2.4.1 70B06C25R00000019 Question and Answer.xlsx
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- Solicitation number
- 70B06C25R00000019
About this file
This document is a Questions and Answers (Q&A) file for a Forensic Laboratory Information Management System (FLIMS) Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Laboratory and Scientific Services (LSS). The RFP seeks a comprehensive LIMS solution with 400 concurrent user licenses, 30 administrative licenses, and requires integration of 400 RFID-capable handheld barcode scanners and 70 RFID-capable barcode printers. Key requirements include support for digital forensics, quality management system capabilities, and compliance with DHS and CBP security policies.
The solicitation (70B06C25R00000019) has a proposal submission deadline of April 23, 2025, with the intent to award a standalone contract. The system must support various laboratory disciplines, handle approximately 35,000 annual cases and 140,000 evidence items, and operate in a zero-trust environment with OKTA authentication and DHS PIV access. Contractors will work primarily from Washington DC and Northern Virginia during configuration, with deployment and training conducted at regional labs. The government will consider various hosting solutions but will not accept purely on-premises infrastructure, and no historical data migration is planned.
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Question & Answer
| LSS Forensic Laboratory Information Management System (FLIMS) |
| RFP#: 70B06C25R00000019 A00001 |
| Question & Answer |
Question # Attachment/Document Attachment/Document Referenced Section Page # Question Government Answer
| 1 | 70B06C25R00000019 | Offer Due Date | pg. 1 | 4/23/2025 is indicated as the proposal due date, which is a week earlier than the pre-RFP due date. The Gov.Com site also indicates 9/30/2025. Please clarify the submission deadline. | Proposal submission deadline is April 23, 2025 |
| 2 | Statement of Work | Section 2.0 Purpose, 2nd paragraph | pg. 2 | The language states "To ensure correct configuration, the contractor shall baseline/map the solution against LSS processes listed in Appendix 1 and 2 to assist with initial trade off analysis …....... |
| The processes in Appendix 1 and 2 look very similar. Do these two documents represent the only processes required to ensure a correct configuration? | The two documents are different and reflect two different sample processes which encompass the majority of samples processes flows within LSS. There is a possibility of other process flows. | |||||
| 3 | Solicitation - 70B06C25R00000019 | Controls / Access Controls | Pg. 35 | Are there any additional access controls for review, other than what is noted in this document? | No. | |
| 4 | Solicitation - 70B06C25R00000019 | multiple sections | ex. Pg. 35, A1 | The RFP requests compliance with various CPB-specific policies and procedures. Will CPR publish a complete list of these policies and procedures with their respective URLs? | Not at this time. No additional information will be provided prior to Award and successful adjudication of Background Investigations beyond what is already available in this RFP package and its attachments. | |
| 5 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work Annex | #5.10 - Infrastructure Support | 5.10.20 through 25 | The answer options to several questions do not provide the ability to accurately respond. For example, many questions in section 5.10 refer to services or hardware. However, the dropdown answers are geared toward product features. | Sections 5.10.20 - 25 have special drop down selections to include Implementation Strategy: "Yes" and "No" or "Yes" will submit with proposal and "No will not submit with proposal". Customization Complexity: "N/A" is added as an option | |
| 6 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work Annex | #5.7 - Workflow | 5.7.42 | The language states "Shall have the ability to enter all values by any of the methods described below" but there are no methods listed. Please provide the methods. | Methods shall include: Free text, selection from lists, autotext, barcode etc. These will be added to Row 5.7.42 as part of the award document, however, to avoid duplicative work, 2.2.1 70B06C25R00000019 Attachment 2- Statement of Work Annex - Detailed FLIMS Requirements.xlsx has not been updated as part of this solicitation. Offerors shall proceed using version included in original solicitation with the understanding this section will be updated prior to award. | |
| 7 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work Annex | #5.8 - Labeling/Barcode Scanners and Printers | 5.8.15 | Does CBP have preferred makes/models of handheld barcode scanners, printers, and labels, and a set of specifications or user requirements to meet for their deployment? |
| No specific makes or model are specified. | ||||||
| 8 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work Annex | #5.10 - Infrastructure Support | 5.10.11 | The language states: "Does the system support the following unique operating environments" but there are no unique operating environments listed. Please provide the operating environments. | Operating environments include development, training, Systems Acceptance Testing (SAT) and Production which are all listed. | |
| 9 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work | #3.0 - General Requirements | General question - not referenced | Please provide clarity on the number of unique instruments and total instruments to be integrated, as well as the number of corresponding test methods. Please provide the instrument types, models and list of test methods to be configured in the LIMS. This will allow us to accurately estimate the instrument integration licensing and work effort to configure the interfaces. | LSS will not be integrating any unique instruments at this time. | |
| 10 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work | #3.0 - General Requirements | General question - not referenced | Please provide the functional requirements associated with the digital forensic capabilities to be configured within the LIMS. | ||
| These will be provided after contract award during the module customization. | ||||||
| 11 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work | #3.0 - General Requirements, u | Pg. 5, u | Please provide the number of systems in scope for system integration. Whether the integrations are uni or bi-directional and share data formats / any relevant data specifications. | ||
| No additional system information will be provided prior to Award and successful adjudication of Background Investigations. | ||||||
| 12 | Solicitation - 70B06C25R00000019 | Solicitation - Factor 4 - Subcontracting Plan | 52 | Please clarify whether the goal percentages in the subcontracting plan apply to CBP overall, or to this specific bid. | The goal percentages identified in the solicitation are CBP-wide goals. | |
| 13 | Solicitation - 70B06C25R00000019 | Solicitation - Offeror Questions | pg. 45 | Will there be a 2nd Q&A period during Phase II? | Not at this time since information on both phases has been provided as part of initial release. | |
| 14 | Attachment 5 - Roll-Based Narratives | Ability to create additional data screens that can be used to enter and track statistics and/or enter additional data pertinent to the case. | Pg. 6, #11 | Most statistics are pulled directly from the LIMS lifecycle. Please provide an example of the type of data you would want to enter manually. | Additional data screens are specifically made per discipline. They are additional sub-screens in each discipline which can be tailored to enter statistics, add additional case notes etc. This additional data screen is separate from ad hoc queries, etc. | |
| 15 | Attachment 4 - Interview Questions | Does the solution support integration documentations to include, but not limited to Interface Control Documents (ICDs) and design documentation that ensures clear understanding of integration design mapped to business and system processes? | The Government prefers a solution which supports the use of ICDs to integrate with CBP systems. | #20B | Please clarify that interface control documents refer to the business integration tools required to be leveraged in this project. | Interface Control Documents (ICDs) refer to artifacts that provide technical specifications describing how the FLIMS solution interfaces with other systems data sharing, reporting, and other capabilities. |
| 16 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work Annex 5.10.16 | The system shall meet CBP operating criteria. | If the system is Software as a Service, is it FedRamp compliant? | The question being asked does not correlate to the drop down items of "base product, customized based product, configuration of base product, or none." We would recommend a comments section instead of a drop down menu. | Please select to indicate whether the proposed solution's base product is FedRamp Certified, rather a customized version of it has been FedRamp Certified, whether a specialized configuration of it has been FedRamp Certified, or whether none of the offerings have been FedRamp Certified. | |
| 17 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work Annex 5.10.22 | The contractor shall offer LIMS training courses. | The contractor will provide user training guides and material for all user levels for each module with unlimited reproduction and modification rights. | Please clarify that the training is constrained to those licensed LIMS users associated with the procured system. |
| Confirmed that offeror will provide training to all license users. Training materials may also be shared and distributed for other Government purposes. | ||||||
| 18 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work Annex 5.10.45 | The system shall support system security controls. | System shall pass vulnerability scans generated using Nessus, WebInspect, and DBprotect scanning tools. | Will CBP accept alternative vulnerabilities scanning tools and processes to address this requirement? | No, CBP will conduct its own vulnerability scans using CBP-approved tools. The requirement leveraged on the offeror is that the final, installed version of the FLIMS product passes the CBP-approved vulnerability scans. | |
| 19 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work | 3.0 General Requirements, section N, 1 & 2 | Page #4. N. | |||
| 1. | Four hundred (400) compatible / integrated handheld barcode scanners | |||||
| 2. | Seventy (70) compatible / integrated barcode printers | Please provide information on maintenance / repair / replacement requirements for these devices throughout the period of performance | ||||
| The offeror shall be prepared to deliver and support these devices sufficient to meet the required availability requirements. | ||||||
| 20 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work | 3.0 General Requirements, section O, #3 | Page #5, O. | |||
| 3. | "The solution can provide the functionality of a possible Quality Management System application (e.g., Qualtrax) for QA/QC activities" ….. | Since the example provided for QA/QC activites is "Qualtrax" and this tool primarily provides document management, is this the extent of the QA/QC capabilities required by the LIMS itself? Are there other QA/QC functions the LIMS itself must provide like: a.) user and instrument certifications tracking and associated functionalities, b) calibration and maintenance tracking and management, c) SOP enforcement d) proficiency testing management; e) control charting f) batch and lot management f) corrective and preventive action tracking / management, etc.? | All possibilities will be considered. LSS can currently track Quality data, but if the new LIMS system proves more valuable, consideration may be made to include the QM capability. It would include all items listed. | |||
| 21 | Attachment 2 - Statement of Work | 4.0 Deliverables, section H, Deliverable Schedule | Page #9 (Table) | Please confirm that the deliverable due dates listed in the table that state "Draft with Proposal" is referring to Phase #2 of the proposal and not Phase #1. | ||
| Section 4 Deliverables in the SOW has been revised to remove the references of deliverables being due with proposal. These deliverables have been updated to reflect a due date after award. Where applicable, offeror shall provide an overview of the content of these deliverables as part of the Phase II oral presentation. | ||||||
| 22 | Solicitation - 70B06C25R00000019 | Phase I - Factor N/A | Pg. 47 | Does the 3-page maximum include the proposal cover sheet? | Yes | |
| 23 | 2.2.1 70B06C25R00000019 Attachment 2- Statement of Work.pdf | 3.n.1 | p4 | Do all 400 barcode scanners also need to be RFID scanners? | Yes, they need to read label information in human readable, 2D barcode, QR code, and radio frequency identification format. | |
| 24 | 2.2.1 70B06C25R00000019 Attachment 2- Statement of Work.pdf | 3.n.2 | p4 | Do all 70 label printers need to have RFID printing capability? | Yes | |
| 25 | 2.2.1 70B06C25R00000019 Attachment 2- Statement of Work.pdf | 3.n.2a | p4 | Does the label stock all need to be RFID capable? | Yes | |
| 26 | 2.2.1 70B06C25R00000019 Attachment 2- Statement of Work.pdf | 3.n | p4 | We need to understand if CBP currently has an RFID capability. Scanners and Printers are not the only component involved. Typically, sensors are installed at the access points (entry and exit) of a location to automatically detect movement/transfer. This capability is 100% vendor specific. If there is infrastructure/capability in place, we need to be able to match to that specific capability. Can you please indicate in a much detail as possible any current capabilities? | There is no current RFID infrastructure in place. | |
| 27 | 2.2.1_70B06C25R00000019.pdf | III.2 ADDENDUM to FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS – COMMERCIAL ITEMS | Page 47 | The tables listing the Phase I and Phase II requirements include "Cover Letter/Executive Summary/Table of Contents." However, other than the cover letter itself, the Phase I submission consists only of spreadsheets and the Phase II submission includes only a slide deck. Can the government please clarify what text the tables of contents are supposed to cover? | The inclusion of "Cover Letter/Executive Summary/Table of Contents" is a standard fill-in for this section. After further consideration, a table of contents may not be necessary. It can be included, or not, at the offeror's discretion. | |
| 28 | 2.2.1_70B06C25R00000019.pdf | Factor 3- Technical Approach | Page 50 | Factor 3 – Technical Approach outlines the requirements and instructions for oral presentations. In reference to the “Prior Experience” criteria, could CBP expand the interpretation of the deployment experience requirements to include general laboratory management and not solely forensic laboratory implementation? The current requirements—particularly items 5b, 5c, and 5d—may inadvertently exclude potential solutions that could offer CBP enhanced capabilities, improved operational efficiency, and meaningful cost savings. | CBP requires forensic laboratory experience. | |
| 29 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | 3.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: | Page 4 | What specific barcode scanners and printer models are currently in use at CBP LSS labs, if any? Are there any existing hardware assets that must be retained or integrated? | There is no existing hardware assists that must be retained or integrated. | |
| 30 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | 3.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: | Page 4 | For barcode scanning, is keyboard wedge mode sufficient, or are smart scanners with parsing, programmable logic, or integration with chain of custody systems required? (e.g., Zebra DS3608 for rugged programmable logic or Datalogic Gryphon GBT4500 for general use) | This will be dependent upon the offeror's proposed solution. | |
| 31 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | 3.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: | Page 4 | Are the scanners expected to be handheld, fixed-mounted, presentation-style, or rugged mobile terminals? (e.g., Zebra DS9308, Honeywell Xenon 1952g, Zebra TC52x mobile terminal) | Scanners are to be handheld for use in a laboratory and/or operational setting. | |
| 32 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | 3.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: | Page 4 | Will barcode scanning occur in environments with curved surfaces, low-contrast barcodes, or small-format labels, requiring high-density (HD) scanning capability? (e.g., Honeywell Xenon XP 1952h HD, Zebra DS8178-HD) | Scanning environments will be in laboratory and/or operational setting and which may encompass curved surfaces on small sample containers. | |
| 33 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | 3.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: | Page 4 | What is the desired connectivity standard for barcode scanners and printers (e.g., USB, Ethernet, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi)? Are wireless devices permitted under CBP security policies? (e.g., Zebra ZT411 with Ethernet, Honeywell Granit 1981i with Bluetooth) | The FLIMS system shall comply with CBP and DHS security policies and associated guidance to include DHS Sensitive System Policy Directive 4300A and NIST 800-53 Rev 4 (or any future versions) Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations. Any internal CBP policies and/or procedures will be provided after award and successful completion of the background investigation. | |
| 34 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | 3.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: | Page 4 | For barcode printing, should pricing reflect desktop-class printers, industrial printers, or mobile units? (e.g., Zebra ZD621 for desktop, ZT620 for industrial, ZQ521 for mobile) | Desktop -class printers | |
| 35 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | 3.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: | Page 4 | Are RFID label printers required, and if so, what RFID standards and use cases should we include in pricing? (e.g., Zebra ZT411 RFID supporting UHF Gen2 encoding) | Barcode printers shall support industry standard barcodes such as ISO 15415 (2D Barcodes) and ISO 15416 (1D Barcodes) or newer, network and secure wireless protocols. Capability shall also include read/write function for barcodes on materials commonly used within CBP. | |
| 36 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | 3.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: | Page 4 | Are there specific label sizes and materials that must be supported? (e.g., 1x1" cryogenic labels, 2x1.25" polypropylene labels for sample jars, 4x6" synthetic shipping labels) | The offeror may propose label sizes and materials that will support their FLIMS solution and will accommodate all potential sizes of evidence for Chem ID, Digital Forensics, Latent Print, and other Forensics disciplines. | |
| 37 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | 3.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: | Page 4 | Approximately how many labels should be priced per year, and are there multiple label formats in use? (e.g., 10,000 1x1" vial labels, 5,000 4x6" custody labels) | Labels would be used for chemical inventory and any physical evidence received. Approx 10,000. Will also require digital barcode capability. Numbers are approx. due to caseload. | |
| 38 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | 3.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: | Page 4 | Do label printers need to support both thermal transfer and direct thermal printing methods? (e.g., Zebra ZD621 supports both with interchangeable media) | The offeror may propose label printers that will support their FLIMS solution as long as it meets the Government's requirements as listed in the SOW. | |
| 39 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | 3.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: | Page 4 | Will external barcodes from shipping services (UPS, FedEx, USPS) or manufacturers need to be scanned and linked to FLIMS records? (e.g., Code 128 and QR shipping labels scanned with Honeywell Xenon 1900g) | The FLIMS shall allow barcode scanners to read any side and type (e.g., 1D & 2D) of the barcode without changing set-up parameters, allow users to create 1D and 2D barcodes of varied sizes and to print those varied sizes without changing set-up parameters, support already established custody locations and corresponding 1D/2D barcodes, allow for external barcodes to be scanned for data entry, such as commercial delivery tracking numbers, and provide the ability for the expansion of future technologies and workflows. | |
| 40 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | 3.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: | Page 4 | Do you anticipate the need to expand scanning and printing capabilities in future workflows, such as RFID, NFC, or mobile scanning apps? (e.g., Zebra RFD40 for RFID, NFC-compatible tablets, Apps with camera-based scanning) | Yes and the FLIMS barcode scanners shall provide the ability for the expansion of future technologies and workflows. | |
| 41 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | 3.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: | Page 4 | Will document scanners also be required to interface with FLIMS, and if so, are there specific requirements for scanner speed, resolution, or integration protocols? (e.g., Fujitsu fi-8170 for high-speed duplex scanning, TWAIN-compatible devices) | The FLIMS shall allow barcode scanners to read any side and type (e.g., 1D & 2D) of the barcode without changing set-up parameters, allow users to create 1D and 2D barcodes of varied sizes and to print those varied sizes without changing set-up parameters, support already established custody locations and corresponding 1D/2D barcodes, allow for external barcodes to be scanned for data entry, such as commercial delivery tracking numbers, and provide the ability for the expansion of future technologies and workflows. | |
| 42 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | 3.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS | Page 5 | Can CBP provide the total number of named users who could potentially use the system? | CBP will not provide names until after award but requires 400 concurrent users and 30 administrative license. | |
| 43 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | u. Integration Support and Coordination: | Page 5 | Can CBP specify the quantity and type of external systems for integration (e.g., DOJ, DEA, DHS enterprise platforms)? | Currently, CBP will not be integrating with external entities. | |
| 44 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | u. Integration Support and Coordination: | Page 5 | Additionally, are existing interface specifications and integration protocols (e.g., REST, SOAP) available for offeror review during proposal development? | Not at this time. Access to CBP documentation will be provided after Award to contractors successfully receiving favorable adjudication of Background Investigations. | |
| 45 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | 3.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: | Page 6 | Can CBP provide an estimate of anticipated system data volumes, including: |
- Annual case volume and evidence items
| - Typical file sizes for attachments (e.g., images, reports) | Annual number of case items is approximately 35,000 cases across all disciplines. Evidence items or samples received is approximately 140,000 items across all disciplines. File size will differ greatly between legacy system and new system as forms which were typically scanned into the legacy system will now be interactive fields so historical information is not provided so as to prevent erroneous design decisions. | |||||
| 46 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | 4.0 Deliverables, h. Deliverable Schedule | Page 9 - 10 | Key Personnel Resumes are listed as "Due With Proposal" in the Deliverables table. Are offerors to provide resumes with Phase 1 or 2? | Section 4 Deliverables in the SOW has been amended to remove the references of deliverables being due with proposal. These deliverables have been updated to reflect a due date after award. For the Staffing Plan and Key Personnel specifcally, offerors shall provide an overview of their Staffing Plan and Key Personnel, to include a summary of their qualifications, as part of the overview of the Implementation Plan addressed as part of the Phase II Oral Presentation. | |
| 47 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | 4.0 Deliverables, h. Deliverable Schedule | Page 9 - 10 | Key Personnel Resumes are listed as "Due With Proposal" in the Deliverables table. What document should the resumes be included in? | Section 4 Deliverables in the SOW has been amended to remove the references of deliverables being due with proposal. These deliverables have been updated to reflect a due date after award. For the Staffing Plan and Key Personnel specifcally, offerors shall provide an overview of their Staffing Plan and Key Personnel, to include a summary of their qualifications, as part of the overview of the Implementation Plan addressed as part of the Phase II Oral Presentation. | |
| 48 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | 4.0 Deliverables, h. Deliverable Schedule | Page 9 - 12 | Can the government confirm that the requirement for deliverables listed as "Draft with Proposal" is met with the delivery and presentation of the oral presentation slides? | Section 4 Deliverables in the SOW has been revised to remove the references of deliverables being due with proposal. These deliverables have been updated to reflect a due date after award. Where applicable, offeror shall provide an overview of the content of these deliverables as part of the Phase II oral presentation. | |
| 49 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | 4.0 Deliverables, h. Deliverable Schedule | Page 9 - 12 | Can the government confirm that the Past Performance Descriptions and References Deliverable listed as "Due with Proposal" is met with the delivery and presentation of the oral presentation slides? | This section has been removed. Past performance is not being evaluated as part of this solicitation. | |
| 50 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | c. Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) and Government Furnished Information (GFI) | Page 13 | Can CBP clarify whether historical data migration from legacy systems/platforms will be considered in scope, and if so will detailed schema, data mapping specifications, and test datasets be provided? | ||
| Historical data will not be migrated into the FLIMS | ||||||
| 51 | 2.2.1+70B06C25R00000019+Attachment+2-+Statement+of+Work.pdf | c. Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) and Government Furnished Information (GFI) | Page 13 | Is the offeror responsible for data validation and reconciliation efforts? | “Yes. The Government anticipates data migration efforts to be minimal and administrative in nature. The offeror will be responsible for data validation and reconciliation efforts. The legacy system case-specific data will not be migrated.” | |
| 52 | SOW Annex Attachment 2 | 5.8.15 Barcode Scanners & Printers | Spreadsheet lines 20-22 | Would the Government consider a separate solicitation for barcode scanners and printers since we are a software application vendor and generally do no supply hardware? | Barcoding is integral to the FLIMS requirement and the Government requires a FLIMS solution including barcode scanners, printers and labels. | |
| 53 | CBP LIMS RFP Request - Section II.33 I A 2 | 33 | Do US Citizen's that provide remote system support need to work geographically within the borders of the United States and US Terratories or can they work from locations within Canada as well? | Security policies limit to those that work within the geographical borders of the United States unless specifically approved post-award. Approval is not guaranteed. This should be a consideration of the offeror's approach. | ||
| 54 | CBP LIMS RFP 2.2.1Attachment 2- Statement of Work Annex - requirement 5.10.37 | CBP states that Identity Access and Management Providers must support Okta utilizing SAML and OIDC. Does CBP expect to use both SAML and OIDC at the same time or only have one IAM integration point that utilizes either SAML OR OIDC but not both at the same time? | Government's technical specifications will be provided after award for integration with the awardee's solution. | |||
| 55 | Attachment 2 Statement of Work | 3.0 General Requirements | Page 2, Section 3 Req a | While the RFP lists 400 concurrent users, what is the total number of users that will need to have their own username and password to log into the LIMS application overall? | Users may have multiple rolls within the system. FLIMS application will operate in a zero-trust environment currently with OKTA authentication. The FLIMS must have AD integration and be required to use DHS PIV authentication to access the application | |
| 56 | LIMS Main docment and Statement of Work and All PDF's | Whole document | Please provide in PDF and word formate easier to complete for RFP response | CBP is not providing the PDFs in Word format. Offerors can convert the PDF to Word using commercially available PDF converters. | ||
| 57 | Attachment 2 Statement of Work | 4.0 Deliverables Section b. Quality Control Plan | Page 7 | Who is the team comprised of, referenced in sentence two of this paragraph? | The Quality team is comprised of contractor personnel overseen by a government quality manger. | |
| 58 | Attachment 2 Statement of Work | 4.0 Deliverables Section b. Quality Control Plan | Page 7 | What are the criteria for inclusion in the Quality Control Plan (QCP)? | Initially anything the contractor believes will impact FLIMS quality operation. As the document is living, and relies on Continual Service Improvement (CSI) elements may be added, refined, deleted, etc. | |
| 59 | Attachment 2 Statement of Work | 4.0 Deliverables Section e. Implementation Plan | Page 8 | Is the only approved project plan format Microsoft Project Plan or can other project management software be used to create the required Implementation Plan? | The government uses MS Project | |
| 60 | Attachment 2 Statement of Work | 4.0 Deliverables Section e. Implementation Plan | Page 8 | Is there a specific format or template that must be used for the Implementation Plan? | For a schedule tool, the government uses MS Project. | |
| 61 | Attachment 2 Statement of Work | 4.0 Deliverables Section i. Deliverable Schedule | Page 11 | Under the deliverable named "Ad Hoc reports, whitepapers, briefings, presentations, and other related artifacts" - Can you please provide examples of whitepapers and other related artifacts? | These are just examples and are relaying that the contractor shall provide documentation and artifacts required by the Government for acquisition, enterprise architecture, systems engineering, systems accreditation, and general oversight as part of implementation on to the CBP-Network. | |
| 62 | Attachment 2 Statement of Work Annex | 5.1 Infrastructure-Support Tab | 5.10.16 | Will the U.S. Customs and Border Protection be willing to sponsor the selected vendor to obtain FedRamp compliancy? | This will be considered on a case-by-case basis after consulting with CBP Office of Information and Technology. | |
| 63 | Attachment 2 Statement of Work Annex | 5.1 Infrastructure-Support Tab | Can you please clarify whether U.S. Customs and Border Protection are looking to host the chosen solution in their own Cloud environment, the vendor's Cloud environment, or is considering both options? | The Government will consider any hosting solution or infrastructure but will not accept on-premises only infrastructure. | ||
| 64 | Attachment 2 Statement of Work | 4.c Transition-In Plan | Page 7 | Will the 10 days of on-site time at each location be concurrent or sequential? There are 49 locations so this will require either 490 days or 49 people to complete. | Contractors will work out of their location, the Washington DC and Northern Virginia area during configuration and customization. Travel to LSS regional labs, FOLS/JFC'S will be for deployment and training. Post deployment the contractor will work out of their typical location. SOW Section 4.c has been updated with this verbiage. | |
| 65 | Attachment 2 Statement of Work | 4.a Project Management Plan | Pages 6-12 | We use an online project artifact and tracking tool called Basecamp to collaborate on projects with our clients. Will this be acceptable to CBP? | Following successful adjudication of Background Investigations, the awardee's CBP cleared contractors will use Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) to collaborate on government projects and documentation | |
| 66 | CBP LIMS RFP Request Document 2.2.1 3-27-2025 | Section II CONTRACT CLAUSES, specifically at II.7 52.212-4 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS -- COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (NOV 2023) | Page 7 of 78 | Subsection (p) of this clause is where the limitation of liablity is found. The Offeror requests a limitation of liability such that its total liability under the resulting contract shall not exceed the total contract value, except in cases of willful misconduct or breach of confidentiality. This limitation is customary in commercial contracts for similar services and supports risk allocation consistent with industry standards. | The terms and conditions at FAR 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Items represent the preferred terms and conditions for commercial item acquisitions, including for liability at subsection (k). FAR Part 12 supersedes the clause prescriptions elsewhere in the FAR, but additional terms and conditions can be included at the discretion of the Contracting Officer when such an inclusion is consistent with customary commercial practice. I have been unable to find appropriate evidence that incorporating the requested price adjustment terms is consistent with customary practice within the industry at hand, which is the standard I would need to demonstrate in order to defend such inclusion. Recommend the offeror include this Exception to this contract clause as part of its proposal submission, documented in Attachment 6 per the RFP instructions. | |
| 67 | Attachment 2 Statement of Work Annex | Whole document | Many requirements within this document contain multiple functionalities within each, making it difficult to respond accurately to each with a drop down selection; could a column be added to the right of customization complexity for added response details? | Sections 5.10.20 - 25 have special drop down selections to include Implementation Strategy: "Yes" and "No" or "Yes" will submit with proposal and "No will not submit with proposal". Customization Complexity: "N/A" is added as an option | ||
| 68 | Entire RFP | Would U.S. Customs and Border Protection consider a due date extension for Phase 1 of any amount of time, preferably two weeks? | No extensions are available | |||
| 69 | 2.2.1_70B06C25R00000019_Attachment_2-_Statement_of_Work_Annex | 5.3.32 | Page 6, 5.3 Evidence-Sample | What findings/test results would exist as the time of evidence creation or approval? | There would be no results at the time of evidence entry, this portion should have been removed. | |
| 70 | 2.2.1_70B06C25R00000019_Attachment_2-_Statement_of_Work_Annex | 5.3.45 | Page 7, 5.3 Evidence-Sample | Is the desire to provide an order of analysis for each submitted item? | Essentially yes. Or give the examiner the option to plan. | |
| 71 | 2.2.1_70B06C25R00000019_Attachment_2-_Statement_of_Work_Annex | 5.3.51 | Page 7, 5.3 Evidence-Sample | What context, or at what level, is there a desire to schedule/coordinate testing? | This could be scheduling testing that needs to be done based on the type of evidence. Optional | |
