Acquisition Superhighway RFI 14NOV25.pdf

Request for Information (RFI) for Acquisition Superhighway

Agency: United States Coast Guard (USCG)

Date of Issuance: 14 November 2025

Response Due Date: 25 November 2025, by 1500 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

Point of Contact: Mr. Ryan Shaughnessy, Contracting Officer

RFI Identifier Number: 70Z02326IACQSH (Please use this identifier in your response)

NAICS Code: 541511 - Custom Computer Programming Services (This is a suggestion;

vendors are encouraged to recommend a more suitable code)

Product Service Code: D304 - Automated Information System Design and Development Services (This is a suggestion; vendors are encouraged to recommend a more suitable code)

1. Introduction/Purpose:

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is issuing this Request For Information (RFI) to gain a better understanding of the current marketplace and obtain information regarding commercial solutions with integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) capability that will enhance the efficiency and quality of the USCG procurement and acquisition program management process. This is NOT a solicitation and is intended for information and planning purposes only. The USCG is seeking information on commercially available and emerging technologies that can address specific challenges within our current end-to-end procurement workflow.

2. Background:

A faster, more adaptable, and highly effective Coast Guard is required to successfully deliver the full scope of planned reconciliation services and capabilities. A critical element of that is implementing an agile and responsive contracting and acquisitions (C&A) solution capable of supporting the rapid delivery of cutting-edge technologies and operational capabilities to the field at the speed of need. We will make significant changes across the C&A organization to implement a solution to provide the capabilities necessary to execute the Coast Guard’s increasingly complex missions. This high velocity solution will eliminate unnecessary and time-intensive requirements wherever possible, strengthen oversight and visibility, and leverage innovative procurement solutions to improve cost and schedule outcomes.

A major initiative required to reach that target objective is the successful adoption and use of advanced technology, human-machine teaming, and data to conduct operational, support, and enterprise functions. We will maximize the use of Commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS) and Artificial Intelligence in accordance with FD28 Executive Plan to obtain and integrate new enterprise capabilities that streamlines, automates and improves overall quality and efficiency of current contracting and acquisition workflows and delivers significant value to the enterprise.

This system should meet the gaps of current enterprise business processes by: (1) Interfacing directly with existing DHS & commercial procurement systems of record; (2) Providing a single point of entry for both procurement and acquisition documentation development and approval workflow; (3) enabling the addition of advanced artificial intelligence and business intelligence to supplement documentation development and decision support capabilities; and (4) Provide a community knowledge management capability.

This enterprise capability is intended to significantly improve data quality issues with current disparate and redundant business process workflows, while automating and standardizing workflows to greatly enhance enterprise efficiency and expand scope of current status tracking visibility and planning capabilities.

3. Current Status:

A summary of the current enterprise operational environment for the contracting and acquisition community consists of the following key descriptors/capability gaps:

• Heavily reliant on manual business processes and workflows

• Minimal end-to-end workflow status visibility

• Minimal business intelligence capabilities to support strategic planning, reporting, enterprise decision making

• Disparate centralized Knowledge Management capability

• Minimal tools to support COR requirement development processes

• Minimal tools to support Industry communication and collaboration

• Limited visibility of peer work products ensure alignment, leverage and adopt lessons learned

• Minimal to no use of industry advanced technology such as artificial intelligence

4. Requirements:

This section outlines the key software capabilities needed to achieve the operational missions target to directly support this initiative. These capabilities leverage generative artificial intelligence to transform traditionally manual, labor-intensive acquisition processes into streamlined, data-driven workflows that enhance decision-making, collaboration, and strategic thinking across the acquisition enterprise. The capabilities are organized into four high-level groupings of enduring needs, which are anticipated to be met over a series of capability releases. Please see Attachment B for more information regarding USCG Acquisition Lifecyle phases.

Capability Area 1 – Procurement Workflow Automation

• Acquisition Lifecycle (ALT) Workflow & Tracking Capability: A common workflow that tracks and facilitates processing of contract actions through ALT-1, ALT-2, ALT-3, Post Award, and Closeout, including time in each phase. Provides 100% visibility of who/what/where and how long. Tracking should include a countdown for when the requirement must be submitted to contracting to meet the required award date for pre and post award. Enables concurrent reviews and approvals of documents as they are routed as well as integrated digital signature capability. Workflow capability should also enable a workspace for collaboration between stakeholders on a requirement with a virtual handoff into formal workflow routing when complete.

• ALT 1: Acquisition Planning & Requirements Definition: Foundational AI capable of reviewing responses to pre-set questions, and templates and generating drafts of the following based on known federal sourcing vehicle data and/or identified IAA/IRWA agreements (ie: SOW/PWS/SOO/7600 Part A/B Forms – Depending on most appropriate per responses provided, IGCE, APFS Notice, COR Designation Memo, Market Research Report. Collaborative COR/KO procurement planning conference capability for discussing and identifying planned procurement actions for the fiscal year.

• ALT 2: Procurement Package Review, Acceptance, Solicitation & Source Selection Evaluations: Foundational AI capable of highlighting potential contractual and/or legal content focus areas to for attention and review. Ensure solution is configured to support digital signature capability. Software capability integrated with foundational Gen AI capable of generating the draft artifacts tailored to the defined requirements. Solution capable of supporting geographically distributed Technical Evaluation Team (TET) proposal response and evaluation processes.

• ALT 3: Procurement Award & Notifications: Software capability integrated with foundational Gen AI capable of generating the draft notification artifacts (i.e.:

Congressional Notifications, Notice of Award, Notices to unsuccessful vendors, Obligation Documents).

• ALT 4: Procurement Administration & Performance Management: Integrated deliverables, invoice review management capability that tracks due dates and review times with end user notifications.

Capability Area 2 – Acquisition Program Management Automation

• Acquisition Documentation Management: Software capability integrated with foundational Gen AI capable of generating the draft artifacts required for compliance with acquisition governance frameworks (i.e.: Major Systems Acquisitions Manual (MSAM), Non-Major Acquisition Program Manual (NMAP), Software Acquisition Pathway, Systems Engineering Lifecycle (SELC).

• Acquisition Lifecycle Workflow Management: Provides capability that supports both documentation and decision gate digital approval/disapproval workflow that leverages AI to identify potential gaps and risks to support executive decision making.

• Acquisition Sustainment Support Capability: Integrated documentation review and update capability that documentation annual update due dates and decision gate action items and provides end user notifications.

• Strategic Architecture Capability: Foundational AI capable of reviewing initial program requirements and enterprise wholistic baseline and identifying overlap, redundancy and/or opportunities for collaboration with other related or similar.

Capability Area 3 – Knowledge Management

• Procurement Knowledge Management: Centralized knowledge management capability to support procurement end user community with capturing, organizing, storing and sharing of knowledge and information to enhance productivity and decision making.

• Acquisition Knowledge Management: Centralized knowledge management capability to support acquisition program management end user community with capturing, organizing, storing and sharing of knowledge and information to enhance productivity and decision making.

• Template & Decision Support Management Hub: Centralized knowledge management capability that is configurable to be identified as primary government management source for AI to leverage for draft documentation generation and decision support.

Capability Area 4 – Business Intelligence & Enterprise Interoperability

• Procurement & Acquisition Business Intelligence Capability: Centralized business intelligence capability that is leverageable for both procurements and acquisition program management end user communities to support visibility and analysis of business data and ability to convert it into actionable insights for better decision-making and strategic planning.

• Peer Performance Dashboard: Software capability integrated with foundational AI that tracks COR, PM, KO and Legal peer to peer workflow performance for common packages and identifies target coaching and performance improvement opportunities based on workflow time, revisions count, etc. (similar capability integrated within MHS Genesis for physician cross agency rankings in comparison to other CG and DoD peers)

• Enterprise Interoperability: Software capability that is interoperable with key existing public and private systems of records (i.e.: USCG MBSE/Digital Thread enterprise systems, DHS contract writing tool, USCG Acquisition Requirements Management and Enterprise Architecture solutions, FSMS, CPARS, APFS, SAM.Gov, Industry Market Research systems, CG-Surveyor/government data warehousing solutions, etc.)

• Govt Use Compliance: Solution will comply with federal requirements for operation and use at the DISA Impact Level 4 for Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) or below.

5. RFI Submission Instructions:

Interested vendors are requested to provide information addressing the following questions:

• Solution Overview: Describe your proposed AI-based solution(s) for addressing the requirements outlined in Section 4. Be specific about the AI technologies used (e.g., machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision).

• Technical Capabilities: Please review and complete RFI Attachment A – Technical Capability Worksheet.

• Implementation Schedule:

o What is the estimated timeline for implementing your solution? Please ensure the following sub-parts are separately addressed in your response:

▪ Minimum Viable Product (Capability Area 1).

**Note: A demo of proposed MVP capability may be requested by the government following review of RFI responses

▪ Full Capability (Capability Areas 1-4):

**Note: Please include as part of your response any key milestones and associated fiscal year quarters.

• Support:

o Please describe end user and technical admin support options available to the federal government for your solution?

o What level of training and support is provided to end-users?

• Security: Please describe your solution’s cyber security features. Please be sure to identify any applicable FedRAMP ATO actions and associated status (ie: planned, in-progress, completed) or applicable ATOs with other government agencies.

• Experience and Past Performance:

o What is your company's experience in developing and implementing similar AI-based solutions for the government?

o Provide examples of past projects where you successfully implemented similar solutions, including references (if possible).

• Cost Information: Provide estimated (openly available) general pricing or cost ranges for your recommended solution(s). This is not a request for quote, but this information will be used for market research as the USCG prepares an acquisition strategy. Cost should address the following:

o Estimated initial implementation costs associated with your solution (MVP)?

o Estimated initial implementation costs associated with your solution (Full Capability)?

o Estimated ongoing maintenance and support costs associated with your solution?

o Please outline different licensing model options or tiers and associated software modules/capability packages applicable to your cost response.

• Feedback:

o What feedback would be helpful to refine or shape the government's pending solicitation?

o What would you, as a potential vendor, like to see in the solicitation?

o Is there a more applicable NAICS or PSC code that the USCG should consider?

o What other pertinent information do you believe is relevant to the USCG's requirements?

6. Submission Instructions for Responses:

The following Business Unit Information must be provided in the response documentation:

a. Company Name:

b. Address:

c. CAGE Code:

d. UEI:

e. Point of Contact/Phone Number:

f. E-mail Address:

g. Company Size (Large/Small):

h. Length of time in business:

i. GSA Schedule (if applicable) and Schedule Number or other relevant contract vehicles (if applicable):

Responses to this notice shall be submitted in writing to the Contracting Officer, Ryan Shaughnessy, via email at Ryan.W.Shaughnessy@uscg.mil. Please submit responses in a commonly used format, such as Microsoft Word or PDF.

Responses are due, as stated above, on November 25, 2025, by 1500 Eastern Daylight Time

(EDT).

7. Disclaimer:

• This RFI does not commit the agency to a procurement action.

• Submission responses are voluntary and non-binding.

• In accordance with FAR 52.215-3, this RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes. Further, it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This RFI does not commit the Government to contract for any goods or services whatsoever. Further, the United States Coast Guard is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals.

• Respondents are reminded that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party's expense.

• Vendors that do not respond to this RFI will not preclude their participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the beta.SAM.gov website. It is the responsibility of the potential respondents to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this requirement.