Call for Solutions_Enterprise Product Content Services_28Sep2026.pdf

CALL FOR SOLUTIONS

Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) Enterprise Grocery Product Content Creation, Management, and Syndication Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Solution

Project Number W9128Z-26-R-DeCA-EPC

Army Open Solicitation (AOS) Number W9128Z-25-S-A002

Call for Solution Title DeCA Enterprise Grocery Product Content Creation, Management, and Syndication SaaS Solution

Issued By Army Contracting Command – Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG) in support of the

Defense Commissary Agency

Submission Instructions To respond to this Call for Solution, please refer to Section 6 of this Call for Solution

Solution Briefs Due Date/Time

(Suspense)*

12 October 2026 at 1000 AM Eastern

Daylight Time (EDT)

Point of Contracts (POCs) for Solution Brief Submission

Contracting Officer: Shelby A. Saum, shelby.a.saum.civ@army.mil

Contract Specialist: Jimmy H Dinh, jimmy.h.dinh.civ@army.mil

*Any submissions that are received by the Contracting/Agreements Officer after the suspense date/time listed above will be deemed late and not evaluated. It is the sole responsibility of the company to ensure that its submission is received in the email inboxes listed above before the deadline specified.

NOTE: Please advise the cognizant Contracting/Agreements Officer and Specialist as soon as possible via the emails above if your organization intends to submit a Solution Brief in response to this Call for Solution.

This Call for Solution may result in the Government awarding Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul (RFO FAR) contracts or non-FAR agreements in accordance with (IAW) RFO Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (RFO DFARS) 212.70 – Defense Commercial Solutions Opening. Other Transactions (OT) that may be awarded from this Call for Solution are not subject to the RFO FAR or its supplements, as applicable.

1. BACKGROUND

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) is a component of the Department of War (DoW) that provides enterprise-wide mission support to all United States (U.S.) uniformed services, including the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard, in both continental United States (CONUS) and outside of the continental United States (OCONUS) locations. DeCA’s mission is to deliver a vital benefit of the military compensation package that improves quality of life and readiness by providing grocery items at significant savings to military personnel and their families. DeCA operates a global system of 235 commissaries across 45 states, 13 countries, and two U.S. territories, with approximately 3,000 checkout lanes. To support modern, multi-channel retail operations, DeCA requires a robust, centralized enterprise capability to acquire, create, validate, manage, and syndicate product images, digital assets, specifications, dimensions, metadata, and related content. This system is essential for driving digital commerce, in-store merchandising, automated planogramming, marketing, and global store operations.

2. PROBLEM STATEMENT

DeCA manages a highly diverse, worldwide grocery portfolio. Accurate, consistent, and timely product content is critical across multiple downstream business functions, including eCommerce platforms, digital marketing, category management, shelf planning, and physical store operations. Currently, DeCA's product content processes suffer from manual, fragmented workflows. This manual coordination often results in inconsistent imagery, incomplete product records, delayed publishing cycles, and an increased administrative workload.

Furthermore, grocery product lines present unique content challenges. DeCA requires a solution that seamlessly handles non-standard merchandise, including random-weight items (e.g. fresh meat, seafood, deli, bakery, and produce) that do not possess traditional, static UPC-based content structures or standardized commercial brand imagery.

To resolve these challenges, DeCA is seeking an integrated Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution combining centralized Digital Asset Management (DAM) and Product Information Management (PIM) capabilities with content creation services, supplier collaboration tools, and automated system integration. The objective is to establish an end-to-end product content pipeline that reduces manual overhead, improves digital search and discoverability, and establishes a single source of truth for product content across the entire DeCA global enterprise.

3. REQUIRED AND DESIRED SOLUTION ATTRIBUTES

Required Attributes (Applicable to all proposed solutions):

• Complete Area of Interest (AOI) Solutions: Offerors may propose solutions for one, some, or all of the four (4) AOIs defined in Section 3. However, offerors must propose a complete, end-to-end solution for any individual AOI they pursue, to include the General Objectives of paragraph 5.1 of Attachment 0001: Statement of Objectives (SOO). Partial solutions for a single AOI will not be evaluated. The Government highly encourages teaming arrangements to deliver comprehensive capabilities.

• Enterprise Integration & SAP Compatibility: Proposed solutions must provide secure, highly reliable, automated mechanisms (such as standard REST APIs and secure SFTP) to seamlessly exchange product assets, attributes, dimensions, and metadata with Government-furnished systems. Integration targets include, but are not limited to, SAP-based Advanced Retail Technology Suite (ARTS), Oracle, point-of-sale (POS) environments, automated ordering/inventory systems, eCommerce storefronts (such as FreshOp), and downstream planogramming solutions. The contractor must provide comprehensive data schemas, dictionaries, and standard export formats (e.g., CSV, JSON) to enable mapping.

• Transition and Descoping Support (Enterprise MDM Alignment): Offerors must anticipate that certain proposed capabilities, platform modules, or services may overlap with parallel DeCA enterprise modernization and Master Data Management (MDM) initiatives. The Contractor is required to support seamless transition, data handoffs, and modular descoping activities as native, long-term DeCA MDM capabilities become operational. Offerors must describe their willingness and technical approach to supporting these modular adjustments (such as transitioning from optional CLIN structures) to ensure zero operational disruption or content availability gaps across DeCA's global grocery commerce channels.

• Platform Accessibility and Usability: Any user-facing portal must be secure, highly available (maintaining 99.5% uptime measured monthly, excluding scheduled maintenance), and fully accessible via standard commercial web browsers without requiring specialized client-side software. The platform must provide intuitive, self-service ad-hoc reporting and seamless collaboration/sharing

• Cybersecurity (CMMC Level 2): Because the proposed platform will receive, process, store, transmit, and generate Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and sensitive operational data—including DeCA system configuration parameters, supplier account access details, proprietary brand attributes, inventory statuses, and secure system-to-system exchange protocols—the solution must meet CMMC Level 2 (or successor requirements), NIST SP 800-171, and DFARS 252.204-7012. System security controls must be maintained across all platform modules throughout the period of performance.

• Data Rights & Internal Use: The Government requires a standard commercial internal use license for the underlying proprietary datasets, libraries, and SaaS platforms. This license must grant DeCA the irrevocable right to ingest, store, merge, and utilize the raw product data internally within DeCA's enterprise IT environment (including the SAP/ARTS and downstream planogramming environments) for official business analysis and retail operations. The solution must accommodate and legally permit the ingestion, storage, and public/internal display of third-party supplier-provided product imagery and dimensions. The Government requires unlimited rights to all bespoke reports, custom configuration scripts, database structures, and analytical/creative methodologies generated specifically for DeCA under this effort.

• Program & Training Support: Proposals must include comprehensive training (initial live sessions, quarterly ongoing refreshers, and on-demand materials) and responsive program support.

Desired Attributes:

• Expedited On-boarding: Solutions demonstrating a mature, turnkey deployment methodology capable of executing full system provisioning, initial role-based access setup, and validated data integration in under thirty (30) calendar days from contract award.

Specific Areas of Interest:

3.1 AOI 1: Product Content Acquisition, Photography, & Creation Services The objective is to acquire comprehensive product photography and custom content creation services to build and maintain high-fidelity grocery assets where manufacturer-provided commercial data is missing or insufficient. The proposed solution should achieve the following:

• Provide custom product content creation, including professional multi-angle photography, image editing, transparent-background rendering, mobile-optimized presentation views, and package specification capturing.

• Support custom asset creation for specialized goods, including private-label/store-brand products, emerging localized brands, and products from smaller, non-traditional commercial suppliers.

• Establish automated workflows to systematically identify and report content gaps

(missing images, incomplete attributes, or outdated packaging designs) within the active item assortment.

• Deliver specialized content capture methodologies for non-standard grocery merchandise, such as random-weight fresh meats, produce, deli, and bakery items that lack traditional consumer packaging and static GTIN layouts.

3.2 AOI 2: Centralized Digital Asset Management (DAM) & Product Information Management

(PIM) Platform

The objective is to obtain a mature, COTS-based SaaS platform that serves as DeCA's centralized repository to store, organize, search, and manage approved grocery product content and digital assets. The proposed solution should achieve the following:

• Deliver an integrated DAM and PIM capability to house product images, digital marketing assets, nutritional metadata, packaging dimensions, specifications, and associated taxonomies within a single, unified database.

• Implement intuitive, multi-dimensional search and retrieval capabilities, enabling authorized users to locate product profiles instantly via identifiers, brand attributes, or metadata keywords.

• Enforce robust version control and asset lifecycle management to systematically manage packaging updates, seasonal item changes, brand redesigns, and historical content archiving.

• Provide configurable role-based security profiles and access permissions to safely manage administrative, standard user, and third-party partner permissions across global operations.

• Support secure, collaborative workspaces and secure import/export pipelines allowing suppliers, manufacturers, and store-level personnel to safely exchange, review, and collaborate on planogram and assortment designs.

3.3 AOI 3: eCommerce Product Content Enablement, Multi-Channel Syndication, &

Merchandising Support

The objective is to secure automated publishing, optimization, and syndication tools that streamline the delivery of high-quality digital assets and physical product specifications to DeCA’s eCommerce storefronts, consumer web portals, marketing applications, and category management/planogramming systems. The proposed solution should achieve the following:

• Enable automated, secure publishing of approved product content directly from the PIM/DAM repository to DeCA's active consumer-facing eCommerce platforms (such as FreshOp).

• Optimize product search and discoverability across digital shopping channels utilizing structured metadata, automated indexing, standardized taxonomy structures, and search keywords.

• Deliver responsive, mobile-optimized product layouts that display product descriptions, dimensions, nutritional attributes, and packaging visuals consistently across all web and mobile devices.

• Support digital merchandising tools, including side-by-side product comparisons, related-item suggestions, and temporary promotional/seasonal content campaigns.

• Provide planogram-ready digital assets that accurately associate high-resolution product images with validated physical dimensions (height, width, depth, and weight) and merchandising attributes.

• Deliver standardized, high-quality shelf visualization images to enable Category Managers to build highly accurate virtual fixture and shelf mockups within planogramming software.

• Ensure approved packaging dimensions and physical attribute changes are automatically syndicated to downstream replenishment and shelf planning databases.

3.4 AOI 4: Supplier Collaboration Portal & Automated Integration Services

The objective is to establish a secure, collaborative portal and automated integration suite that enables suppliers to directly submit product content, while ensuring seamless real-time data sync with DeCA's broader IT enterprise. The proposed solution should achieve the following:

• Provide a secure, self-service Supplier Portal allowing manufacturers, distributors, and private-label partners to access images, nutritional specifications, dimensions, and packaging updates.

• Incorporate automated validation engine capabilities that analyze supplier-submitted content for completeness, image quality, and ID accuracy prior to routed review.

• Establish configurable approval and rejection routing workflows, complete with automated notifications to alert suppliers of status changes or required asset revisions.

• Deliver high-performance, secure REST APIs and automated data synchronization capabilities to maintain real-time content alignment across SAP-based ARTS, Oracle, and global POS environments.

4. AWARDING INSTRUMENT

The Call will be awarded in accordance with the Army Open Solicitation procedures detailed within Solicitation W9128Z-25-S-A002, found at the following link:

https://sam.gov/opp/014a93670e1f4352ac85b764ee9f3bed/view. This Call provides instructions to companies and how the Government will evaluate submissions.

The objective of this Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) is to solicit innovative commercial solutions, technologies, and methodologies to support the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA). In accordance with the CSO framework, the Government will evaluate proposed solutions based on technical merit, innovation, and value. The determination of the appropriate acquisition instrument—whether a FAR Part 12 commercial contract, an Other Transaction (OT) agreement, or another relevant procurement instrument—will be made by the Contracting Officer after the evaluation of received solutions. The Government intends to evaluate proposals independently for each Area of Interest (AOI) and may make multiple awards to different offerors. This Call for Solution will utilize Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) procedures. Use of a CSO in accordance with RFO DFARS subpart 212.70 is considered to be a competitive procedure for the purposes of 10 U.S.C. chapter 3201 and RFO FAR subpart 6.101.

5. CALL INSTRUCTIONS AND NOTES

In addition to the general guidelines included in the open solicitation, the following guidelines apply to this Call for Solution:

➢ Offerors are reminded that all awards are subject to the availability of funds and the

Government reserves the right to make multiple awards, a single award, or no award as a result of this Call.

➢ Only a Contracting or Agreements Officer has the authority to enter into, modify, or execute a binding instrument on behalf of the United States Government. All payment obligations are subject to Congressional appropriations.

➢ In order to be eligible for award, offerors must:

o Possess a Unique Entity ID (UEI) and be registered in the System for Award

Management (SAM) prior to award and maintain active registration throughout the period of performance.

o Register in the prescribed government invoicing system (e.g., Wide Area Work Flow).

o Accurately represent their small business size and status as required.

o Be determined responsible by the Contracting/Agreements Officer and not be suspended, debarred, or otherwise prohibited from receiving an award.

o Disclose any actual or potential Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCIs) to the

Contracting/Agreements Officer prior to award.

➢ Offerors are responsible for monitoring SAM.gov for any amendments or updates to this

Call.

➢ Visible Text & Document Formatting Compliance: All proposal content must be presented as visible text using a standard, readable font (i.e., not requiring magnification), as readability directly impacts the Government's ability to assess the merits of the proposed solution. The inclusion of any concealed text (including micro text, white text on a white background, or text hidden within images/graphics/metadata) is strictly prohibited and will render the submission non compliant. While companies are https://sam.gov/opp/014a93670e1f4352ac85b764ee9f3bed/view encouraged to use diagrams, graphics, and concise text to effectively convey complex information (landscape-oriented 11 x 8.5-inch pages are permissible for visuals), these will count toward the total page limits, which are strictly enforced. Any pages submitted beyond the maximum allowed for any phase will be removed by the Government and will not be evaluated.

➢ Resellers and academic research proposals are not desired.

➢ All Solution Briefs will be valid for 180 calendar days after the submission date.

➢ Notice to Offeror(s): The Government reserves the right to cancel this open Call, either before or after the closing date. If the Government cancels this open Call, the Government has no obligation to reimburse an offeror for any costs.

6. SOLUTION SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Companies responding to this call shall submit a Solution Brief for evaluation. Submissions are to be sent via email only to the Contracting/Agreements Officer and Specialist (POCs) listed in this Call for Solution. The Government is interested in unique and innovative solutions, including techniques to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and enhance performance. Submissions will be evaluated based on the merit of the proposed solution in addressing the Call – not against other submissions in response to this Call. The response process for this Call will generally consist of the following phases:

Phase 1: Solution Brief (White Paper) For Phase 1 of this acquisition, offerors shall submit a Solution Brief. The brief is a written technical submission that must provide a detailed discussion explicitly addressing the technical merit of the commercial solution offering with respect to the problem statement defined herein, using the content guidelines in Section 6.1.1. Furthermore, the submission must clearly articulate how the proposed solution meets the Government's objectives and satisfies the evaluation criteria detailed in Section 7. All Solution Briefs will be evaluated against these criteria. Offerors are advised that the Government will not reimburse any costs incurred in the preparation or submission of a Solution Brief.

Phase 2: Pitch (unless bypassed) Offerors whose Phase 1 Solution Briefs that demonstrate technical merit, satisfy the minimum evaluation criteria, and are selected to proceed may be invited to participate in a Phase 2 Pitch Session. The Government reserves the right to limit the number of offerors invited to pitch. As such, an offeror’s solution may be evaluated to be of merit, however not invited to pitch.

If conducted, the Pitch Session may include a technical demonstration or challenge, and specific instructions will be provided to selected participants. The Government reserves the right to record all pitch sessions for evaluation purposes. Furthermore, the Government reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to bypass Phase 2 entirely and proceed to an award decision based on the Phase 1 submission. Unless otherwise stipulated, the Government will not reimburse offerors for any costs associated with preparing for or participating in the Pitch Session.

Phase 3: Solution Proposal Following the completion of the preceding evaluation phase(s), the Government may issue an invitation to select offerors to submit a full Request for Solution Proposal (RSP). The invitation for Phase 3 will provide detailed instructions on the required format and content for the solution proposal submission. Unless otherwise stipulated, the Government will not reimburse offerors for any costs associated with preparing the Solution Proposal or engaging in any subsequent negotiations. Furthermore, offerors are advised that any potential award resulting from this solicitation is contingent upon the availability of Government funds and need.

Detailed submission requirements for Phase 1 are provided in Section 6.1. Evaluation criteria for Phase 1 are outlined in Section 7. Phase 2 and/or Phase 3 submission requirements and evaluation criteria will be provided via subsequent invitation letters.

6.1 Phase 1 – Solution Brief

6.1.1 Phase 1 – Solution Brief Content

Solution Briefs shall not exceed ten (10) written pages using 12-point Times New Roman font or, alternatively, may take the form of briefing slides not exceeding twenty (20) slides.

Any pages exceeding the limit will be removed and not evaluated. The Government will not consider inserted textboxes/pop-ups or internet links to additional information as part of the Solution Brief and will not consider such information in its evaluation. Solution Briefs are intended to be clear and concise.

All Phase I Solution Brief submission emails shall contain the subject line “Solution Brief Submission – DECA_26 – Enterprise Product Content SaaS, [COMPANY NAME]”. Please follow this naming convention for naming files as well.

Solution Briefs shall include the following at a minimum:

a. Title Page (does not count against page limit)

i. Company Name, Call Title, Date, Point of Contact Name, POC Title, E-Mail Address, Phone, Address, and Call reference number. If registered in SAM.gov, include the Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code and Unique Entity Identification (UEI) code. Note: SAM registration is required for any award.

ii. Explicitly list which of the four (3) Areas of Interest (AOIs) the Solution Brief is addressing. Identify any proposed teaming partners or subcontractors supporting the proposed AOIs.

b. Executive Summary (one page, counts against 10-page limit) The executive summary shall provide a concise, high-level overview of the offeror’s proposed solution, its key benefits, and the company’s relevant experience. The summary must address:

i. Solution Overview: Summary of how the proposed SaaS platform meets the performance objectives of the proposed AOIs.

ii. Key Discriminators: A description of the unique features, innovations, or primary advantages of the proposed solution A description of the unique features, innovations, or primary advantages of the proposed solution (e.g., automated image validation, automated background removal, secure API integration).

iii. Corporate Experience A brief overview of the offeror’s (and any teaming partners’) proven expertise in integrating and delivering similar commercial product content, PIM/DAM, or multi-channel syndication services.

c. High-Level Technology Solution/Concept (counts against 10-page limit)

i. Describe how your proposed commercial solution fully meets the performance objectives outlined in the SOO (Attachment 0001) for each proposed AOI.

ii. Explicitly describe how your proposed technical approach satisfies the Required and Desired Attributes outlined in Section 3 of this Call.

iii. Explain how the proposed technical approach is feasible, commercially mature, and supported by a technical team with the expertise to accomplish the objectives.

iv. Provide a proposed, high-level Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost estimate. The ROM must be fully itemized, providing a distinct, standalone price for each proposed AOI individually. The proposed ROM for any single AOI shall not be made contingent on the selection of any other AOI. The Government reserves the right to award any single AOI, or combination of AOIs, at the standalone price proposed.

o Optional multi-AOI discount: Offerors proposing solutions across multiple AOIs may optionally include a “Multi-AOI Discount Schedule” detailing any percentage or flat-dollar discounts the Government would receive if specific combinations of AOIs are awarded together.

v. Provide a proposed high-level project schedule detailing the milestones and timeline required to achieve Full Operational Capability (FOC).

o For any COTS-based subscriptions or off-the-shelf platforms being proposed:

The offeror may provide a single, consolidated timeline for the provisioning and user onboarding of these platforms.

For any bespoke services, custom methodologies, or manual data collection efforts being proposed: The offeror must provide a distinct, standalone onboarding duration (stated in calendar days from contract award) for each proposed service-based AOI.

The schedule for any single AOI shall be fully severable and not made contingent on the award of any other AOI.

d. Company Viability (counts against 10-page limit)

i. Provide a brief overview of the company’s financial viability and commercial market presence.

ii. Provide a description of your solution’s adoption within the commercial grocery, retail, or federal ecosystem (e.g., existing implementations, major client base).

iii. Data Ownership: Clearly define whether the offeror owns the proprietary datasets being proposed, or if the offeror is licensing/subcontracting the data from a third-party commercial data provider.

e. Intellectual Property Statement/Agreement/Disclosures (does not count against page limit)

i. The Solution Brief must identify any intellectual property involved in the effort. The offeror must affirm their ability to grant the Government a Standard Commercial Internal Use License that allows DeCA to ingest, merge, and utilize the raw data within its enterprise IT environment. This section must describe any asserted restrictions on the Government’s use of technical data, software, or other deliverables in accordance with RFO DFARS Part 227.

ii. The offeror must affirm the Government’s unlimited rights to any bespoke reports or methodologies generated specifically for DeCA.

f. Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) Analysis and Mitigation Plan (As applicable, no page limit)

i. See Section 9 of this Call.

The Government may be unable to evaluate the Solution Brief if a Company fails to provide the information requested above. For ease of evaluation, please include ALL sections (a. through f.) in one (1) .pdf submission.

6.2 Phase 2 – Pitch/Live Demonstration (if applicable)

Phase 2 submission requirements (e.g., presentation materials, platform demonstrations scripts) and logistical instructions will be outlined in the formal invitation letter sent to shortlisted offerors, unless the Government elects to bypass Phase 2.

6.3 Phase 3 – Proposal

Phase 3 submission requirements (including instructions for the formal Firm-Fixed-Price commercial proposal, final Performance Work Statement, and definitive CMMC/cybersecurity documentation) will be outlined in the Request for Proposal (RFP) invitation sent to finalists.

7. EVALUATION CRITERIA

7.1 Phase 1 – Solution Brief Basis of Evaluation

Solution briefs correctly submitted in response to the Call will be evaluated against the below criteria. The Government reserves the right to use external market research in the evaluation of a Company's viability. The Government reserves the right to not respond to solution briefs incorrectly submitted under this Call. The Government reserves the right to select all, some, or none of the solution submissions submitted in response to this Call.

The Government will evaluate proposals for each AOI independently. An offeror’s technical approach for one AOI will have no bearing on the evaluation of any other proposed AOI. The Government reserves the right to select all, some, or none of the proposed AOIs within a submission for further consideration.

Solution Briefs submitted in response to this open solicitation will be evaluated using the following factors, in descending order of importance: (a) Technical Merit, (b) Schedule & Cost Feasibility, and (c) Viability.

a. Technical Merit: The Government will evaluate the Company’s Solution Brief submission for Technical Merit in accordance with Section 6.1.1(c), i through v. Evaluation will assess the relevance and capability of the solution in addressing the specific performance objective outlined in the SOO Attachment 0001 for the proposed AOI(s). The Government will further evaluate the feasibility and soundness of the technical approach, specifically assessing the offeror’s ability to achieve the Required Attributes. Solutions that successfully incorporate the Desired Attributes as outlined in Section 3 will be evaluated more favorably.

Based on this evaluation, the Government will assign one of the following determinations:

• The Company’s solution has Technical Merit: The solution is relevant, addresses the capability gap, demonstrates scalability, is feasible and achievable, and is considered compelling.

• The Company’s solution does not have Technical Merit: The solution fails to meet one or more of the Technical Merit criteria. (i.e not relevant, does not address the capability gap, does not demonstrate scalability, is not feasible and achievable, is not compelling.)

If the Offeror’s solution is evaluated as not having Technical Merit, the Government reserves the right to not continue the evaluation for the remaining Evaluation Criteria, assigning an overall Solution Brief rating of ‘Not Selected for Further Consideration’.

b. Schedule & Cost Feasibility: The Government will evaluate the proposed project schedule, transition approach, and high-level ROM cost estimate in accordance with Section 6.1.1(c). The Government will assess whether the proposed schedule minimizes transition risk prior to the January 31, 2027 expiration of current services and whether the ROM is realistic and aligns with Government budget availability.

c. Viability: The Government will evaluate the Company Solution Brief in accordance with Section 6.1.1(d). The Government will assess the offeror’s commercial presence, the maturity of the proposed COTS platforms/data feeds, and the proposed data ownership or teaming structure.

7.2 Phase 1 - Solution Brief Selection Process

Based on the evaluation of each AOI, the Solution Brief (or specific AOIs within the Brief) will be categorized as Selected for Further Consideration or Not Selected for Further Consideration. The selection of one (1) or more submissions into the next Phase will be based on the criteria listed above and funding availability. If a Solution Brief is considered not to have sufficient merit for a specific AOI, or if funds are not expected to be available for that AOI, the submission for that AOI may be declined without further review.

Selected for Further Consideration: The submitted Solution Brief (for the specific AOI) has been determined to be of high technical merit, represents an achievable schedule, and demonstrates a viable commercial pathway. As such, the Government intends to invite the Company to participate in next phase for that specific AOI should funding be available.

Not Selected for Further Consideration: The submitted Solution Brief (for the specific AOI) does not represent the necessary degree of technical merit, proposes an unacceptable partial solution, or lacks relevance to agency priorities to warrant further consideration.

The Government anticipates this Call may routinely receive more Solution Briefs than resources to award. All submissions will be fairly evaluated, however, only select Solution Briefs will be invited to Phase 2 and/or Phase 3. The Government reserves the right to limit the number of Companies invited to Phase 2 and/or Phase 3. As such, a Company’s solution may be evaluated to be of merit but not invited to Phase 2 and/or Phase

3. Solution Briefs that are chosen for Phase 2 and/or Phase 3 will be notified in writing as soon as practicable. The Government reserves the right to bypass Phase 2 into Phase 3 to request a formal proposal should funding be available and the Phase 1 submission be deemed sufficient.

8. NON-GOVERNMENT ADVISORS

The Government does not plan to utilize any non-Government technical advisors to assist in the evaluation of submissions received in response to this Call for Solutions. All evaluations will be conducted solely by authorized federal civilian personnel.

9. ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST (OCI)

The Offeror shall perform an Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) analysis and submit the results of that analysis as part of their Phase 1 Solution Brief submission.

Specifically, the Offeror shall analyze the details of the Call and the implementation of their proposed commercial solution for any actual or potential OCI situations associated with the performance of the Offeror, or any of the Offeror’s proposed teaming partners or subcontractors. This analysis must consider any contract or agreement the Offeror (or their teammates/subcontractors) has been or may be awarded by any federal agency or other entity that could present a conflict with the independent and objective performance of the DeCA Enterprise Grocery Product Content Creation, Management, and Syndication SaaS Solution requirement.

The Offeror shall describe in detail the methodology used to identify actual or potential OCI issues. RFO FAR Subpart 9.5 shall be used as a guiding framework for this OCI analysis. If no conflicts are identified, a risk mitigation plan is not required; however, a description of the analysis methodology and an affirming statement that no conflicts exist shall be included in the submission. (Note: This section will not count against submission page limits.)

If the Offeror identifies any actual or potential OCIs with respect to the performance of the Offeror or the Offeror’s subcontractors or teaming partners, the contractor shall provide an OCI Mitigation Plan with their submission. The Government will review the plan to determine if it is acceptable and may incorporate it as an attachment to any resulting contract. Any proposed avoidance or mitigation techniques shall be consistent with RFO FAR Subpart 9.5 and the most recent decisions of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the U.S.

Court of Federal Claims.

Government Oversight: The Government reserves the right to not award to some or all of the AOIs in question if the proposed OCI Mitigation Plan is deemed insufficient to protect the legal and analytical integrity of the program.

10. APPENDICES

Attachment 0001: Statement of Objectives (SOO)