Vendor Q and A.pdf

Question

QPL Ref. Question Answer

1 Section 2.4, Step 5

Due to the Security Sensitive classification and the proprietary technical and commercially sensitive information contained in QDP submissions, will TSA accept vendor QDP submissions on an encrypted and password protected thumb drive?

No. QPL Applicants shall provide submissions in accordance with the directions provided in the QPL Announcement.

2 Section 2.5.1, Step 6a

For the six (6) production representative systems required for the qualification process, must the systems be installed by one of the ten

(10) SSI vetted employees as limited in the BLS QPL notification? Or will service technicians with suitability determinations under other TSA programs be allowed to install systems?

The ten (10) SSI vetted employees are designated for access control points to SSI and classified documents only. Technicians will be allowed to install systems, provided they meet the required suitability determination.

3 N/A Will TSA approval/qualification of a system automatically provide valid certification/recognition for the Countries of the TAG group and the EU, or will it be valid for the United States only?

The TSA QPL is utilizing the internationally recognized and agreed upon TAG detection standard. TSA anticipates international recognition of the certification test execution and vendor performance against the standard. As with other capability areas, TSA will provide letters of performance that vendors can utilize for opportunities with other nations in the TAG working group.

4 N/A What is the minimum quantity of liquid that must be inspected ?

This is outlined in documents that are labeled as SSI/Classified, which will be provided to vendors once the necessary clearances have been obtained.

5 N/A Given potential impacts to staffing and operations, can the Government provide any updated guidance on expected QPL schedule milestones and whether timelines may be adjusted?

The Government will issue amendments to the announcement on an as-needed basis to address timeline concerns.

6 N/A Can TSA provide additional detail on the overall QPL process phases and key milestones following initial submission (e.g., document review, evaluation, and final qualification decision points)?

This information is found within the Quality Management Plan (QMP), which will be provided post SSI vetting.

7 N/A Will requirements documentation (e.g., FRD or equivalent) be released in phases, or as a complete package following CNSI approval?

Requirements documents outlined in Section 2.2 of the QPL Announcement will be released in two parts: (1) Unclassified and SSI documents will be released together when the vendor has been approved to receive SSI; (2) Classified documents will be provided together when a vendor is approved to receive CNSI.

8 N/A Can TSA confirm whether access to CNSI at TSA-designated locations is sufficient to support participation in the qualification process?

Vendors that have employees vetted to the SECRET level but do not have a facility clearance may have an opportunity to view documentation at TSA Headquarters.

TSA cannot confirm if this is sufficient to participate in the qualification process.

9 N/A At a high level, what types of performance data or documentation are expected from vendors as part of QPL evaluation (e.g., vendor-provided data vs. independent government testing)?

The documents listed in Section 2.2 of the QPL announcement outline what is expected from vendors as part of the QPL evaluation.

10 N/A For companies currently in the process of obtaining a Facility Clearance, are there interim mechanisms that allow participation in early QPL activities while clearance processing is ongoing?

Vendors that have employees vetted to the SECRET level but do not have a facility clearance may have an opportunity to view documentation at TSA Headquarters.

11 N/A Does QPL qualification apply to a specific system configuration (hardware/software baseline), or can a family of systems or configurations be included under a single QPL listing?

The QPL qualification applies to a specific system configuration. No family of systems or configurations are allowed under a single configuration baseline.