6-B162-P-00001-00 Addendum 1.doc

Jeremy Sladetz Procurement Specialist III Office of the Chief Financial Officer

Procurement Department

Argonne National Laboratory

9700 South Cass Avenue, Bldg. 201

Lemont, IL 60439

Phone: (630) 252-7946 Email: jsladetz@anl.gov

November 12, 2025

TO ALL OFFERORS:

Subject:

Statement of Work for End User Support Request for FORMDROPDOWN No. 6-B162-P-00001-00 Addendum No. One (1) Attached herewith for your information and use in preparing your proposal for subject project is one (1) copy of Addendum No. One (1).

Kindly acknowledge receipt of this Addendum by signing and returning one (1) copy of this letter.

Please email receipt to Procurement at jsladetz@anl.gov.

Sincerely, Jeremy Sladetz Procurement Specialist III Procurement Department

Receipt Acknowledged:

Company:

By:

Addendum No. One (1)

TO

REQUEST FOR FORMDROPDOWN

6-B162-P-00001-00

FOR

End User Support November 12, 2025 This addendum is being issued to modify the subject FORMDROPDOWN as follows:

I. Amendment to Enclosure No. 1 – RFP Instructions

“Enclosure No. 1 – RFP Instructions” is hereby amended as follows:

1. Enclosure 1 Part I “REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL”, Subsection “GENERAL INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS”, Article F is hereby amended to read as follows:

Enclosure No. 6 is an Organizational Conflicts of Interest Disclosure/Representation. The Laboratory has determined that the Department of Energy's (DOE's) regulations pertaining to Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI) are applicable to the subject requirement. Enclosure No. 6 should be completed and returned with the proposal. The purpose of obtaining the above information is to ensure that there is an avoidance of situations: (1) which place an offeror in a position where its judgment may be biased because of any past, present, or currently planned interest, financial or otherwise, that the offeror may have which relates to the work to be performed pursuant to this solicitation, or (2) where the offeror's performance of such work may provide it with an unfair competitive advantage. (As used herein "offeror" means the proposer or any of its affiliates or proposed consultants or subcontractors of any tier.)

1. Enclosure 1 Part III “INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF PROPOSALS, Subsection Part II “Business/Management Proposal”, Article B “Acceptance Period of Proposal” is hereby amended to read as follows:

Offeror shall provide a statement that the proposal will remain valid for acceptance for a minimum period of one hundred and eighty (180) days after closing date set for receipt of proposals.

II. Amendment to Enclosure No. 4 – Evaluation Criteria

“Enclosure No. 4 – Evaluation Criteria” is hereby amended as follows:

1. Article V “Technical Criteria”, Subsection B “Qualitative Scoring”, opening paragraph is hereby amended to read as follows:

The following qualitative merit criteria will be used to determine the technical value of the offer in meeting the objectives of the solicitation. Each qualitative merit criteria and sub-criteria and its assigned adjectival rating are provided in the following chart, which is listed in order of importance from most important to least important.

1. Article VI “Contractor Responsibility Determination”, Subsection B “Acceptance Period of Proposal” is hereby amended to read as follows:

Offeror shall provide a statement that the proposal will remain valid for acceptance for a minimum period of one hundred and eighty (180) days after closing date set for receipt of proposals.

III. Clarifications and Offeror Questions

Please refer to “Appendix A – Clarifications and Offeror Questions”, attached hereto and made a part hereof, for a list of clarifications and answers to Offeror questions.

Appendix A – Clarifications and Offeror Questions

Proposal Submission / General Information

Q: Is this a new requirement? If not, could you please share the incumbent Contractor’s name and current contract value?

A: This is not a new requirement; however, we are not at liberty to discuss information pertaining to the incumbent Contractor or provide any information pertaining to the existing contract.

Q: Can the Government please confirm the awarded subcontract award will be made directly from UChicago Argonne, LLC

A: Yes, award will be made directly from UChicago Argonne, LLC

Q: The Cover Letter specifies proposals must remain valid for 150 days, and Enclosure 4 states that proposals must remain valid for 180 days. Can you clarify how long the proposals must remain valid?

A: The proposals will need to remain valid for 180 days.

Q: Is there any page limit for Part II – Business/Management response?

A: No, there is no page limit for Part II

Q: Please clarify if the 50-page limit includes all sections (Executive Summary, Technical Approach, Management Approach, Transition Plan) or if each criterion has separate page allocations?

A: The fifty page limit includes all sections; there is no separate page allocations.

Q: Can the Government please confirm resumes are not subject to the fifty page limit?

A: Resumes will not be subject to the fifty page limit.

Q: The RFP indicates that Past Performance may not exceed three (3) pages. Is this limit per past performance instance, or in total? Additionally, would it be considered to increase this limit?

A: Past Performance may not exceed three (3) pages in total, including all past performances instances. This limit will not be raised.

Q: What are the required font type, font size, margins, and line spacing for the proposal? (e.g., Times New Roman 12pt, 1-inch margins, single-spaced?)

A: There are no format requirements.

Q: Can you confirm if the “Enclosure 5 – Representations and Certifications” and “Enclosure 6 – OCI Disclosure” should be submitted in “Part I – Technical Proposal”, “Part II – Business Management Proposal”, or “Part III – Cost/Price Proposal”? Will these enclosures count towards the page count limits?

A: These forms should be submitted separately from these three parts. These forms will not be included in any page count requirements.

Q: The RFP instructions state: “The technical proposal shall contain responses for all of the requirements referenced within the Statement of Work.” However, the Evaluation Criteria appear to address only a subset of the SOW requirements. Can the Government confirm whether the offeror is required to provide technical responses for all SOW requirements, or only for those specifically referenced within the Evaluation Criteria?

A: The Offeror is required to provide technical responses for all SOW requirements.

Q: Enclosure No. 2.D includes a link to fill out form ANL-209L. (https://anl.box.com/s/x95hg2iv57hlrst0a68cjtfu1q7abr3i). This link requires access to Argonne’s “BOX” website. Is completion of form ANL-209L a post-contract award action and therefore not required with proposal submission?

A: Correct. This will be completed post-award.

Q: Could you please confirm whether proposals from teams or joint ventures, with a designated prime contractor and teaming partners, will be accepted?

A: Yes, they will be accepted

Q: The evaluation criteria currently states "The Cost/Price Proposal will be judged on realistic cost/prices and the evaluated probable cost to the laboratory, all factors considered". Will Offerors be provided the opportunity to receive information from the evaluation committee and provide clarifications to any probable cost adjustments made by the laboratory prior to final award?

A: If the technical evaluation teams deems that clarifications will be necessary, these clarifications will be sought from the Offeror.

Contract Terms / Information

Q: What is the process for requesting exceptions/deviations from contract terms?

A: Exceptions/deviations to contract terms will need to be submitted with the proposal.

Q: Will the work under this contract require a Small Business Subcontracting Plan?

A: No, this contract will not be subject to a Small Business Subcontracting Plan

Q: Can the Government please advise if the contract work subject to SERVICE CONTRACT ACT (SCA) or PUBLIC CONTRACTS ACT (PCA)?

A: It is expected that portions of this work will be subject to SCA. As such, the applicable wage determinations have been included in this solicitation.

Q: From the sample order: “The Contractor shall be ineligible to participate in any capacity in Laboratory contracts, subcontracts, or proposals therefor (solicited and unsolicited) which stem directly from the Contractor's performance of work under this contract for a period of five years after the completion of this contract.” Please confirm "Laboratory" is in reference to the Argonne Laboratory and not all DOE Laboratories?

A: “Laboratory” is referencing Argonne specifically, and not all DOE Laboratories.

Q: How is pricing structured — by labor category, service bundle, or fixed monthly rate?

A: Proposals shall be a firm-fixed price in accordance with the Cost Proposal. Premium services will be time and materials.

Site Information

Q: How many sites or facilities are included within the scope of this contract?

A: Argonne is the only site under the Argonne SOW requirement. Argonne as a site consists of multiple buildings within the complex. There is also a site location in downtown Chicago but any services provided there fall under premium services.

Q: Is the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) mandatory at any site? If so, will it be provided by Argonne or expected to be supplied by the Offeror?

A: Argonne will provide the PPE for those who require it. There are parts of Argonne where PPE use is mandatory.

Q: Are there any cleanroom or controlled environments within the facility? If so, are Offeror technicians expected to perform work inside those environments?

A: Yes, but only for those we support. Technicians will be required to complete the appropriate training to perform such work.

Q: Are there any technology usage restrictions applicable to onsite staff (Example: use of personal cell phones, smart devices, earbuds, or laptops)?

A: In general, no but certain areas might have restrictions. However, Argonne work must be performed on Argonne-issued equipment (e.g., laptops) and not personal devices.

Q: Will Offeror-issued equipment be permitted for onsite use? If not, will Argonne provide site-approved PCs or laptops for onsite activities?

A: Argonne will provide all necessary endpoints to perform the work required to support the SOW requirements. Offeror issued equipment will be considered BYOD and subject to BYOD policies.

Q: Are there any restricted areas within the facilities? If so, will Offeror’s team require access to those areas, and what is the process for obtaining authorization?

A: Yes. The restricted areas may require specific training for access. Argonne will provide that training.

Q: On-site support is mentioned several places. The lab is expected to provide space for this walk-up support. Can the lab detail the maximum number of support staff that can be housed in the available space?

A: Argonne will accommodate the solution presented with onsite space as needed. It is not expected that all staff be onsite as hybrid solutions are acceptable.

Service Desk / Ticket Management

Q: Please provide us the comprehensive list of users. In this section it says 4700 Employees, 5000-7000 Guest Users, 2500 Additional Users, 400-500 Students. Does this mean, Should we support 14700 Users?

A: The scope of support varies by users. The short answer is no, it’s not 14700 users. However, networking, email and some other overarch services are support by the central IT organization (Business Information Services – BIS) for the entire lab. The lab also has several other IT organizations that provide support for mission specific areas. Solutions should be based on the volume provided as effort or supported services per user for every persona is too complex to outline. Knowledge does exist for some of those complexities and support organizations are in the ITSM tool

Q: What are the current average monthly ticket volumes (incidents, requests, problems)?

A:Provided in the SOW

Q: What is the current ticket volume breakdown by channel (phone, email, web, chat, walk-in)?

A: Phone volume is in the appendix of the SOW. Walk up volume is 12-20 per week and email and Service Catalogs make up the balance of the volume. Chat support does not exist today.

Q: Please share the Average Handle Time (AHT) metrics for the past year to assist with staffing and SLA modeling?

A:We do not track AHT or agent utilization metrics

Q: How are tickets distributed across tiers (Tier 1, 2, 3)?

A: The question is not clear. Are we talking about the current active ticket count? Resolution? Backlog? Escalation process?

Q: Please confirm who will serve as the point(s) of contact for L2 and L3 escalations supporting the onsite technicians?

A: This will depend on the ticket subject.

Q: Could you provide a breakdown of incidents handled during business hours, after-hours, and weekends?

A: Non business hour support volume is extremely low (<5 per month)

Q: How many walk-up visits (233 building) do the Service Desk currently handle per day/week?

A: It averages 12-20 per week

Q: Is there an existing VIP user list and expected response SLAs for VIP support?

A: VIP users are identified in the tool. All SLAs and VIP support requirements are in the SOW.

Q: Will the VIP support scope extend to providing assistance at VIP residences or offsite locations (e.g., for remote connectivity, executive events, or home-office support)? If yes, please outline any specific security, access, or travel protocols that apply to such visits.

A:No

Q: Is it expected that the personnel assigned to VIP support will be required to travel onsite or offsite with VIP users (e.g., for events, conferences, or remote sessions)?

A: No offsite travel will be required. AV does provide occasional offsite support per SOW requirements.

Q: Is it Argonne’s expectation that VIP support resources be dedicated and physically onsite during business hours, with on-call coverage provided after business hours, weekends, and holidays?

A: They don’t have to be dedicated VIP support resources.

Q: What is the typical surge call volume, and when does it occur (beginning of calendar or fiscal year, system outages, etc?

A:There are no surge call volume that should impact staffing for arrival times. Call volume by month has been presented in the SOW.

Q: What are the performance standards and SLAs? Are the historical volume and SLA data in Appendix B-1 intended as baseline SLA targets, or provided for reference only?

A:SLAs are in the SOW and are typical year to year.

Q: What are the expected KPIs and reporting frequency for the Service Desk?

A:SLAs are in the SOW. Argonne expects the vendor to propose additional metrics and KPI’s required to manage their operations, along with a quality program to measure, monitor and demonstrate performance.

Q: What are the escalation procedures for critical incidents?

A: Argonne has a critical incident procedure documented. Escalation of all potential critical incident flow through the Incident Manager.

Q: What is the expected turnaround for vulnerability remediation or incident escalation timelines?

A: For vulnerability remediation, the expected turnaround times are determined by the shortest qualifying description:

Emergency - As defined by CSPO

BOD-22-01 vulnerability - As specified by DHS

CVE Critical - 15 days from the date of detection

CVE High - 30 days from the date of detection

Exploitable (Medium/Low)- 45 days from the date of detection

These values align with DOE Cyber Security requirements, BOD-19-02, and BOD 22-01

For incident escalation timelines, refer to the incident management process.

Q: Please share the ITSM service portfolio, specifically the top incident categories typically received by the Service Desk.

A: We do not currently categorize incidents.

Q: What Everbridge and Microsoft Teams bridge setup exists for Major Incident management?

A:There is a Teams bridge for MIM

Q: Who comprises the current technical resolution team for Major Incidents?

A:It varies by systems or applications impacted by or causing the Major Incident.

Q: What is the current incident backlog volume and aging?

A: Incident backlog is something we attempt to keep as low as possible. Resolution times are in alignment with the KPIs/SLAs we provided in the SOW.

Q: What are the current Major Incident postmortem procedures and frequency?

A: Our Incident Management process does require a process postmortem to be executed as soon as possible. It is expected these take place within 5 business days or less.

Q: What are the existing incident classification categories and criteria?

A: Incidents are classified based on configuration item, service, and detailed service offering. Impact and urgency are used to identify priority. This is included in the appendix of the SOW.

Q: Could you please clarify whether the Service Desk will have direct access to vendor portals for logging support cases or whether this must go through the BIS team?

A: This will depend on the service, typically the SD will have access to vendors for the services they support. The SD will also have access to several vendors for request fulfilment.

Q: What is the expected monthly volume of account requests (create, modify, disable)?

A: Account requests will vary based on access requirements and time of year. Account requests may be handled by the Service Desk, but some are handled through password tools and L2 support. General onboarding/offboarding account provisioning/deprovisioning is largely automated.

Q: Are operator calls integrated with the ITSM/ACD system, or handled separately?

A: Separately

Q: Can you please provide call volume related to printers related issues?

A: No

Q: Is there currently a specific role that is reviewing and triaging alerts in Splunk or is this done by the service desk?

A: Required support by the Service Desk is defined in the SOW. Knowledge articles do exist or can be created in support of, including created by, the Service Desk ticket handling.

Endpoint Device Support / Asset Management

Q: Could you please confirm the total number of endpoints in scope (desktops, laptops, tablets, and lab devices) by platform (Windows, macOS, Linux, mobile) for accurate sizing and SLA planning?

A:

· Windows – 2800, currently managed with Microsoft Configuration Manager/Intune

· MacOS – 700, currently managed with Jamf

· Linux – not in scope

· Mobile devices

· iPad/iOS - ~400, currently managed with Jamf

· Android ~100, not enterprise managed currently

· Handheld scanners ~50, not enterprise managed currently, but are supported.

· Pagers (receive and deploy) ~450

· We do not manage BYOD devices but do manage and provide limited support for MAM on personal devices.

Q: Are special-purpose or research-controlled devices (Example: Linux, scientific instrumentation) included in MSP scope, or excluded?

A: Some special-purpose devices such as digital signage, conference rooms, kiosk, shared Windows/Mac devices are in scope. “Research controlled,” scientific instrumentation, and otherwise non-commodity devices are excluded.

Q: Could you please provide the average and peak monthly volume of IMAC (Install, Move, Add, Change) activities across the Argonne campus, broken down by device type (e.g., desktops, laptops, peripherals, monitors, printers, and AV equipment)? Additionally, please confirm whether these IMACs are scheduled requests (planned changes) or if they also include ad-hoc break/fix replacements?

A: Not tracked currently. While most IMACs are planned in advance and scheduled, we do have to deal with urgent break/fix scenarios.

Q: What is the average and maximum number of concurrent device imaging activities performed per day?

Please specify whether this capacity is limited by infrastructure (e.g., network bandwidth, imaging servers) or by available technician resources.

A: This is not limited by infrastructure.

Q: What is the current refresh cycle for endpoint devices (currently stated as 5 years / 20% per year)? Is this flexible?

A: Not flexible although may be less due to budget limitations.

Q: Will Argonne provide all hardware procurement and logistics, or is the MSP responsible for ordering through approved vendors?

A: Argonne will provide and procure all necessary hardware. The MSP may be asked to facilitate this process through Argonne Procurement.

Q: What is the average and maximum number of concurrent device imaging activities performed per day? Please specify whether this capacity is limited by infrastructure (e.g., network bandwidth, imaging servers) or by available technician resources.

A: This is not limited by infrastructure.

Q: Who manages warranty claims and vendor coordination (Argonne or Offeror)?

A: Seller manages the logistics and recording for warranty claims through existing agreements

Q: What is the growth forecast for end-user/device/end node support?

A: Growth should not be factored into proposed solutions.

Q: Could you please confirm the total number and brands of printers (networked, local, plotters, and specialized devices) supported under the Managed Print and local printer scope?

A: The MSP will manage and provide support and logistics for our printers through a mix of local device management and existing print contracts. On example is a separate contract with Canon for equipment and supplies.

Outside of that contract, most printers are HP.

Q: What asset scanning software is currently in use?

A:At the time of the next period of performance, Argonne will be using Device42 discovery agent thru Freshservice.

Q: How many assets are currently tracked in the system?

A:All of our managed devices are currently being tracked

Q: What is the current asset discovery scan frequency?

A: The Device 42 discovery agent is configured to report in once per day.

Q: How many stockrooms currently exist, and where are they located?

A: The current MSP utilizes three stockrooms:

BIS 202 Stockroom – located with desktop support team

BIS 233 Stockroom – located with the Service Desk

AV stockroom - located in building 202 near desktop support

Q: What are the current asset management KPIs and performance levels?

A: We currently track:

Refresh candidates vs refreshed monthly

Stock levels

New computer deployments weekly/monthly

Computers excessed weekly/monthly

Q: What audit processes are currently in place for assets? Will the MSP be responsible for quarterly stock audits and reconciliation reporting?

A: Stockroom audits are done on a bi-monthly basis. The MSP will assist the Argonne Property Program with audits of existing systems throughout the year.

Q: How are repair procedures currently documented and tracked?

A: Repairs are currently tracked via tickets, but a more formal tracking process may be developed in the future. The current MSP provides trained technicians for repairing endpoint devices based on warranty. Currently limited to Dell and Apple.

Q: What percentage of assets have accurate CMDB CI information?

A: We are in the process of switching to Freshservice and device42 as our CMDB platform. We will only load verified data so at the time of the contract the CMDB will be 100% accurate.

Q: The SOW notes ~20 loaner devices today — could you confirm whether that volume is expected to grow and whether the MSP must procure and refresh these devices or just manage them operationally?

A: It is not expected to grow. MSP must manage them operationally, but they are factored into the refresh program.

Q: Could you please confirm whether loaner and replacement equipment are included in this inventory and whether Argonne or the MSP replenishes stock?

A: Argonne replenishes stock

Q: Please clarify the extent of BYOD support (Example: does it include personal printers, tablets, or laptops)?

A: Best effort

Q: How are break-fix incidents for BYOD devices expected to be managed under this policy?

A: Best effort. Typical support for a BYOD mobile devices centers around the secure access support of Argonne-supported application such as Outlook and Teams. It generally involves actions such as resetting their MFA on the backend infrastructure and does not involve touching the device.

Q: [Regarding Enclosure 2.B Statement of Work – 6.8.2] Does disposition include physical destruction of devices or are the devices disposed back to the lab for proper physical disposal?

A: Argonne has a contract for the destruction of digital media and storage devices. Support in this area includes the preparation of a device for disposal (drive removal and battery removal), tracking the removed drive(s) and steps associated with the end-of-life property management transactions. The MSP will also assist with the handover of devices to the device destruction contractor.

A/V

Q: How many AV/VTC rooms currently exist, and what is their distribution by size/type?

A: This list is maintained by the current vendor. The data below outlines the rooms and sizes that are supported and details and location will be given out during transition.

Q: What are the current AV standards (Teams Rooms, Visix, etc.)?

A: The AV team is responsible support of common conference rooms using various AV technology. Many of the rooms do use Microsoft Teams Rooms functionality. Visix is primarily used for our digital signage. AV technology is based on the requirements of the room and function of the event being supported.

Q: Are there any ongoing or planned AV upgrade projects during this contract term?

A: There are yearly upgrades that have yet to be planned. Most of this occurs with the use of premium services

Q: Will the Offeror be expected to design and install AV solutions or only support them?

A: Both

Q: The SOW requires “300 hours of engineering support” for AV/VTC annually. Can Argonne clarify whether these hours are fixed (ceiling) or estimated usage subject to variation?

A: Fixed ceiling. Additional hours can be billed via the Premium Services.

Q: For the included 300 engineering hours, what work types qualify (standards evolution, drawings, commissioning), how is time tracked/approved, and should additional design be proposed per-project (chargeback) or retainer blocks?

A: This can be negotiated upon award but it will include design, drawings, commissioning. Generally, the seller will submit hours on a monthly invoice.

Q: Should AV techs provide setup-only, live operation, and teardown, or technical readiness & on-call? For hybrid events, who owns platform facilitation?

A: AV is engaged in various meetings based on the type of meeting, the importance of the meeting to the lab and senior leadership, and the meeting topic/agenda. The level of support varies. In some meetings, AV is involved in technical set-up and teardown, as well as meeting support. AV services are typically requested by the meeting organizers. This includes support of hybrid events.

Q: Could you please provide the list of off-site locations or facilities where AV/VTC services may be required, including their approximate distance from the main campus and any security or access requirements?

A:Various locations within a 25 mile radius. This type of support is infrequent

Q: Please confirm the average monthly event volume within the baseline of 65 events and indicate the typical mix of short (< 2 hours), medium (2–6 hours), and extended (> 6 hours) events, along with expected seasonal or peak-period variations.

A: This varies by month and lab activity.

Q: Could you please confirm whether concurrent AV/VTC events occur at Argonne, and if so, provide an estimate of the average and peak number of simultaneous events per month or year to support capacity and staffing planning?

A: yes. The volume depends on the month and lab activity

Q: Please provide the digital signage inventory (locations, screen counts, Visix player models/OS, content ownership), and confirm whether MSP assists with content scheduling or tech ops only.

A: Display content is managed by our communication organization (CPA). There is typically at least 1 digital signage device per building, as well as the 3 gates. Size and complexity of the device is based on the function of the sign. The primary software used for the digital signage is Visix. There are currently 66 Visix devices supported as part of this contract.

Q: Should all AV assets (including signage players and peripherals) be CMDB-tracked in ServiceNow with lifecycle statuses, and what barcode/asset-tagging standard must be used?

A: At this time, we are migrating to a new ITSM solution, which includes asset tracking and CMDB management. This is done today and will continue to be a requirement.

Q: How is premium eligibility confirmed (who approves), what’s the billing workflow (cost codes, ticket linkage), and are SLA variances acceptable for premium/short-notice work?

A: Premium is defined in the SOW. Billed monthly via normal monthly invoice process. Short notices or nonstandard support request do not factor into SLA performance.

Q: Could you please provide a list of commonly requested rental hardware items and confirm whether the MSP is expected to procure / maintain rental stock or source on-demand from approved suppliers?

A: Rentals are not as common as they used to be. The MSP is expected to provide the rentals either directly or through a subcontractor. For commonly rented items, Argonne may decide to procure the item to reduce long term rental spend.

Q: Please confirm if onsite AV storage or staging space will be provided for equipment and spares, and specify the location and access policies.

A: Onsite storage space will be provided.

Personnel

Q: Is there a requirement for Offerors to have an office within close proximity of Argonne National Laboratory?

Q: Are resumes required only for key personnel, or should we also include resumes for non-key personnel (e.g., Service Desk leads, AV technicians, Cyber support staff)? If non-key personnel resumes are required, is there a page limit or format we should follow?

A: Only for key personnel.

Q: Can we utilize the same Key Personnel (KP) for both the Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory projects, or is separate staffing required for each contract?

A: Yes, the shared resources are key to providing value to both labs.

Q: Are the Key Personnel stated in SOW 2.1 required or suggested? Are Offerors to propose additional Key Personnel as they see appropriate or required?

A: Required. Yes, sellers may propose additional resources.

Q: Could you provide the historical staffing matrix and the number of full-time staff currently supporting this requirement?

Q: Are there specific minimum certifications or clearances required beyond ITIL Foundation (e.g., CompTIA Security+, AVIXA CTS, Dell/Apple hardware certifications)?

A: Seller should determine their needs.

Q: Can the government confirm there are no clearance requirements for any of the personnel employed under this contract?

A: No clearance requirement. All personnel must be able to obtain a general HSPD12 credential

Q: Are staff expected to complete DOE or NIST 800-63 Level 3 identity verification prior to onboarding?

A: No. IAL3 will be fulfilled using the HSPD-12 process. This process takes several months and does not have to complete prior to onboarding.

Q: What Argonne-specific training courses are required for IT staff?

A: Varies by duty. Argonne will provide.

Q: What is the typical training completion timeline for new staff?

A: There are severalhours of initial training depending on job duties. A ½ day, New Employee Orientation will take place for non-incumbent staff.

Q: Is the mandatory Argonne compliance training required only for onsite technicians, or must all offsite/remote staff complete the same training modules (Example., security, safety, compliance)?

A: Varies by duty. Some training is mandatory for all staff either on or off site.

Q: Will Argonne provide initial environment training and knowledge materials?

A: Yes

Q: “Every member of staff provided by the Seller shall have ITIL V3 or newer foundations training either at the time of hire or within 6 months of their start date.” Does this include off-site escalation staff?

Q: What Job Hazard Questionnaires (JHQs) are relevant to IT support roles?

A: Depends on the role duties. All personnel with access to the facility or to IT resources will have a JHQ.

Q: What safety incidents have occurred in IT operations in the past 2-3 years?

A: Argonne has had typical wokrplace safety incidents with commercial power and physical risks with no injuries.

Q: Can offsite staff handle Tier 1 or after-hours support if they meet cyber vetting standards?

Q: What is the expected onsite/offsite staffing ratio for Service Desk and Desktop Support?

A: Seller should determine.

Q: Will Argonne consider a shared service center for after-hours support?

Q: To enhance consistency in support, facilitate joint initiatives, improve cross-laboratory communication and coordination, and achieve cost and staffing efficiencies for the Government, can key personnel be concurrently utilized by both Fermi and Argonne?

Q: How many process manager roles are expected (Incident/Knowledge/Problem/Change)?

A: Seller should interpret requirements and propose a solution.

Q: Are the Incident/Knowledge Process Manager and Change/Problem Process Manager currently combined roles or separate positions?

A: Seller should interpret requirements and propose a solution.

Q: What is the expected workload distribution between these process manager roles?

A: SOW outlines requirements for roles.

Q: What are the specific hours for "normal business hours" for process manager availability?

A:Normal business hours and position requirements are defined in the SOW.

Q: What escalation paths exist when process managers are unavailable?

A: Escalation would go to the Argonne Service Management Team

Q: What level of seniority/experience is expected for process manager roles?

A: Bidders should determine this

Q: Could you please confirm whether Argonne anticipates or requires any form of rebadging or transition of existing MSP personnel under the new agreement?

A: Incumbent capture is up to the awarded seller.

Q: Please confirm whether offsite personnel supporting this contract are required to undergo the same NIST 800-63 Identity Assurance Level 3 (IAL3) and Authentication Assurance Level 3 (AAL3) vetting process as onsite staff

A: Yes. All personnel, regardless of on-site, off-site, or hybrid status must go through the same processes.

Business Systems

Q: Sections 2 of the Statement of Work states, "Argonne National Laboratory currently leverages the ServiceNow platform as the Argonne ITSM tool standard for tickets and reporting. However, Argonne is currently transitioning from ServiceNow to the Freshworks platform, scheduled to be completed by the end of calendar year 2026." Can the government confirm that the work accompanying this transition is outside the scope of this contract?

A: Outside of the reporting requirements and training in the new tool, a separate vendor is performing the transition.

Q: What version of ServiceNow is currently in use, and what is the timeline for the Freshservice transition?

A: Argonne will be on Freshservice before the end of FY26. The cutover is scheduled for August.

Q: During the ITSM migration, should offerors assume a period of dual-tool operation (parallel ServiceNow + FreshWorks) or a single cut-over event?

A: We are targeting a single cut over event

Q: What systems are expected to replace ServiceNow after migration to Freshworks (end of 2026)?

A: Freshservice, Device 42, Jira, Everbridge are the known replacement platforms

Q: What development resources will Argonne provide for integration work?

A: In house dev resources are available for integrations only in limited scope and in preapproved environments only. Bidder should provide the resources to develop, manage and integrate from the bidder’s side and provide reporting as outlined in the SOW.

Q: What is the current change control process for ITSM tool modifications?

A: We have a standard change management process. Tool modification would need to be presented to the business owner.

Q: Will Argonne provide access to its SIEM platform (Splunk), or must the Offeror deploy its own monitoring tools?

A: Argonne may provide access to systems required to support SOW requirements.

Q: Should the Offeror provide process improvement recommendations or is Argonne managing ITSM optimization internally?

A: The offeror should have a process to provide formal improvement recommendations.

Q: Will a VDI solution be available for offsite resources to connect to network resources?

A: Not a traditional VDI solution.

Q: Can Argonne share details on the current ACD system in use and any required integration points? Should a proposed ACD system be hosted on-premises or may it be fully cloud-based (FedRAMP requirement)?

A: It can be either on prem or cloud based, with appropriate Argonne Cyber Security approval. Should have integrated reporting available to Argonne along with a dashboard for the call queue visible to staff and key stakeholders.

Q: What phone system is currently in use? Will the selected vendor inherit the existing system or be responsible for providing a new one?

A: Sellers should provide their own ACD solution.

Q: What collaboration tools does Argonne use (SharePoint, Teams, etc.)?

A: Teams and Box.

Q: Could you please confirm if Argonne Labs is open to introduce latest COTS solutions to enhance the operations for the services outlined in the SOW?

A: Include those as part of your proposal.

Q: The SOW notes, “Assist with access to server-based and cloud-based resources.” Which cloud service providers are in use (AWS, Azure, GCP, or hybrid)? What level of access or permission will the MSP have for these resources (user provisioning only, or admin-level troubleshooting)

A: This requirement covers the provisioning only. Adequate permissions and knowledge will be given to support this requirement.

Q: Is there an automated identity management system (Example: Entra, SailPoint, Okta), or are provisioning steps fully manual?

A: No. There is an internal tool that is leveraged for some provisioning. Some provisioning is done manually.

Security

Q: Do you have a current RBAC policy at the AD level or are there other RBAC that need to be implemented across the system and if so what are they and which systems?

A: RBAC is typically through the use of AD groups that are managed by a custom application. Implementation is per-application/system. For example, the administrator of Splunk would need to configure relevant roles and assign an AD group to that role. Membership and review of the AD group is managed through the custom application.

Q: Risk Assessment and Evaluation: Automated risk scoring, customizable risk criteria, and risk mitigation tracking. Who and what currently defines risk within your current system? How do you define risk? What are the criteria, and how are they applied? How are they currently automated?

A: Risk scoring and tracking varies per system. However, we largely do not use automated or quantified risk scores.

Q: Certification: Current certification status and compliance details. Does this entire case management system need to be FedRamp approved or just the data center which the SaaS needs to delivered? And does this FedRamp certification need to be approved upon delivery or in process? What FedRamp certs need to complied with: Low, Medium, or High?

A: FedRAMP is not a firm requirement from our Authorizing Official. However, it significantly increases the likelihood of approval for use. FedRAMP Moderate on the application would be the most beneficial.

Q: Security and Privacy: Encryption, access controls, and data protection measures. What are your current security policies as they relate to your request? Are you using third party tools and security products to meet the requirements? Do you allow third party Software /Hardware to meet these requirements?

A: We primarily rely on aggregated data from existing tools (e.g, Jamf, Intune, SCCM, Crowdstrike, etc.) into Axonius to identify non-compliance with basic cyber hygiene concerns. The source tool is often the tool that enforces the requirement.

Q: Is the Offeror required to hold specific FedRAMP authorizations for any hosted tools?

A: It is not a firm requirement but is beneficial when requesting approval for the use of any hosted tools.

Q: Are CrowdStrike Falcon, Nessus, and Splunk dashboards accessible to the Desktop Support team for compliance verification, or will reporting be handled through ticket updates only?

A: Other means of validating access are available without direct access to the tools mentioned. Tenable/Nessus data is viewable by the support team. CrowdStrike and Splunk dashboards are not currently accessible by the desktop support team for compliance verification but we’re open to a discussion on limited access.

Q: Please clarify the delineation of responsibilities between the Offeror and Argonne’s Cyber Security Program Office. Specifically, which cybersecurity functions and operational tasks are expected to be performed by the Offeror under this contract, and which will remain under the purview of Argonne’s internal Cyber Security team.

A: Argonne’s Cyber Security Program Office remains accountable for all cybersecurity functions. The offeror is expected to primarily perform triage and escalation (if needed) of tickets, alerts, and incidents. Ability to address and close lower complexity items is expected. It is also expected to ensure that systems under its purview are properly configured and maintained.

Q: Is the only requirement for remote support the HSPD card or will there be network, GFE or other connections/devices/services required as well to enable a hybrid on/off-site support model?

A: Remote work must occur within the U.S. unless explicitly approved. Remote work must occur on Argonne-issued devices, with the exception of limited/supplemental use of personal devices (e.g., cell phones) for activities such as e-mail access.

Knowledge Management

Q: What is the current knowledge base structure and article count?

A: We are starting over with our move to Freshservice. We will initially have two knowledge bases. One for IT support and one open to the general lab population. We estimate that we will need to review and migrate ~250 knowledge base articles.

Q: How many knowledge articles currently exist in the knowledge base?

A: We plan to only migrate active articles that are under frequent use. ~ 250.

Q: What is the current knowledge article approval workflow?

A: We are transitioning to Freshservice and the approval flow is completely different than our current environment. We do not know what the final approval flow will look like at this time.

Q: What is the existing taxonomy structure for the knowledge base?

A: We are transitioning to Freshservice and the new taxonomy will be different than our current taxonomy. We do not know what the final taxonomy will look like at this time.

Q: What are the current KPIs for knowledge management (usage rates, deflection rates, etc.)?

A: Knowledge expiring in the next month; Knowledge view/use per month and specific article(s)

Q: What style guides and content standards are currently in place?

A: We are transitioning to Freshservice. We don’t know what the final standards will be at this time.

Q: How frequently are knowledge articles reviewed and retired?

A: We currently review articles that have an expiration date one month out on a monthly basis. The decision is made with the author to extend or retire the article.

Problem Management

Q: How many active problems are currently in the system?

A: We currently have 5 open problems in our platform. We are transitioning to Freshservice and we will NOT port any existing problems.

Q: What is the average problem resolution time?

A: We don’t have this data.

Q: What is the typical problem backlog at any given time?

A: 5.

Q: How frequently does the Problem Process meeting occur, and who typically attends?

A: The Problem process meeting occurs bi-weekly (every two weeks). The attendees are the Service Management Architect, The Incident Process Owner, and the Change Manager.

Q: What are the current Problem Management KPIs and targets?

A: We track Critical Open Problems; Unassigned Problems; Open Problems; Open problems by priority; open problems not updated in 7days; Open problems greater than 30 days old;Problems Opened/Closed per week

Q: What is the process for determining when an incident should become a problem?

A: Active incidents are triaged by the Service Management organization as part of the incident management process and a problem is created if deemed appropriate.

Q: How many Problem Coordinators are typically needed, and who are they?

A: We are restructuring our Problem process with our Freshservice transition and do not have this information at this time

Change Management

Q: How many RFCs are submitted monthly/quarterly (by change type: standard, normal, emergency)?

A: last month- Normal 130; Standard 45; Emergency 11;

Last quarter: Normal 308; Standard 129; Emergency 21;

Q: How frequently are maintenance weekends scheduled?

A: Three times per year: January, May, August.

Q: What is the typical maintenance weekend timeline and duration?

A: Maintenance weekends officially start at Friday, 5pm and run thru Sunday, 5pm for a given weekend.

Q: How many emergency changes occur monthly?

A: ~ 7

Q: Who comprises the Change Advisory Board (CAB), and how often do they meet?

A: The board members consist of BIS departments for Networking, Linux servers, Windows servers, Development, Cyber and the Service Desk. There is guest representation from two of our programmatic areas for awareness. They meet 3 times per week for 30 minutes. The meeting is chaired by the Change Manager.

Q: What are the current change success/failure rates?

A: 90% success rate.

Q: What programmatic CAB meetings exist, and how do they differ from standard CAB?

A: There is one programmatic CAB. It is currently not meeting. When they do meet, they review changes for their specific environment.

Q: What communication channels are used for maintenance weekend coordination?

A: Emails, portal banners, knowledgebase articles, lab portal and teams channels.

Q: What CMDB tools and processes are currently in place?

A: We are transitioning to Freshservice/Device 42.

License Management

Q: What license management tools are currently in use (Eracent, Jamf/Casper, SCCM)?

A: Eracent, Jamf, SCCM, Device 42

Q: How many software licenses are currently tracked?

A: There are hundreds across the lab. Most that are managed are noted in the Sellers library.

Q: What are the highest-value or most critical software licenses to manage?

A: We don’t have a critical software list.

Q: What is the current license compliance status?

A: We are in full compliance with all known software titles. It is an assumption that our partner would work with us to notify Argonne if a compliance issue is discovered.

Q: What vendor audit requirements exist for license compliance?

A: No vendor audit requirements exist currently. Software asset management requirements are listed in the SOW.

Q: What is the frequency of license compliance issues or violations?

A: N/A

Quality & Governance

Q: What is the current ticket audit process and frequency?

A: Vendor should submit a quality program that addresses this

Q: What quality metrics are currently tracked for agents/technicians?

Q: How many tickets are typically audited monthly?

Q: What are the current attendance and participation levels at governance meetings?

A: This will be determined within the bidder’s solution and transition.

Q: What issues have been escalated to Executive Governance in the past year?

A: N/A

Q: What is the composition of each governance committee?

Q: What are the current CSAT scores across different service areas?

A: Metrics have been provided in the SOW

Continual Improvement

Q: What CIP (Continual Improvement Process) framework is currently in use?

Q: What improvement initiatives are currently in progress?

Q: What improvements were implemented in the past 12 months?

Q: What are the current pain points or areas targeted for improvement?

Q: What benchmarking data or industry standards does Argonne use for comparison?

A: Metricnet, HDI and other laboratories.

Reporting/Metrics

Q: [In reference to 2.B.1 – Metric and Volume Overview] Will a Quality Assurance Plan (QASP) be provided by the Laboratory?

Q: In the provided Metric and Volume Overview, could you please clarify the meaning of “Net Volume” and “Calls Offered”?

A: Calls offered=inbound calls. There is no “Net Volume” listed in this overview.

Q: What level of reporting automation is expected—manual reports or dashboards integrated with ITSM tools?

Q: What is the structure and frequency of governance meetings (Executive Steering Committee, Operational Reviews)?

Q: What are the reporting requirements for cyber hygiene or compliance metrics?

Q: What Power BI dashboards or reports are currently in use for Service Desk metrics?

A:None

Q: What reporting templates and dashboards currently exist in ServiceNow?

A: Reporting will need to be completely rebuilt in Power BI from Freshservice data. ServiceNow dashboards will be decommissioned in August and are in a poor state currently.

Q: How many custom reports are currently in use, and what are the most critical ones?

A: An entirely new framework for reporting should be proposed. Current reporting is poor at best.

Documentation

Q: Will Argonne provide templates and documentation for incident, problem, and change management workflows?

A: Documentation on the workflows will be provided

Q: In defining the work templates do you have a current template(s) defined or will each document template have to be redefined based on the current application needs?

A: We are transitioning to Freshservice. Each template will need to be reviewed and recreated within Freshservice. At this time we do NOT know if that will be done through an implementation partner or internally through Argonne resources.

Q: Do you currently have a guide for work flow management (Ven diagram) or will one need to be created?

A: We have…