Government Questions and Responses.pdf

Question # Question Government Response

The General Solicitation cites representative use cases in Appendix A. Please confirm the Appendix A posted to SAM.gov is the complete use-case list for this focus area.

Yes, The Appendix A posted on SAM.gov is the complete use-case list for this focus area.

May an Offeror identify existing federal customers by name and cite quantitative results, where that information is not itself proprietary, CUI, or otherwise restricted?

Yes, offerors may identify pre- existing federal customers by name in support of their past performance with previous or existing federal customers. In accordance with the Solicitation, any information that is proprietary, CUI, or otherwise restricted is prohibited.

Given that videos are hosted on public platforms, will the Government accept an unlisted or link-restricted video, and must it remain accessible for any defined period after submission?

Yes, a link-restriced or password protected video will be accepted as long as, the appropriate link works.

Additionally, if submissions are password protected, the password must be provided with the submission.

May a foreign company participate in Phase 1 and be eligible for an award under this contract. Either by submitting directly as the prime or through a U.S. prime contractor?

To be eligible for award, Companies must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) prior to DHS making a CSO contract award. The DHS CSOP authority does not prohibit DHS from awarding to a foreign company or require awardees to be US-owned. The CSOP guide includes a clause that addresses foreign nationals performing under an award, requiring CO approval and adherence to export-control requirements. However, a foreign company may still be ineligible, depending on the requirements, the solicitation, and other applicable laws or restrictions/prohibitions.

Solutions for Procurement Modernization Solicitation 70RDA126R00000009

Questions and Answers Amendment 0001

If participation through a U.S. prime contractor is required or preferred, may a foreign company provide the underlying AI technology, product development, and technical support while a U.S prime contractor serves as the prime contractor and manages U.S. contracting, hosting, security, and any required onsite activities?

See previous response

Does DHS anticipate issuing Phase 2 invitations on a rolling basis as submissions are evaluated or after the August 26 initial submission deadline? If DHS requests an oral presentation or technical demonstration, will the invitation specify whether it will be virtual or on-site and whether the offeror may demonstrate through its own sanitized, vendor- hosted environment?

Phase 2 invitations will be issue on a rolling basis as submissions are evaluated. If invited to Phase II, the offeror will receive instructions prior to the anticipated demonstration date.

7 Is there an incumbent providing similar services? If so, who, and what is the current contract value?

No, this is a new requirement. An incumbent is not currently providing similar services for DHS.

How has the incumbent performed on the current contract, particularly regarding meeting performance objectives, deliverables, and timelines?

This is a new requirement. An incumbent is not currently providing similar services for DHS.

If DHS requests an oral presentation or demonstration, will the demonstration be considered part of the evaluation, and will Offerors receive specific instructions regarding its format and duration? Federal security / data / deployment

Yes, the demonstration will be Part of the Phase II procedures for evaluation. If invited to Phase II, the offeror will receive instructions prior to the anticipated demonstration date.

What contract type, anticipated period of performance, and approximate funding range does DHS anticipate for solutions selected through this

CSO?

It is intended that any resulting contract from this solicitation shall be Firm Fixed Price. The period of performance will be a 12-month base period. Price is determined based on the understanding of the technical goals and objectives of the General Solicitation, is consistent with the vendor’s technical approach, developed based on realistic assumptions, and is fair and reasonable.

Will DHS establish a common contract vehicle for selected Offerors, or will individual contracts be negotiated based on each selected solution?

DHS will not establish a common contract vehicle for selected offerors. Contract awards will be based on solutions that are determined to be innovative, commercial, and hold technical merit in accordance with the Evaluation criteria.

Does selection under the CSO authorize immediate deployment/purchase of the proposed commercial solution, or would DHS subsequently issue task/delivery orders, statements of work, or other acquisition instruments?

It is intended that any resulting contract from this solicitation shall be Firm Fixed Price. The period of performance will be a 12-month base period. Price is determined based on the understanding of the technical goals and objectives of the General Solicitation, is consistent with the vendor’s technical approach, developed based on realistic assumptions, and is fair and reasonable.

Will DHS consider licensing/subscription-based commercial pricing models, including SaaS, in addition to traditional fixed-price implementation approaches?

DHS will consider solutions that are in alignment with the described focus areas.

