. Microsoft SQL Server 2014

c. Microsoft SQL Server 2016

4. Support at a minimum, the following Browsers:

a. Internet Explorer current version

b. Chrome current version

c. Microsoft Edge current version

1.2 SOLUTION MAINTENANCE, LICENSING AND SUPPORT

The Contractor shall provide twelve-months of software maintenance updates and software licensing for the software included in this PD.

The maintenance services shall adhere to the following requirements:

1. Support services shall be available by phone 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year.

2. The contractor shall provide current versions of all software included in this PD throughout the maintenance period.

3. The Contractor shall provide Premium software maintenance and technical support services covering software in this effort to include the following:

a. Direct access (phone and email) to Technical Support team 24-hours a day, 7 days a week (24/7).

b. Online support, providing access to: Software upgrades and updates to include major releases, point releases, service releases and security releases of applicable software.

c. The ability of the Facility Records Officer to extract reports from the system by department at the user access level.

d. Update the system with the current record control schedules.

e. Provide a user interface dashboard for ease of access by the Facility Records Officer.

f. The dashboard must define deficiencies based upon the current record control schedule. The granularity must be at the directorate and department level.

g. Data Mining support

h. Record Management support

2.0 SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

The contractor shall provide the following additional services.

2.1 CONTRACTOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Contractor shall deliver a Contractor Project Management Plan (CPMP) that lays out the Contractor’s approach, timeline and tools to be used in execution of the contract. The CPMP should take the form of both a narrative and graphic format that displays the schedule, milestones, risks and resource support. The CPMP shall also include how the Contractor shall coordinate and execute planned, routine, and ad hoc data collection reporting requests as identified within the PD. The initial baseline CPMP shall be concurred upon and updated in accordance with Section B of the contract. The Contractor shall update and maintain the VA Program Manager (PM) approved CPMP throughout the PoP.

The Project Manager shall serve as the single primary and direct Point of Contact (POC) throughout the PoP. The PM shall conduct calls a minimum of every other week with the VA PA, COR, and PM beginning one week after award and continuing throughout the duration of the effort.

Deliverable:

A. Contractor Project Management Plan

2.2 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide the COR with Monthly Progress Reports in electronic form in Microsoft Word and Project formats. The report shall include detailed instructions/explanations for each required data element, to ensure that data is accurate and consistent. These reports shall reflect data as of the last day of the preceding Month.

The Monthly Progress Reports shall cover all work completed during the reporting period and work planned for the subsequent reporting period. The report shall also identify any problems that arose and a description of how the problems were resolved. If problems have not been completely resolved, the Contractor shall provide an explanation including their plan and timeframe for resolving the issue. It is expected that the Contractor will keep in communication with VA accordingly so that issues that arise are transparent to both parties to prevent escalation of outstanding issues.

Deliverable:

A. Monthly Progress Report

2.3 ADDITIONAL SERVICES

The Contractor shall provide Subject Matter Expertise services in support of this effort in the areas of Data Mining and Records Management. Any contractor discussion, analyses, recommendations, and conclusions shall be documented in the VA Monthly Activity Report.

2.3.1 DATA MINING SERVICES

The contractor shall provide Data Mining Subject Matter expertise for ongoing support of the data analysis and management of the VA digital file environment. The subject matter expert be expert in the proposed Solution and setup, configure and customize the Solution to meet VA requirements. At a minimum the Data Mining Subject Matter expert shall:

a. Be fully trained on all aspects of the Advanced Electronic File Analysis Systems.

b. Provides support related to the installation, capabilities, and use of the Advanced Electronic File Analysis specific to the VA FSC.

c. Provide comprehensive Advanced Electronic File Analysis System orientation to VA FSC focused on system configuration, application installation, application capabilities, and Advanced Electronic File Analysis System use cases.

d. Provide Advanced Electronic File Analysis System administration and user documentation where required in either a digital or paper form that provides information on system configuration, application installation, application capabilities, and application products.

e. Guide and assist in the configuration of the computer system in preparation for the application installation.

f. Install the Advanced Electronic File Analysis System application.

g. Train selected VA on the operation and maintenance of the Advanced Electronic File Analysis System

h. Train selected VA FSC staff on the use and workflow of Advanced Electronic File Analysis System

i. Guide and assist VA FSC staff in selecting candidate sets for use in Advanced Electronic File Analysis System

j. Guide and assist VA FSC staff in producing Advanced Electronic File Analysis System products in either digital or paper form.

Please Note: The Data Mining Subject Matter Expert Will Not directly interact with the data; will not have network access, VPN access will not be authorized; Actual interaction will be performed by agency personnel.

3.0 NOTICE OF THE FEDERAL ACCESSIBILITY LAW AFFECTING ALL INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) PROCUREMENTS (SECTION 508) On January 18, 2017, the Access Board issued a final rule that updated accessibility requirements covered by Section 508 and refreshed guidelines for telecommunications equipment subject to Section 255 of the Communications Act. The final rule went into effect on January 18, 2018. 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.

3.1 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: Revised 508 Standards and 255 Guidelines (access-board.gov). A single PDF file version of the Revised Section 508 Standards and 255 Guidelines will be supplied upon request, or can be obtained from the Access Board website. Federal agencies must comply with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

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:

3.2 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.

3.3 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.

4.0 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY USING SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT

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 14148, “Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions,” dated January 20, 2025; Executive Order 13221, “Energy-Efficient Standby Power Devices,” dated August 2, 2001; and the Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Overhaul (RFO) to provide ENERGY STAR® certified and Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) Designated Low Standby Power information technology products, see https://www.energy.gov/femp/search-energy-efficient-products. See http://www.energystar.gov for complete product specifications and updated lists of Energy Star certified products. FEMP low standby power product listing can be found at https://www.energy.gov/femp/low-standby-power-product-list.

The Contractor shall provide products that meet the definition of sustainable products if the products are delivered to the Government; furnished by the Contractor for use by the Government, incorporated into the construction of a public building or public work, or acquired by the Contractor for use in performing services under a Government contract where the cost of the products is a direct cost to a Government contract (versus costs which are normally applied to a contractor's general and administrative expenses or indirect costs).

Specifically, the Contractor shall provide sustainable products under this contract in accordance with RFO 52.223-23 (NOV 2025). The applicable products with their associated certification and/or designation required (e.g. Energy Star, FEMP Low Standby Power) are identified within the product requirements specifications in this PD. The Contractor shall self-certify that its proposed products meet the certification(s) and/or designation(s) specified.

5.0 SHIPMENT OF SOFTWARE

Inspection: Destination Acceptance: Destination Free on Board (FOB): Destination

Ship To and Mark For:

Primary:

Alternate: