Amendment_5_Questions_and_Answers.pdf

Amendment 5 Questions & Answers

1. RFP B.1 "... contractor must be able to provide both vendor personnel and Microsoft personnel." Does this imply that Microsoft must be a partner on every bid, or can this be staff working for the offeror that have Microsoft certifications?

Response: The level and type of support for each task order will depend on the

Government’s requirements at the time. Accordingly, offerors shall demonstrate their ability to provide their own personnel, and as appropriate, Microsoft personnel, as required by the Government.

2. RFP C.2.1.2.3 (Materials) "... shall provide all non-Microsoft products and materials necessary to support the order defined deliverables." Does this imply that Contractor must use its own licenses for support products that FBI/DOJ doesn't own (e.g., migration tools)? If so, can the Government add an ODC pricing category?

Response: The costs for any non-Micro products and materials used to support defined deliverables shall be borne by the contractor.

3. RFP C.2.1.2.3 "... enhancing Product roadmaps." Please clarify the specifics of this activity.

Response: The contractor may be asked to provide guidance on the direction of

Microsoft products offerings, so the government can closely align its architecture and design to accommodate new product offerings.

4. RFP C.2.1.2.3 Microsoft has realigned their partnership competencies into 6 centers of excellence

(App Dev and ISV, Cloud Platform & Infrastructure, Data Management & Analytics, Business

Applications, Mobility, Productivity), which do not align with the competency areas listed in the

RFP. Also 12 of the Competencies listed are in the process of being retired (Customer

Relationship Management, Devices and Deployment, Digital Advertising, Hosting, Identity and

Access, Intelligence Systems, Learning, Midmarket Solutions, OEM, Software Asset

Management, and Volume Licensing). Should offerors be demonstrating Gold Partnerships in the newly defined 6 Centers of Excellence? Is the Government expecting offerors and partners to be

Gold in all Competencies listed? If not, which competencies are more important to the

Government for the work that will be requested under this IDIQ?

Response: Participating vendors shall demonstrate their partnership competencies under

Microsoft’s realigned centers of excellence. They also shall also have Gold partner certification for these competencies. Competencies and Gold partner certification can be shared across vendors teams (i.e., the prime contractor and its subcontractors).

5. H.12.1.1 & M-6 "The Contractor must possess the following Microsoft competency areas required by DOJ:" Does this mean that the combined team of Prime and Subs must possess ALL these competencies? And all at Gold Level as well?

Response: See the Government’s response to Question No. 4.

6. B.2.1 the FBI maintains they will retain intellectual property rights to purchased software. To what extent and by what means?

Please see section I.4

7. Will there be 2 sets of test plans, one created by the Contractor and one by the government?

The Government requests additional clarification.

8. Will the Government please clarify the competencies requirements required for Technical Area 1:

Response: The core competencies are App Dev and ISV, Cloud Platform & Infrastructure, Data Management & Analytics, Business Applications, Mobility, and Productivity.

9. C.2.1.2.3 Can the Prime and/or Subcontractor hold a subset of the Gold Partner Certification to be qualified to bid?

Response: See the response to Question No. 4 above.

10. C.2.1 Is it the Governments intent to have access to Microsoft Consulting Services (MCS) or as an official subcontractor?

Response: No, Microsoft Consulting Services have been provided to the Department of

Justice by other contractors. Accordingly, it is not intending to award the contract under

Track No. 1 on a sole source basis. However, under Track No. 1, the prime contractor must have reach back to Microsoft personnel, which may be required by the Government under individual tasks orders.

11. C.2.1.1 As written in the RFP “The objective of this technical area is to obtain Microsoft Public

Sector Consulting Services.” Is it the government’s intent to award Task 1 to Microsoft?

Response: No, Microsoft Consulting Services have been provided to the Department of

Justice by other contractors. Accordingly, it is not intending to award the contract under

Track No. 1 on a sole source basis. However, under Track No. 1, the prime contractor must have reach back to Microsoft personnel, which may be required by the Government under individual tasks orders.

12. C.2.1.2.2 Can the government clarify what is meant by “Microsoft shall use its intellectual capital”?

The Government requests additional information regarding this question.

13. C.2.1.2.3 It is stated that “DOJ has an immediate need for Microsoft Consulting Services staffed by Microsoft resources” is it the intent to have either Microsoft as a subcontractor or as the prime offeror for Track 1?

Response: See the Government’s response to Question No. 11.