Section 15.0 states that the resulting award will be Firm Fixed Price. The CSO also states that Price will not be evaluated until Phase 2. This defers significant risk on both the Government and Offerors to Phase 2 as AI-based capabilities run on a consumption-based token model. Risk to the Government that selected capabilities are not economical and to Offerors that Agency usage is greater than assumed. How and when does the Government intend to address token consumption during evaluations?

Section 15.0 indicates an intended contract type; however, other contract types may be negotiated. The Government is open to innovative arrangements such as a consumption-based model, as appropriate.

The solicitation states the CSO General Solicitation will stay open for a period of 12 months, and that the Government will review responses as they are submitted and may award at any time. It also sets 26 August 2026 for concept papers under the first Focus Area Topic. Is 26 August a firm close for Focus Area Topic 1, or is it a first review cutoff with Focus Area Topic 1 remaining open for submission during the 12-month period?

Updated via amendment.

The solicitation is for commercially available AI technologies and solutions, and cites the FAR

2.101 definition, which reaches items of a type customarily used as well as items that will be available in the commercial marketplace in time to satisfy the delivery requirements. Will the Government consider a concept paper offering a documented and reproducible method that is not yet a fielded product, or does the evaluation require an existing commercial sales history or a deployed installed base?

Please review solicitation instructions.

Paragraph five of the description states that a portfolio of complementary capabilities may be required to advance the Department's OT strategy.

This solicitation is for AI technologies under OCPO.

Should offerors read OT as Operational Technology, as an Other Transaction reference, or is that sentence carried over from a prior solicitation and not applicable here?

Updated via amendment.

Scope of the procurement process. Does the Focus Area extend to post-award activity — invoice and payment review, spend and vendor anomaly detection, and program-integrity analytics — or is it confined to pre-award activity such as market research, requirements development, solicitation drafting and evaluation support?

Please review Solicitation section 2.0.

Explainability as an evaluation consideration.

Procurement decisions are subject to protest and audit. Where an offered technology produces a recommendation, ranking or risk score, does the Department expect the submission to describe how that output can be traced to its inputs and defended after the fact, and will that be considered in the evaluation?

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

Data environment and authorization. Would a selected solution be expected to operate on Department data within a Department-controlled environment, or within the vendor’s environment?

Relatedly, is a FedRAMP authorization or an existing ATO expected at the time of submission, or is authorization addressed after selection?

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

Rolling review. The solicitation states that the CSO remains open twelve months, that responses will be reviewed as submitted, and that award may occur at any time. Is a submission received after 26 August 2026 evaluated on the same basis as one received by that date, or does the 26 August date constitute a distinct first tranche?

Please review solicitation instructions.

Multiple submissions. May a single offeror submit more than one concept paper — for example, addressing distinct capabilities within the Focus Area — and if so, should each be submitted separately?

Please review solicitation instructions.

Submission format. Is there a page limit or required format for the concept paper, and is the solution video referenced in the solicitation required or optional at this stage?

Updated via amendment; Please review solicitation instructions.

Is remote or hybrid performance acceptable for this effort, or does the National Capital Region place of performance require on-site presence at government facilities for all or part of the period of performance?

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site

For the Phase 1 "commercial availability" requirement, is a SaaS product with a running production instance sufficient, or do you expect a specific commercial catalog or schedule listing?

Please review solicitation instructions.

For a commercially available solution, is an existing Authority to Operate (ATO) expected at the time of submission, or is ATO treated as a post-award, Phase 2 requirement? We want to confirm that a small business without a current DHS ATO is eligible to submit under Phase 1.

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

Place of performance (Section 9.0). AIM is a commercially hosted SaaS platform. We can provide on-site kickoff, training, and demonstrations at a designated National Capital Region facility. Please confirm that a commercial cloud tenant plus NCR on-site engagement satisfies Section 9.0 for a 12-month CSOP pilot.

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

Scope of Phase 1. We intend to address three Strategic Focus Areas only: (a) Acquisition planning, (b) Market research, and (d) Solicitation and contract creation — mapped to Appendix A use cases 16, 32, 15, 21, and 29. Please confirm that addressing a subset of the nine task areas / 32 use cases is acceptable.

See General Response #2: A single solution may cover more than one task and is not required to cover all potential aspects of a selected task area of Section 2.0 of the solicitation

(pp. 2-3).

Authority to Operate. Attachment 1 references FISMA / ATO. For a 12-month CSOP pilot of a commercial SaaS product, what authorization bar applies at award versus a later production / hub deployment (for example limited ATO / sandbox tenant versus FedRAMP Moderate)?

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

Intellectual property. AIM is existing commercial software with four U.S. provisional patent applications pending (filed March 30, 2026;

assigned to The Freedom Project, LLC): 64/021,075 (constraint-normalized scoring), 64/021,096 (cryptographic decision provenance), 64/021,357 (parametric labor hours with cited BOE), and 64/021,496 (anonymous-to-authenticated session continuity). Please confirm that Phase 2 negotiations will treat the platform as a commercial license to existing software, with the Government owning its data and generated artifacts, rather than unlimited rights in the AIM codebase under FAR 52.227-14.

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

Section 12.2 limits the Executive Summary to "maximum of 2 pages per Strategic Focus Area" and separately requires that each solution video be accompanied by a written solution brief. If an offeror's solution addresses more than one Strategic Focus Area, would the Government please clarify: If a single solution video less than 5 minutes in duration is accompanied by one written brief for each Strategic Fous Area addressed or;

Are separate solution videos and separate written briefs for each Strategic Focus Area addressed required?

Updated via amendment; Please review solicitation instructions.

Section 12.2 provides that each video submission requires a completed entry via email, with the video link and the written solution brief. I have not been able to find, in the General Solicitation or in Appendix A, the address to which that entry should be sent.

Updated via amendment; Please review solicitation instructions.

Should the Phase 1 submission go to the two of you at the addresses above, or is there a dedicated mailbox for submissions under this Solicitation?

Updated via amendment; Please review solicitation instructions.

Section 2.0 states the initial list of Strategic Focus Areas may evolve, and that DHS may issue amendments to change them during the 12-month open period. Will future Focus Area Topics stay within acquisition and procurement functions, or does DHS anticipate extending them to grants and financial-assistance oversight, such as improper payments, duplication of benefits, and similar program- integrity work?

Future needs are undetermined at this time.

Please confirm the unlimited-rights provision applies only to data and deliverables first produced in performance of the resulting contract, and does not extend to an Offeror's pre-existing commercial software, models, source code, or underlying platform delivered or licensed as a commercial item.

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site

Please confirm the negotiated intellectual property terms will control in the event of conflict with Paragraph B, and will be incorporated into the resulting award.

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

Will the Government accept delivery of the base platform under the Offeror's standard commercial license, consistent with FAR 12.212 and 27.405-3, with Government unlimited rights attaching to DHS-specific configurations, government-furnished data, and government-generated data?

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

Does "Strategic Focus Area" refer to the individual task areas in Section 2.0 — such that an Offeror addressing multiple task areas may submit two pages per task area — or to the single Focus Area Topic in Section 12.2, limiting the Executive Summary to two pages in total?

Updated via amendment; Please review solicitation instructions.

May an Offeror include supporting attachments that do not count against the page limit — for example a use-case traceability matrix mapping a proposed solution to the representative use cases in Appendix A? If so, is there a limit on their number or length?

No additional information should be submitted.

Will the Government accept an existing FedRAMP authorization, FedRAMP Ready status, or an ATO issued by another federal agency as the basis for a DHS reciprocity determination?

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

Is the ATO expected to be in place at award, or achieved during the 12-month base period?

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

Will DHS act as sponsoring agency and provide the assessment support necessary to complete the ATO within the base period?

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site

Do the Government-defined testing protocols referenced in Section 4.1 currently exist, and will they be available to Offerors prior to Phase 2 pricing?

See General Response #3: Attachment 1 to the General Solicitation, “Sample Performance Work Statement” is a sample document to assist interested parties that are selected to participate in Phase 2. It is not meant to represent additional requirements. Vendors are expected to adapt and iterate to produce their own PWS in Phase 2 if selected.

How is "operational accuracy" defined for generative outputs such as drafted solicitation language, where multiple outputs may be equally correct?

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

Does the 99.9% uptime standard apply only to infrastructure under the contractor's control, excluding outages attributable to government-furnished systems, networks, or third-party services?

See General Response #3: Attachment 1 to the General Solicitation, “Sample Performance Work Statement” is a sample document to assist interested parties that are selected to participate in Phase 2. It is not meant to represent additional requirements. Vendors are expected to adapt and iterate to produce their own PWS in Phase 2 if selected.

Will a screen recording of an Offeror's production system operating on synthetic or publicly releasable data satisfy the requirement to demonstrate previous applications?

Please review solicitation instructions.

Does the NCR government-facility requirement apply to all performance, or only to integration, configuration, training, and end-user support?

Specifically, may development, hosting, and sustainment of a commercial cloud-native solution be performed at contractor facilities or remotely?

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

Does the Government intend a single award under the current Focus Area Topic, with additional awards possible only under subsequently issued topics? Or may multiple awards be made under the current topic if multiple submissions are found to have merit?

Updated via amendment; Please review solicitation instructions.

Section 12.2 of the General Solicitation states that each video submission "requires a completed entry via email (with video link and written solution briefing)," but I don't see a designated submission email address in the posted documents. Could you confirm where Phase 1 entries (solution video link, Cover Letter, and Executive Summary) should be sent?

Updated via amendment; Please review solicitation instructions.

If a company brings an existing commercial product into this effort, would participating in the CSO or receiving an award limit the company's ability to continue selling and improving that product for other customers? For example, if we make improvements to our existing product while working with DHS, would we still be free to use those improvements in the commercial version of the product and offer them to other federal agencies, state and local governments, and private-sector customers, as long as we are not using DHS-specific data or information?

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site

Section 2.0 lists nine task areas, and the paragraph that follows refers to "this initial list of Strategic Focus Areas." Please confirm that the nine task areas in Section 2.0 constitute the Strategic Focus Areas for purposes of the Phase 1 page limits and the video content requirement to identify the Strategic Focus Area(s) addressed.

Updated via amendment.

Section 12.2 describes a cover letter of up to one page plus an executive summary of up to two pages per Strategic Focus Area, while Section 14.0 limits Phase 1 proposals to two pages per Strategic Focus Area. Please confirm the total allowable page count for the Phase 1 written solution brief and whether the cover letter counts against that limit.

Updated via amendment; Please review solicitation instructions.

The Phase 1 video content requirements refer to identification of the Strategic Focus Area(s) addressed, in the plural. Please confirm that a single solution video and accompanying written solution brief may address multiple Strategic Focus Areas, rather than requiring a separate submission for each, and confirm how the page allowance applies to such a submission.

See General Response #2: A single solution may cover more than one task and is not required to cover all potential aspects of a selected task area of Section 2.0 of the solicitation

(pp. 2-3).

Section 12.1 states that DHS may make multiple contract awards and that more than one concept paper may be accepted, while Section 12.2 states that the August 26, 2026 window will result in "one initial (1) Award." Please clarify whether DHS anticipates a single award from this initial window, with additional awards contemplated under subsequent Focus Area Topics.

Updated via amendment.

Attachment 1 is titled "Sample Statement of Work," while Section 12.2 directs Phase 2 vendors to respond to "Attachment 1 – Statement of Work."

Are the performance standards in Attachment 1 — including 95% operational accuracy and 99.9% quarterly uptime — binding requirements, or illustrative and subject to negotiation during Phase 2?

See General Response #3: Attachment 1 to the General Solicitation, “Sample Performance Work Statement” is a sample document to assist interested parties that are selected to participate in Phase 2. It is not meant to represent additional requirements. Vendors are expected to adapt and iterate to produce their own PWS in Phase 2 if selected.

Terms and Conditions, Section B (Data Rights) states that the Government shall have unlimited rights in all data, computer databases, and computer software as defined in FAR 52.227-14 developed during performance. The Intellectual Property section states that intellectual property rights shall be negotiated prior to award. For offerors proposing a pre-existing commercial software platform, please confirm that Section B is not intended to convey rights in an offeror's background or pre-existing intellectual property, and that license terms for commercial software will be established through the negotiation described in the Intellectual Property section.

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

Attachment 1, Section 7.0 requires compliance with DHS 4300A/B and FISMA, inclusive of obtaining an Authority to Operate. Does DHS anticipate the solution being deployed within a DHS-managed environment and authorization boundary, or externally hosted by the vendor? Is an ATO expected to be in place at time of award, or obtained during the 12-month period of performance?

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site

Is inclusion in the DHS Technology Reference Model a prerequisite to award? If so, will the Government sponsor the TRM submission for a selected solution?

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

59 Section 9.0 states that work will be performed at designated Government facilities within the National Capital Region. For a cloud-hosted software solution, please clarify the extent to which on-site presence is expected and whether Government facility access and workspace will be furnished.

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

For production deployment, please confirm whether using AWS services and AI models within the applicable AWS boundary would satisfy DHS’s cloud and AI-platform requirements, subject to application-level security controls and the DHS Authority to Operate process.

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site

The Solicitation states that work will be performed at designated government facilities within the National Capital Region. I would be grateful to know whether that applies to the full twelve-month base period, or to specific on-site activities within

it. Put plainly: would a solution developed and maintained remotely, and deployed into a DHS-controlled cloud environment, satisfy Section 9.0

— or does the Department require personnel physically present in the National Capital Region throughout?

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

1. Section 12.2 requires a unique YouTube or Vimeo link. May offerors use a password-protected Vimeo link if the password is included in the cover letter, or must the link be accessible without authentication?

See General Response #5: Video submissions may be uploaded as “unlisted” or be password protected.

The government will not review any video submission that requires a user account or additional credentials to view.

1. The solicitation permits solutions addressing one or more Appendix A use cases and limits the Executive Summary to two pages per Strategic Focus Area. For the current AI Technology Strategic Focus Area, does a single two-page limit apply regardless of the number of related use cases addressed in the submission?

Please review solicitaiton instructions.

Section B grants the Government unlimited rights in data and software developed during task-order performance. Please confirm whether this grant excludes pre-existing commercial software, models, algorithms, workflows, and other background intellectual property incorporated into the solution, which would remain subject to identified commercial license terms. Does DHS anticipate requiring delivery of any pre-existing source code?

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site

If a proposed solution requires integration with DHS acquisition systems or data sources, should offerors assume DHS will provide applicable interface specifications, data schemas, representative data, and test-environment access during Phase 2 or contract performance? If those resources are unavailable, may offerors demonstrate integration using standard interfaces and Government-approved synthetic or sanitized data?

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

66 Can you provide all Focus Area Topics? Updated via amendment.

Will we be able to submit for AI Technology during the open period of the CSO post 8/26/2026?

Updated via amendment; Please review solicitation instructions.

How many total awards will there be for the AI Technology Focus Area Topic?

Please review solicitation instruction and evaluation information.

Is there a final SOW that is not a sample for the AI Technology Focus Area Topic?

See General Response #3: Attachment 1 to the General Solicitation, “Sample Performance Work Statement” is a sample document to assist interested parties that are selected to participate in Phase 2. It is not meant to represent additional requirements. Vendors are

For the AI Technology SOW, is the government envisioning a new application or suite of applications built with AI that will replace the current Procurement solution in place?

The government has not identified a solution.

For the AI Technology SOW, is the government envisioning a supporting application or suite of supporting applications built with AI that will augment the current Procurement solution in place?

The government has not identified a solution.

Section of the solicitation states "DHS will review Phase 1 submissions on a rolling basis throughout the open period of the General Solicitation", but Section 12.2 States there is a submission deadline of August 26, 2026. Can you please confirm if there will still be submissions accepted for the AI Technology Focus Area Topic on a rolling basis past August 26?

Updated via amendment; Please review solicitation instructions.

In Section 12.1, it discusses prototypes created out of the CSOP. Will the CSOP output be primarily prototypes, or will they be production systems?

Updated via amendment.

Does DHS expect the proposed AI technology to be fully operational/commercially deployed at the time of submission, or will commercially available technologies requiring limited configuration or adaptation also be considered?

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

Can a solution address a specific procurement function or pain point, or does DHS expect an end-to-end procurement modernization capability?

See General Response #2: A single solution may cover more than one task and is not required to cover all potential aspects of a selected task area of Section 2.0 of the solicitation

(pp. 2-3).

Are there specific procurement functions or use cases within the AI Technology Focus Area that DHS considers highest priority?

See General Response #4: Appendix A, “Representative Use Cases” is provided to show sample use cases but is not an all-inclusive list.

Solutions are not limited to addressing these use cases.

Can Offerors propose AI solutions that support DHS procurement personnel without directly making procurement decisions, i.e., human-in-the-loop decision-support applications?

Please review solitication instructions.

Will AI solutions supporting acquisition workforce productivity, such as market research, requirements development, solicitation drafting, contract analysis, or acquisition analytics, be within scope?

Please review solitication instructions and solicitation Section 2.0.

How does DHS intend to distinguish an innovative application of an existing AI technology from a conventional implementation of commercially available generative AI?

Please review solicitation instruction and evaluation information.

Will DHS consider a solution innovative when the underlying AI technology is commercially available but the application, workflow, methodology, or integration is novel and specifically designed for federal procurement? Innovation

Please review solicitation instruction and evaluation information.

Is DHS looking primarily for technological innovation, or will innovation in procurement processes and methods enabled by commercially available AI also satisfy the innovation requirement? Concept paper and evaluation

Updated via amendment; Please review solicitation instructions.

Is there a prescribed page limit, word limit, format, or specific structure for the concept paper beyond the requirements stated in the General Solicitation? Concept paper and evaluation

Updated via amendment; Please review solicitation instructions.

What level of technical detail does DHS expect in the concept paper regarding architecture, AI models, data sources, integrations, cybersecurity, and deployment? Concept paper and evaluation

Updated via amendment; Please review solicitation instructions.

84 How will the Government evaluate the commercial maturity/readiness of proposed solutions?

Please review solicitation instruction and evaluation information.

Will demonstrated commercial deployments, customer references, pilots, or measurable performance results be considered in evaluating the solution? Concept paper and evaluation

Please review solicitation evaluation information.

Will the Government provide additional evaluation criteria or weighting associated with innovation, technical capability, commercial maturity, security, usability, and anticipated procurement impact? Concept paper and evaluation

Please review solicitation evaluation information.

If DHS requests an oral presentation or demonstration, will the demonstration be considered part of the evaluation, and will Offerors receive specific instructions regarding its format and duration? Federal security / data / deployment

Please review solicitation instruction and evaluation information.

88 What DHS security and hosting requirements should Offerors assume for proposed AI solutions, including requirements for handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), Federal Contract Information (FCI), or other potentially sensitive procurement data? Federal security / data / deployment

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

Does DHS have a preferred deployment environment, such as DHS cloud environments, FedRAMP-authorized cloud services, or an on-premises environment? Federal security / data / deployment

Please review solicitation instructions.

Will solutions requiring access to DHS procurement data or systems be expected to integrate with existing DHS acquisition systems, and if so, will relevant APIs, interfaces, or technical documentation be made available to the selected Offeror? Federal security / data / deployment

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site

Should Offerors assume that the proposed solution must be FedRAMP-authorized at the time of award, or may an appropriate authorization path be addressed after selection? Federal security / data / deployment

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

What responsible AI requirements should Offerors address, including explainability, human oversight, bias testing, auditability, data lineage, model monitoring, and protection of procurement-sensitive information? Contract / award structure

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

Can multiple Offerors addressing different procurement problems receive separate awards under this CSO? Contract / award structure

Please review solicitation evaluation information.

Can an Offeror propose a pilot or limited deployment as the initial acquisition, with expansion based on demonstrated performance?

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site

Attachment 1 (Sample Statement of Work) references detailed compliance items, including the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, model cards, a 95% operational accuracy performance standard, and semi-annual AI disclosure reporting.

Are vendors expected to address these frameworks within the Phase 1 video and Executive Summary, or are they reserved for the Phase 2 Technical Approach submission?

See General Response #3: Attachment 1 to the General Solicitation, “Sample Performance Work Statement” is a sample document to assist interested parties that are selected to participate in Phase 2. It is not meant to represent additional requirements. Vendors are

Section 12.2 states this round will result in "one initial (1) Award," while Section 12.1 states that "more than one concept paper may be accepted" and that the Government may accept more than one solution brief for award. Can DHS clarify whether one award is anticipated for this specific Focus Area Topic round, with the possibility of additional awards in future Focus Area Topic rounds under the same 12-month open solicitation period?

Updated via amendment; Please review solicitation instructions.

Is FedRAMP authorization required or preferred for the cloud hosting environment, or is "verified CSP" sufficient on its own? Scope of work

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

What is the "95% operational accuracy" standard (SOW 4.1) measured against — a DHS-provided test dataset, live production accuracy, or something else? Scope of work

See General Response #3: Attachment 1 to the General Solicitation, “Sample Performance Work Statement” is a sample document to assist interested parties that are selected to participate in Phase 2. It is not meant to represent additional requirements. Vendors are

Which specific DHS legacy procurement/contract-writing systems (e.g., PRISM, ASAP, iASSIST, other component-level systems) would a solution need to integrate with? Scope of work

This is dependent on the solution proposed.

Is an existing Authority to Operate (ATO) required at time of Phase 1/2 submission, or can it be pursued post-award? Scope of work

Please review solicitation instructions.

What data classification levels will the solution be exposed to (FOUO, CUI, PII) — does this vary by DHS component? Scope of work

This is dependent on the solution proposed.

Is there a preferred/required LLM foundation model policy (e.g., must be hosted in a specific GovCloud region, restrictions on which model providers are acceptable)? Scope of work

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

What does "zero-trust defenses" mean concretely for evaluation purposes — is there a specific reference architecture or checklist DHS scores against? Scope of work

Please review solicitation evaluation information.

Will DHS provide sandbox/test environment access during Phase 2, or must vendors self-host a sandbox for demonstration?

See General Response #6: If a demonstration is requested in Phase 2, the government does not plan to provide a sandbox/testing environment. (Solicitation Section 12.2, p. 8)

Section 12.3 identifies Business Viability, including compliance with DHS-specific cybersecurity requirements, as a Phase 2 evaluation criterion.

Will DHS require that a cloud-hosted solution selected for award operate under an existing FedRAMP authorization or DHS Authorization to Operate at the time of award, and will an offeror's current authorization status be considered in the Business Viability evaluation or elsewhere in Phase 1?

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

Section 12.1 states that DHS anticipates a subsequent competitive procurement for full-scale production and sustainment, and Section 1.0 issues this General Solicitation for DHS HQ and all its Components. As capabilities transition from pilot to production and extend across Components and to higher-sensitivity data, does the Department anticipate requiring the production environment to operate at FedRAMP High or Department of Defense Impact Level 5? If so, will a solution's existing authorization at those levels be considered in assessing readiness for the production environment?

See General Response #1: As outlined under Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria, selected vendors will be able to negotiate terms and conditions with the government as applicable to the proposed solution. This negotiation can include data rights concerns, FEDRAMP or ATO considerations, solution output completeness, explainability, required on-site support, etc. (Solicitation Section 12.3, p. 10)

Section 12.3 states that Phase 1 submissions will be evaluated on how well the company describes differentiators with specific examples, evidence, and/or metrics, and Phase 2 evaluates Business Viability as the vendor's ability to deliver. In assessing a submitter's ability to execute the proposed solution at Department scale, will the Peer Review Panel consider evidence such as current production deployments of the offered technology in federal environments, active security authorizations, and delivery timelines achieved on comparable federal implementations? If so, should this evidence appear in the Phase 1 solution brief, or is it reserved for Phase 2?

Please review solicitation evaluation information.

May the required YouTube or Vimeo solution video be configured as “unlisted,” provided that DHS evaluators can access it through the submitted link without creating an account, entering a password, or requesting access?

See General Response #5: Video submissions may be uploaded as “unlisted” or be password protected.

The government will not review any video submission that requires a user account or additional credentials to view.

If one integrated commercial solution addresses multiple Strategic Focus Areas, may the Offeror submit one solution video and one written solution brief covering those areas?

See General Response #2: A single solution may cover more than one task and is not required to cover all potential aspects of a selected task area of Section 2.0 of the solicitation

(pp. 2-3) and review solicitation instructions.

Please confirm that the maximum one-page cover letter is separate from the executive-summary limit of two pages per Strategic Focus Area. For example, would a response addressing two Strategic Focus Areas be permitted one cover-letter page plus up to four executive-summary pages?

Please review solicitation…