| 72 | 2.2.1_70B06C25R00000019.pdf | III.2 ADDENDUM TO FAR 52.212-1 INSRRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS- COMMERCIAL ITEMS | Page 46, Proposal Submission | May we have an additional 2 weeks for submission on Phase 1 to May 7,2025? | No extensions are available | |
| 73 | 2.2.1_70B06C25R00000019_Attachment_2-_Statement_of_Work.pdf | 3.t.4 IT Compliance | Page 5 | Where will the LIMS be hosted? | The Government will consider any hosting solution or infrastructure that meets conforms with DHS and CBP security, IT and EA requirements but will not accept on-premises or contractor installed hardware only infrastructure. | |
| 74 | 2.2.1_70B06C25R00000019_Attachment_2-_Statement_of_Work.pdf | 1.0 Background | Page 2 | What is the current LIMS system that LSS uses? | LSS currently uses a Laboratory information Network (LIN) which is customized | |
| 75 | 2.2.1_70B06C25R00000019.pdf | SECTION I SCHEDULES | Page 5 | Is this a Task Order associated with a GWAC or other master contrating vehicle such as the GSA MAS Schedule, or is the intent for this to be a stand alone contract? | This is intended to be a stand alone contract. | |
| 76 | Attachment 2 SOW | 4 Deliverables c. Transition-In Plan | Pg 7, c. paragraph 1 | Identify the on-site locations at which our personnel are expected to visit to observe operations pertinent to the contract requirements. | Contractors will work out of their location, the Washington DC and Northern Virginia are during configuration and customization. Travel to LSS regional labs, FOLS/JFC'S will be for deployment and training. Post deployment the contractor will work out of their typical workplace. | |
| 77 | Attachment 2 SOW | 5 Supporting Information a. Place of Performance | ||||
| Section 5, a. Place of Performance indicates there are 49 current regional labs and FOLS/JFC's. | Pg 13, a. | Is it the Government's expectation that the place of performance will occur at all 49 CBP locations or only the laboratory system's 14 ANAB accredited locations? | Contractors will work out of their location, the Washington DC and Northern Virginia are during configuration and customization. Travel to LSS regional labs, FOLS/JFC'S will be for deployment and training. Post deployment the contractor will work out of their home location. | |||
| 78 | Attachment 4 Questions & Answers | Training | ||||
| Requirement states: "19A) Does the solution have onsite (for all LSS locations) training curriculums for users (all levels) and administrators?" | Spreadsheet line 69 | Is it the Government's expectation that training will occur at all 49 CBP locations or only the laboratory 14 ANAB accredited locations? |
Is it the Government's expectations that the total population of trainees is equal to the number of licenses (i.e., 400 end user and 30 administrator licenses).
| Our training program can be delivered remotely with live instructors and practical exercises using a LIMS training environment. Would the Government consider live online training delivered remotely? | Training will occur at all CBP LSS locations and attempts will be made to regionalize training at regional lab sites. All licensed users will need to undergo training. Remote training will be considered. | |
| 79 | Attachment 4 Questions & Answers |
Data Migration
Spreadsheet lines 13-14
What are the specific legacy systems from which the Government would like data migrated?
What is the volume of the data to be migrated?
What are the expectations of the Government for estimating costs for data migration without an in-depth analysis to understand the level of effort to successfully migrate the data?
| No data migration will be required at this time. | |
| 80 | Attachment 4 Questions & Answers |
SOW Annex Attachment 2 Integration Support
5.10.35 Spreadsheet lines 73-74
Spreadsheet lines 57-64 What are the specific systems for which API's and ICD's are needed for integration?
For the applications listed in 5.10.35 lines 57 to 64 is the requirement only to have a push/pull interface?
What are the expectations of the Government for estimating costs for system integrations without an in-depth analysis to understand the level of effort to successfully perform integrations? Additional system specifics including API's, ICD's, and their use/directionality will be provided to the contractor after Award following successful adjudication of a CBP Background Investigation.
The offeror is asked to price out this effort using their experience with government systems of similar size, scope, and complexity based upon the requirements as listed in the SOW and its attachments.
| 81 | SOW Annex Attachment 2 | 5.12.1 & 5.12.2 Maintenance & Administration | Spreadsheet lines 3-4 | Please clarify the preferred support model since 5.12.1 requests on site 24x7x365 while 5.12.2 requests off site. | |
| Does 24.7x365 support extend to barcode scanners and printers or will CBP rely upon the manufacturer's warranties? | The government is seeking turn key support managed by the contractor . |
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .