RFI Atch 7- ESS Next Industry Day and RFI QA.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 64 KB Posted
- Attached to
- ESS Next – Industry Day Announcement and RFI
- Solicitation number
- DHA_01152025
- Issued by
-
Defense Health Agency
About this file
This is a Questions & Answers document from an Industry Day and RFI for the Defense Health Agency's Enterprise Software Solutions (ESS) Next initiative. The file contains Q&A from both the Industry Day event and subsequent RFI questions, along with a list of registered participants.
Key details include: RFI responses are due February 18, 2025; the incumbent is American Systems Corporation (contract HT003823C0003); the government anticipates a single award contract; facilities including the METIC in Ashburn, VA and data center assets will convey with the contract award; contractors must be within one hour of Rosslyn; facility clearances are required; CMMC 2.0 compliance is anticipated; the contract will support development, testing and delivery of digital products for the Military Health System Enterprise through a hybrid "everything as a service" model; and OCI implications are still being determined. The contract will require both SIPRNET capabilities and help desk support. 80 companies registered for the Industry Day event, with 15 attending in person.
View the file
Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| ESS Next RFI_02.pdf | ||
| RFI Atch 6 - Industry Day Deck.pptx | PPTX presentation | |
| ESS Next RFI_01.pdf | ||
| RFI Atch 5 - PRS Table_DRAFT.pdf | ||
| RFI Atch 4 - QASP_DRAFT.pdf | ||
| RFI Atch 3 - ESS Next Use Cases.pptx | PPTX presentation | |
| ESS Next RFI.pdf | ||
| RFI Atch 1 - ESS Next PWS_DRAFT.pdf | ||
| RFI Atch 2 - Capabilities Table.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| Industry Day Invitation.pdf | ||
| Industry Day Invitation.pdf |
Show all 11
On GovTribe
Work with this file
- Download the original file
- Contacts named in this file
- Similar government files
- Ask GovTribe AI about this file
Text version
Overview PEO DHMS - ESS Next Industry Day and RFI Q&A
Disclaimer: At this time, PEO DHMS is still formulating requirements and gathering its market research. While we are able to provide general responses to vendor questions where appropriate, more detailed information will be evaluated as requirements are finalized.
| Table of Contents: | Description |
| Industry Day Q&A | Contains all of the questions asked at Industry Day, as well as PEO DHMS' response. |
| RFI Q&A | Contains all of the questions submitted offline to PEO DHMS regarding the RFI, as well as PEO DHMS' response. |
| Registered Parties | Contains the list of vendors who registered for Industry Day, as well as the list of vendors who attended in person. |
Industry Day Q&A PEO DHMS - ESS Next Industry Day Q&A
| Number | Question | Response |
| 1 | Will these slides be available? | The slides are now posted on SAM.gov. |
| 2 | Can you give us the name of the incumbent? (As an 8a small business, would like to speak with them) | Yes, the incumbent is American Systems Corporation (ASC). |
| 3 | Does this contract require facility clearance levels (FCLs?) | Yes. |
| 4 | Will there be virtual one-on-one conversations? Will there be another window for one-on-ones? | One-on-ones were scheduled on a first-come, first-serve basis in order of respondents who RSVP'd. The signups were only for in-person meetings, and the signup window is now closed. If your company was not able to schedule a one-on-one session with us or you have any other information or questions that you wish to share, you can send them along with your RFI response. |
| 5 | Was there a differentiator for who received one-on-one sessions? | No. One-on-ones were assigned based on the order that interested parties signed up. |
| 6 | Will DOGE have any input in this decision? | We cannot provide a definitive answer to that question at this time. More details will be provided as they become available. |
| 7 | Are the facilitates (FFGAL and data center) are they government-owned, contractor-owned, or contractor-operated? | The facilities in question are contractor operated, but the facilities come with the contract award, meaning that a vendor would not need to provide its own alternative facilities. |
| 8 | Will this be multiple awards? | At this time, the government anticipates that this will be a single award, but it is still finalizing its market research which will inform this decision. |
| 9 | In the SaaS category of ESS Next, is there any interest to suggest SaaS solutions that will support in other areas of acquisition? | Yes. |
| 10 | Will a list of participants be shared? | Yes, please see the Participants Tab of this sheet for the list of registered participants for this event. |
| 11 | Are there any current contractors that would be OCI for this contract? | PEO DHMS currently operates with contractors on various projects. However, at this time, we do not have a list of specific contracts or contractors which would face conflicts of interest for the ESS Next follow-on contract. We anticipate that there will be conflicts of interest, but at this time, we do not have that information. If your company has any inquiries about another specific contract, please submit an inquiry. |
| 12 | Will the awardee be prevented from working on other programs within the portfolio? | We are currently assessing the potential implications of this award on the awardee's involvement in other programs and will provide further guidance once a final determination has been made. |
| 13 | What contract vehicle are you planning on using? | At this time, we are still in the acquisition planning phase and do not have a specifically identified contract vehicle. RFI responses and other market research efforts will help inform that decision. |
| 14 | Has the RFI been released and when is it due? | The RFI has been released and includes a draft performance work statement, questions for industry, and use cases. Responses to the RFI are due on Tuesday February 18th, 2025. |
| 15 | Is there a location requirement to be in Rosslyn or within a center distance of Rosslyn? | It is our intent for the contractor to operate the METIC facility in Ashburn, VA. Therefore, a contractor would need to be located within an hour of Rosslyn, which is listed as the location in contracting documents. |
| 16 | What is the purpose of 'super net'? Is that for running test events? | In our requirements gathering, some of the PMOs indicated that they would like to be able to do testing in high-side environments. Low side needs to be replicable on the high side, and must adhere to cybersecurity policies and standards. |
| 17 | We would like to confirm that the leases convey with the contract? (Specifically curious about the data center assets) | Yes. A new vendor would accept responsibility for the equipment. We have a property book, and the current vendor will be prepared to hand over all equipment. |
| 18 | In response to the RFI, should we propose a tech stack that you can evaluate, or do we want to bring in our own technology? | All of our current technology is approved and licensed through DHA. For more information, please check the Approved Product List (APL) within DHA. We currently have software, and the APL will tell you what is currently approved. At this time, we have not determined which components will be carried over into the ESS Next follow-on. |
| 19 | Will this be defined as a major program from an OCI perspective? | There will be OCI clauses for this effort, but we have not specifically outlined them yet. |
| 20 | What is your stance on mitigation plans for OCI? | OCI mitigation is dictated on a case-by-case basis based on what the follow-on contract touches. We will not have a clear answer until the requirements are finalized. |
| 21 | We have supported a number of customers on similar efforts. Can we connect you with those customers? | If you would like to share customer testimonails or contact information, please feel free to share that along with your RFI response. |
| 22 | Where in the PEO DHMS portfolio would this specific project fall under? | This contract will be a follow-on contract for the current ESS contract. |
| 23 | Does PEO DHMS have a small business contact? | PEO DHMS has an Office of Small Business. We will be happy to answer any other specific questions you may have about small business participation or involement. |
| 24 | Will there be small business contracting goals? | This will depend on the RFI responses and other Market Research that PEO DHMS conducts to determine the number of interested small businesses and their capacity to meet requirements. |
| 25 | Is there an expectation that a new contractor would take over operations of existing solutions, or would they begin with a new slate of recommended solutions? | At this time, PEO DHMS' expectation is that a new contractor would take over what is in place and make recommendations for improvements to move toward cloud native services. Those decisions would then be made in concert between the PEO, the contractor, and any other relevant stakeholders. |
| 26 | Is there an expectation that the PEO would have flexibility to leverage systems that do not sit on MEDCOI or are not within the DOD realm currently (especially considering cloud providers)? | For any alternative solution, we have security controls that we need to apply and requirements for privacy and DFARs clauses will need to be met for any solution. |
| 27 | Are you looking for vendors to bring their own partnerships, and will organizational partnerships be considered? | We cannot provide a definitive answer to that question at this time. |
| 28 | Is there an ideal timeline for stabilization before optimization and modernization? | There will be a transition-in and a transition-out period, and we anticipate that stabilization will occur as part of the transition. At this point, the length of that phase has yet to be determined, and its length will be informed by PEO DHMS' market research. |
RFI Q&A
PEO DHMS - ESS Next RFI Q&A
| Number | Question | Response |
| 1 | If a company is doing work under WF or WP 3.0 as a prime or sub do you see that company being able to offer on this RFI ? | PEO DHMS currently operates with contractors on various projects. However, at this time, we do not have a list of specific contracts or contractors which would face conflicts of interest for the ESS Next follow-on contract. We anticipate that there will be conflicts of interest, but at this time, we do not have that information. If your company has any inquiries about another specific contract, please submit an inquiry. |
| 2 | I just wanted to ask if there is an incumbent contract or contractor associated to the requirement. If any, please provide the contractor's name and contract number. Thank you. | Yes, the incumbent is American Systems Corporation (ASC) and the contract number is HT003823C0003. |
| 3 | Does the Excel File using Harvey Balls to indicate relevance of experiences count against the maximum of 7 page RFI response? | The Excel table is not considered part of the 7 page limit. |
| 4 | If the spreadsheet is included in the page count, how many pages does it represent? | The Excel table is not considered part of the 7 page limit. |
| 5 | Will the date for submission be moved to avoid the Federal holiday due date? | Responses to the RFI are due on Tuesday February 18th, 2025. |
| 6 | I'd like to ask if this Industry Day is encouraged or geared toward small business? | Industry Day is geared towards any and all interested parties. |
| 7 | Also, will there be multiple contracts awarded or is the agency looking for 1 contractor to fulfill the entirety of the statement of work? | At this time, the government anticipates that this will be a single award, but it is still finalizing its market research which will inform this decision. |
| 8 | Provide the information for the Small Business Contact for your Agency. | DHA has an Office of Small Business. Their email address is dha.ncr.osbp.mbx.smallbusiness@health.mil, and more information can be found at https://www.dha.mil/Working-with-DHA/Small-Business-Office. |
| 9 | Under the current ESS program, the Government has stated that there is NOT an OCI, in either direction, between the current ESS and DHMSM (MHS GENESIS) contracts. Additionally, at least one company has supported both programs. Can the Government confirm that it intends to maintain the current OCI framework for ESS under ESS Next? | PEO DHMS currently operates with contractors on various projects. However, at this time, we do not have a list of specific contracts or contractors which would face conflicts of interest for the ESS Next follow-on contract. We anticipate that there will be conflicts of interest, but at this time, we do not have that information. If your company has any inquiries about another specific contract, please submit an inquiry. |
| 10 | Please clarify if there are any OCI implications between ESS Next and DHMS HCDS (MHS GENESIS)? | PEO DHMS currently operates with contractors on various projects. However, at this time, we do not have a list of specific contracts or contractors which would face conflicts of interest for the ESS Next follow-on contract. We anticipate that there will be conflicts of interest, but at this time, we do not have that information. If your company has any inquiries about another specific contract, please submit an inquiry. |
| 11 | To ensure that the ESS Next contractor's objectivity is not impaired, please clarify if there are any specific programs that the contractor must not concurrently be performing on in order to be a Prime or Subcontractor on ESS Next? | PEO DHMS currently operates with contractors on various projects. However, at this time, we do not have a list of specific contracts or contractors which would face conflicts of interest for the ESS Next follow-on contract. We anticipate that there will be conflicts of interest, but at this time, we do not have that information. If your company has any inquiries about another specific contract, please submit an inquiry. |
| 12 | Does the Government plan to include a prohibition on concurrently performing on ESS Next and other select programs that are considered to be an actual, potential or apparent OCI with the work to be performed under ESS Next? | PEO DHMS currently operates with contractors on various projects. However, at this time, we do not have a list of specific contracts or contractors which would face conflicts of interest for the ESS Next follow-on contract. We anticipate that there will be conflicts of interest, but at this time, we do not have that information. If your company has any inquiries about another specific contract, please submit an inquiry. |
| 13 | Does the Government plan to include conflict of interest language in the solicitation requiring a conflict of interest certification for ESS Next? | Yes, we anticipate that there will be a conflict of interest certification. |
| 14 | Does the lease and assets in the DHMS Data Center (DDC) convey with the contract? | Yes, the facilities come with the contract award, meaning that a vendor would not need to provide its own alternative facilities. |
| 15 | Does the lease and assets in the Medical Enterprise Test Innovation Center (METIC) convey with the contract? | Yes, the facilities come with the contract award, meaning that a vendor would not need to provide its own alternative facilities. |
| 16 | Within Section 5 of the PWS, the requirements for the transition-in plan, which apply to a new awardee and not the incumbent, has activities that normally would fall under a transition-out plan and the incumbent, such as “Provide knowledge transfer, support successor job shadowing, training, and other activities in order to successfully transition operation of services” and “Deliver all technical data (TD), computer software (CS), and computer software documentation (CSD) generated in the performance of this contract pursuant to DFARS 252.227-7027”. Will the Government please clarify if some of the activities listed under Transition-in period should be revised to fall under Transition-out period? | As part of the transition process between vendors, PEO DHMS anticipates that both the outgoing and incoming vendor will be responsible for coordinating on activities to ensure a smooth transition and continuity of service. However, at this time, PEO DHMS is still formulating requirements and gathering its market research. |
| 17 | Will the Government consider the submission of the RFI Attachment 2 Capabilities Table Excel file to be outside of the 7-page limitation for our RFI response? | The Excel table is not considered part of the 7 page limit. |
| 18 | Will the Government please confirm that Boston Consulting Group is the only entity that is looking at the RFI or will their Subcontractors also have access and need to be included in the OCI disclosure clause? | Only select individuals from the Boston Consulting Group and select individuals from subcontractors (Agensys Corporation, Monterey Consultants, Technology Experts, Inc., and Optima Global Solutions) will be allowed to access RFI responses. Each of these individuals have complied with the appropriate NDA and OCI paperwork. |
| 19 | Does the government have an estimate of the physical space required to meet the SIPRNET requirement? | PEO DHMS is still assessing infrastructure needs as part of market research. |
| 20 | Can the Government elaborate on the intent of the SIPRNET requirement? | The SIPRNET requirement is intended to ensure secure and compliant handling of classified information in accordance with DoD security policies and cybersecurity risk management (DoDI 5000.82, Section 3.5). Additional details will be outlined as requirements are finalized. |
| 21 | Can the Government validate the requirement for the Help Desk to receive and respond to phone calls? | The Contractor shall be responsible for responding to all calls, inquiries, incidents concerning operations of the Services. The Contractor shall supply a phone number and provide Service Desk support for PEO DHMS customers. |
| 22 | Would the Government confirm that vendors who have previously provided DHMS PEO or PMO support and are not currently on contract with DHMS, will not be precluded from responding to the current RFI upcoming RFP? | PEO DHMS currently operates with contractors on various projects. However, at this time, we do not have a list of specific contracts or contractors which would face conflicts of interest for the ESS Next follow-on contract. We anticipate that there will be conflicts of interest, but at this time, we do not have that information. If your company has any inquiries about another specific contract, please submit an inquiry. |
| 23 | Can the government please provide an estimate of the number of current staff by labor category? | The government cannot provide LOE or staffing information in the event that a firm-fixed contract type is utilized. Thank you for understanding. |
| 24 | Can the government please provide examples of the current state architecture and articulate current challenges? | Due to security considerations, details regarding the current architecture will not be shared prior to solicitation. |
| 25 | Can the government please provide a sample of your current utilization metrics? To include sample tickets/incident management logs from the helpdesk? | Operational data, including utilization metrics and service desk logs, is considered procurement-sensitive and will not be provided prior to solicitation. |
| 26 | Can the government please confirm the required level of system security expected to perform this work for Medium or High impact levels (IL)? (16.4.3) | Security requirements will be defined in accordance with DoD and NIST guidelines, including compliance with the Risk Management Framework (RMF) (DoDI 5000.82, Section 3.5). Anticipate compliance with IL4 or IL5, with the potential for IL6 if Secret-level information is required. Final security requirements will be specified in the solicitation. |
| 27 | Can the Government please specify if CMMC 1.0, or CMMC 2.0 will be required for this procurement? | The Government anticipates that CMMC 2.0 will be the applicable framework; however, final cybersecurity requirements, including the specific CMMC level, will be confirmed in the solicitation and will align with DoD policies for protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) (DoDI 5000.82, Section 3.5). Be prepared to meet relevant DFARS 252.204-7012 requirements as well. |
| 28 | Can the Government please specify which FedRAMP moderate cloud service providers are currently being utilized to provide containers to DHMS programs and other military health organizations? | Due to operational security considerations, details regarding specific hardware, software, and LOE will not be disclosed prior to solicitation. |
| 29 | Can the Government please provide details regarding the hardware and software of currently deployed systems at the DDC Equinix data center facility? In addition can the Government please provide current Level of Effort (LOE) so that offerors can understand the scale of the DCaaS solution being requested? | Due to operational security considerations, details regarding specific hardware, software, and LOE will not be disclosed prior to solicitation. The IaaS services desired outcome of a hybrid cloud operating model leveraging on-prem private cloud and public cloud services is one that is achievable in a variety of ways, but the latency in information exchange drives the architecture proposed. |
| 30 | The IaaS services desired outcome of a hybrid cloud operating model leveraging on-prem private cloud and public cloud services is one that is achievable in a variety of ways but the latency in information exchange drives the architecture proposed. Can the government please specify what the desired latency specification is for this Hybrid cloud environment in providing access to public cloud services? | Latency and performance expectations are still being evaluated as part of the ongoing market research. |
Registered Parties PEO DHMS - ESS Next Industry Day Registered Parties
| Number | Registered Party Name | Attended Industry Day in-person |
| 1 | Cardinal Regent Consulting, LLC | Yes |
| 2 | American Systems | Yes |
| 3 | Booz Allen Hamilton | Yes |
| 4 | GDIT | Yes |
| 5 | AT&T | Yes |
| 6 | NolanMackenzie | Yes |
| 7 | CMN LLC | Yes |
| 8 | TLeann Consulting | Yes |
| 9 | HarmonyTech, Inc. | Yes |
| 10 | Emerging Tech LLC | Yes |
| 11 | FedPoint Systems LLC's | Yes |
| 12 | International Logic Systems | Yes |
| 13 | IntelliDyne LLC | Yes |
| 14 | Quattro Consulting | Yes |
| 15 | DELL Technologies | Yes |
| 16 | Seneca Technologies | |
| 17 | DeltaStrac, LLC | |
| 18 | Cornerstone Technology Enterprises, Inc. | |
| 19 | Tria Federal | |
| 20 | CM2 Group | |
| 21 | Conviso | |
| 22 | DOMA Technologies | |
| 23 | Arctic IT Government Solutions | |
| 24 | Guidepoint Security | |
| 25 | CGI Federal | |
| 26 | Coretec, LLC | |
| 27 | Systems Plus inc. | |
| 28 | Caplock Security | |
| 29 | Pinao Consulting | |
| 30 | Kelly Services, Inc | |
| 31 | Inhance | |
| 32 | ECS | |
| 33 | Blackhawk Management Corporation | |
| 34 | Hathiant | |
| 35 | FEDITC, LLC | |
| 36 | PotomacWave | |
| 37 | Maximus Federal Services | |
| 38 | 18Federal | |
| 39 | Pantheon Data’s | |
| 40 | Solventum | |
| 41 | CDW Government’s | |
| 42 | Oracle | |
| 43 | Entellimetrix LLC | |
| 44 | JointMedOps (JMO) | |
| 45 | T-Rex Solutions, LLC | |
| 46 | Chenega Services & Federal Solutions (CSFS) | |
| 47 | MANDEX | |
| 48 | rockITdata | |
| 49 | Alesig Consulting | |
| 50 | EM Key Solutions, Inc. | |
| 51 | Persistent Technology Inc. (PTI) | |
| 52 | AET Federal, Inc | |
| 53 | RS4G | |
| 54 | Carimus | |
| 55 | ViiNetwork | |
| 56 | IT Lasso, LLC | |
| 57 | RedHat Technologies | |
| 58 | Computer Information Security Professionals | |
| 59 | IMMY Technology Group | |
| 60 | KAI Partners | |
| 61 | Koniag Government Services | |
| 62 | iCreate Business Solutions, LLC. | |
| 63 | NetImpact Strategies | |
| 64 | Axiom Resource Management | |
| 65 | ManTech | |
| 66 | Leidos | |
| 67 | Appian | |
| 68 | 4th Sector LLC | |
| 69 | 22nd Century Technologies Inc | |
| 70 | ERP International | |
| 71 | Sierra7 | |
| 72 | ASSYST Inc. | |
| 73 | Phaeton Solutions | |
| 74 | Impekable LLC | |
| 75 | REI systems | |
| 76 | MongoDB | |
| 77 | Creative Global Consulting, LLC | |
| 78 | Peraton Enterprise Services | |
| 79 | TMCI | |
| 80 | NextLabs |
image1.png
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .