FDA_RFQ_75F40125Q00027.pdf
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- Solicitation number
- FDA-RFQ-75F40125Q00027
About this file
This is a Request for Quote (RFQ) issued by the FDA for NTELX Perpetual License, Software Maintenance and Support services, with a response deadline of February 17, 2025, by 1:00 PM EST. The solicitation (FDA-RFQ-75F40125Q00027) is a small business total set-aside competition under NAICS code 511210 for software publishers.
The contract requires the provision of brand name or equal NTELX perpetual license software maintenance and support for the PREDICT risk-based automated import entry examination system. The period of performance includes a base year (3/01/2025 - 2/28/2026) and four option years. Key requirements include Level 1 technical support during business hours (9:00-17:00 EST) with potential after-hours support, software maintenance updates with 1-day resolution for critical bugs, and software upgrades. The solution includes three main modules: FDanalyzer for risk assessment and rule management, FDfusion for execution using in-memory rules engine, and FDmonitor for business process monitoring. Critical incidents require 30-minute response during business hours and 1-hour response during non-business hours. The contract will be awarded as a firm-fixed-price order based on lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA) evaluation criteria.
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FDA-RFQ-75F40125Q00027
REQUEST FOR QUOTE
NTELX Perpetual License, Software Maintenance & Support
Date Posted: February 6, 2025
Response Date: February 17, 2025, by 1:00 PM EST
Classification Code: DA10 – IT and Telecom - Business Application Software
NAICS Code: 511210 – Software Publishers
SECTION 1 – PRODUCT LIST AND DELIVERY INFORMATION
This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. It is the Government's intent to issue a Firm Fixed Priced Purchase Order in accordance with FAR Part 13.
The solicitation number is FDA-RFQ-75F40125Q00027. This solicitation is issued as a Request for Quote (RFQ). Small Business Total Set-Aside Competition.
The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular 2025- 03, effective 17 January 2025. FAR and HHSAR provisions and clauses referenced in this RFQ can be found on the following website: https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far
1.1 PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
The contractor shall provide Brand Name or Equal NTELX Perpetual License, Software Maintenance and Support of the NTELX tools and associated modules that is critical to the successful operation of the PREDICT risk-based automated import entry examination system. This is commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) perpetual software. Supplies/Services below:
CLIN #
Product Description Qty Unit of Issue
Unit Price
Total Price
CLIN 0001
Base Year - NTELX Perpetual License, Software Maintenance and Support Services: Brand Name or Equal
1 12 /MO
CLIN 0002
Option Year 1 - NTELX Perpetual License, Software Maintenance and Support Services: Brand Name or Equal
1 12 /MO
https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far
1.2 Technical Requirements:
Software Maintenance Support and Upgrades. The Software Maintenance Support includes:
• Level 1 support which is “technical” telephone consultation and error correction services as well as upgrades in the form of enhancements. Services shall be provided during normal business hours, 9:00
– 17:00 Eastern Standard Time (EST). However, given the criticality of this software to FDA’s mission, support outside of normal business hours may be required if operations of the ORA applications is impacted.
• Software maintenance updates are defined as new builds for the current version of the Software that results in a patch, bug fix, updated documentation, and improved performance. Software bugs resulting from any upgrades that impact operations of the ORA applications that utilize this software shall be resolved, and an updated version of the code shall be provided within 1 business day.
• Software upgrades are defined as new releases of all or the component modules which comprise the Software that substantially enhances the functionality of the product and/or results in a change to the release number of the product included in the suite (e.g. the FD analyzer module licensed has a major releases 4.0 release.)
• The vendor will be responsible for providing online or telephone support as needed to PREDICT & Prior Notice application teams in instances where questions or issues with the NTELX tools or integrations arise. In addition, the vendor shall provide support for any potential future upgrades to the NTELX software.
Description of software modules and benefits:
Module Description
FDanalyzer™ Powerful risk assessment, data analysis, rule management and rule deployment application.
Presents the risk analysis results to users in a variety of interactive formats and allows the users to manage their risk management inbox, take action on cases and provide implicit and explicit feedback on the functioning of the rules.
CLIN 0003
Option Year 2 - NTELX Perpetual License, Software Maintenance and Support Services: Brand Name or Equal
1 12 /MO
CLIN 0004
Option Year 3 - NTELX Perpetual License, Software Maintenance and Support Services: Brand Name or Equal
1 12 /MO
CLIN 0005
Option Year 4 - NTELX Perpetual License, Software Maintenance and Support Services: Brand Name or Equal
1 12 /MO
Module Description
FDfusion™ Execution engine that uses a sophisticated in-memory rules engine and the power of the Rete algorithm to efficiently match rules against target items.
Configurable deployment architecture allows distribution of engines on multiple CPUs.
FDmonitor™ Provides business process monitoring using interactive dashboards, and business process automation using business processes and control agents. Enables monitoring of multiple databases, file systems, and remote servers and triggers necessary actions and user alerts. Allows definition of key performance indicators and display real- time results in rich dashboards.
FDauditor™ Simplifies the addition of change tracking of business data to Java applications. This self- contained solution enables critical auditing functionality without adding additional complexity to business logic and without polluting the production database.
Service Level Agreement (SLA)
Severity Initial Response Time Time to Resolve 1 – Critical– Operations is impacted
30 minutes – During Business Hours 1 hour – Non-business Hours
If software updates are needed – 1 business day or as directed by COR.
2 – High -Non-Production system impacted
1 hour – During Business Hours If software updates are needed – 3 business days or as directed by COR.
1.3 Deliverables
The Contractor shall provide the following deliverables:
Deliverable/Artifact Frequency Due Date Task Order Kick-off meeting presentation
Once By 10 business days after the award
Metrics Report Monthly By the 15th calendar day following the month being reported.
Release Notes With each Software Upgrade With each Software Upgrade
Kick-Off Meeting and Report
The Contractor shall conduct a kickoff meeting at the FDA facilities in Rockville, MD or Silver Spring, MD, or virtually as directed by the COR. The kickoff meeting shall introduce the Contractor team, discuss roles, responsibilities, review the task order details, and other relevant artifacts and issues. With COR approval, the Contractor Project Manager (PM shall setup and schedule the Kickoff Meeting to occur within ten (10) business days after the contract award. The Contractor shall coordinate with the COR to determine date, time, location, and attendees for the kickoff meeting.
The attendees of this meeting shall include all key personnel working on this contract, and the FDA COR, PM, and technical monitors. Minutes for the Kickoff meeting shall be submitted within three (3) business days after the meeting and uploaded to the FDA’s project repository (e.g., SharePoint), along with the kickoff meeting PowerPoint presentation. The Contractor shall submit contract data in a format provided by the COR.
1.4 Period of Performance
The Period of Performance shall be as follows:
Base Year: 3/01/2025 - 2/28/2026 Option 1: 3/01/2026 - 2/28/2027 Option 2: 3/01/2027 - 2/29/2028 Option 3: 3/01/2028 - 2/28/2029 Option 4: 3/01/2029 - 2/28/2030
1.5 Reporting Requirement/Delivery Schedule
Deliverables and schedule will be coordinated by the COR(s).
1.8 Contract Type
This order is a firm-fixed-price order.
SECTION 2 – CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION
2.1 Contract Management
Contracting Officer (CO):
Roosevelt Walker Email: roosevelt.walker@fda.hhs.gov
Contracting Specialist (CS):
Robert Waite Email: robert.waite@fda.hhs.gov
Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR): (To be entered at time of award)
2.2 Contracting Officer’s Authority
The Contracting Officer (CO) is the only person with authority to act as agent of the Government under this contract. Only the Contracting Officer has authority to: (1) direct or negotiate any changes in the RFQ;
mailto:roosevelt.walker@fda.hhs.gov mailto:robert.waite@fda.hhs.gov
(2) modify or extend the period of performance; (3) change the delivery schedule; (4) authorize reimbursement to the Contractor any costs incurred during the performance of this contract; or (5) otherwise change any terms and conditions of this contract. No statement, whether oral or written, by anyone other than the Contracting Officer, shall be interpreted as modifying the terms and conditions of this award. It is the Contractor’s responsibility to contact the CO immediately if there is even the appearance of any technical direction that is or may be outside the scope of the award. The Government will not reimburse the Contractor for any work not authorized by the Contracting Officer, including work outside the scope of the award.
The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) is responsible for: (1) monitoring the Contractor's technical progress, including the surveillance and assessment of performance and recommending to the Contracting Officer changes in requirements; (2) interpreting the contract and any other technical performance requirements; (3) performing technical evaluation as required; (4) performing technical inspections and acceptances required by this contract; and (5) assisting in the resolution of technical problems encountered during performance.
2.3 Interpretations of Modifications
No oral or written statement of any person and no written statement of anyone other than the CO shall modify or otherwise affect the terms and conditions of this contract. Requests for interpretations, modifications or changes must be made in writing to the CO. The technical point of contact can only respond to technical matters that do not result in a change of scope to this contract.
2.4 IPP Invoice Requirements
(a) All Invoice submissions for goods and or services must be made electronically through the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Invoice Processing Platform System (IPP).
http://www.ipp.gov/vendors/index.htm
(b) Invoice Submission for Payment means any request for contract financing payment or invoice payment by the Contractor. To constitute a proper invoice, the payment request must comply with the requirements identified in in FAR 32.905(b), “Content of Invoices” and the applicable Payment clause included in this contract, or the clause 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Items included in commercial items contracts. The IPP website address is: https://www.ipp.gov.
(c) The Agency will enroll the Contractors new to IPP. The Contractor must follow the IPP registration email instructions for enrollment to register the Collector Account for submitting invoice requests for payment.
The Contractor Government Business Point of Contact (as listed in SAM) will receive Registration email from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRBSTL) within 3 – 5 business days of the contract award for new contracts or date of modification for existing contracts.
(1) Registration emails are sent via email from ipp.noreply@mail.eroc.twai.gov. or phone (866) 973-3131.
Contractor assistance with enrollment can be obtained by contacting the IPP Production Helpdesk via email to IPPCustomerSupport@fiscal.treasury.gov or phone (866) 973-3131.
(2) The Contractor POC will receive two emails from IPP Customer Support, the first email contains the initial administrative IPP User ID. The second email, sent within 24 hours of receipt of the first email, contains a temporary password. You must log in with the temporary password within 30 days.
(3) If your company is already registered to use IPP, you will not be required to re-register.
(4) If the Contractors unable to comply with the requirement to use IPP for submitting invoices for payment as authorized by HHSAR 332.7002, a written request must be submitted to the Contracting Officer to explain the circumstances that require the authorization of alternate payment procedures.
(d)Invoices that include time and materials, or labor hours Line Items must include supporting documentation to (1) substantiate the number of labor hours invoiced for each labor category, and
(2) substantiate material costs incurred (when applicable).
mailto:IPPCustomerSupport@fiscal.treasury.gov
(e)Invoices that include cost-reimbursement Line Items must be submitted in a format showing expenditures for that month, as well as contract cumulative amounts.
(1) At a minimum the following cost information shall be included, in addition to supporting documentation to substantiate costs incurred. -Direct Labor-include all persons, listing the person's name, title, number of hours worked, hourly rate, the total cost per person and a total amount for this category.
-Indirect Costs (i.e., Fringe Benefits, Overhead, General and Administrative, Other Indirect)-show rate, base and total amount; -Consultants (if applicable)-include the name, number of days or hours worked, daily or hourly rate, and a total amount per consultant.
-Travel-include for each airplane or train trip taken the name of the traveler, date of travel, destination, the transportation costs including ground transportation shown separately and the per diem costs. Other travel costs shall also be listed; -Subcontractors (if applicable)-include, for each subcontractor, the same data as required for the Prime Contractor.
-Other Direct Costs-include a listing of all other direct charges to the contract, i.e., office supplies, telephone, duplication, postage; and-Fee–amountasallowableinaccordancewiththeScheduleandFAR52.216- 8ifapplicable.
(f) Contractor is required to attach an invoice log addendum to each invoice which shall include, at a minimum, the following information for contract administration and reconciliation purposes:
(1) list of all invoices submitted to date under the subject award, including the following: invoice number, amount, & date submitted-corresponding payment amount &date received -totalamountofallpaymentsreceivedtodateunderthesubjectcontractororder-and, for definitized contracts or orders only, total estimated amounts yet to be invoiced for the current, active period of performance.
(g) Payment of invoices will be made based upon acceptance by the Government of the entire task or the tangible product deliverable(s) invoiced. Payments shall be based on the Government certifying that satisfactory services were provided, and the Contractor has certified that labor charges are accurate.
(h) If the services are rejected for failure to conform to the technical requirements of the task order, or any other contractually legitimate reason, the Contractor shall not be paid, or shall be paid an amount negotiated by the CO.
(i) Payment to the Contractor will not be made for temporary work stoppage due to circumstances beyond the control of U.S. Food and Drug Administration such as acts of God, inclement weather, power outages, and results thereof, or temporary closings of facilities at which Contractor personnel are performing. This may, however, be justification for excusable delays.
(j) The Contractor agrees that the submission of an invoice to the Government for payment is a certification that the services for which the Government is being billed, have been delivered in accordance with the hours shown on the invoices, and the services are of the quality required for timely and successful completion of the effort.
(k) Questions regarding invoice payments that cannot be resolved by the IPP Helpdesk should be directed to the FDA Employee Resource and Information Center (ERIC) Helpdesk at 301-827- ERIC (3742) or toll-free 866-807-ERIC (3742); or, by email at ERIC@fda.hhs.gov. Refer to the Call-in menu options and follow the phone prompts to dial the option that corresponds to the service that's needed. All ERIC Service Now Tickets will either be responded to or resolved within 48 hours (2 business days) of being received. When emailing, please be sure to include the contract number, invoice number and date of invoice, as well as your name, phone number, and a detailed description of the issue.
2.5 Payment Terms
Payment terms Net 30 days after government acceptance of the supply item/service. Payments shall not be made more frequently than monthly in arrears. Advance payments will not be made.
2.6 Security and Privacy
A. Baseline Security Requirements
1) Applicability. The requirements herein apply whether the entire contract or order (hereafter
“contract”), or portion thereof, includes either or both of the following:
a. Access (Physical or Logical) to Government Information: A Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employee will have or will be given the ability to have, routine physical (entry) or logical (electronic) access to government information.
b. Operate a Federal System Containing Information: A Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) will operate a federal system and information technology containing data that supports the HHS mission. In addition to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 2.1 definition of “information technology” (IT), the term as used in this section includes computers, ancillary equipment (including imaging peripherals, input, output, and storage devices necessary for security and surveillance), peripheral equipment designed to be controlled by the central processing unit of a computer, software, firmware and similar procedures, services (including support services), and related resources.
2) Safeguarding Information and Information Systems. In accordance with the Federal
Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS)199, Standards for Security Categorization of Federal Information and Information Systems, the Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall:
a. Protect government information and information systems to ensure:
• Confidentiality, which means preserving authorized restrictions on access and disclosure, based on the security terms found in this contract, including means for protecting personal privacy and proprietary information.
• Integrity, which means guarding against improper information modification or destruction, and ensuring information non-repudiation and authenticity; and
• Availability, which means ensuring timely and reliable access to and use of information.
b. Provide security for any Contractor systems, and information contained therein, connected to an FDA network, or operated by the Contractor on behalf of FDA regardless of location. In addition, if new or unanticipated threats or hazards are discovered by either the agency or contractor, or if existing safeguards have ceased to function, the discoverer shall immediately, within one (1) hour or less, bring the situation to the attention of the other party. This includes notifying the FDA Systems Management Center (SMC) within one (1) hour of discovery/detection in the event of an information security incident.
c. Adopt and implement the policies, procedures, controls, and standards required by the HHS/FDA
Information Security Program to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of government information and government information systems for which the Contractor is responsible under this contract or to which the Contractor may otherwise have access under this contract. Obtain the FDA Information Security Program security requirements, outlined in the FDA Information Security and Privacy Policy (IS2P), by contacting the CO/COR or emailing your ISSO.
d. Comply with the Privacy Act requirements and tailor FAR clauses as needed.
3) Information Security Categorization. In accordance with FIPS 199 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-60, Volume II: Appendices to Guide for Mapping Types of Information and Information Systems to Security Categories, Appendix C, and based on information provided by the ISSO or other security representative, the risk level for each Security Objective and the Overall Risk Level, which is the highest watermark of the three factors (Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability) of the information or information system are the following:
Confidentiality: [] Low [] Moderate [ X ] High Integrity: [] Low [] Moderate [ X ] High Availability: [] Low [] Moderate [ X ] High Overall Risk Level: [] Low [] Moderate [ X ] High
Based on information provided by the Privacy Office, system/data owner, or other privacy representative, it has been determined that this solicitation/contract involves:
[] No PII [ X] Yes PII
Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Per the OMB Circular A-130, “PII is information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual's identity, either alone or when combined with other information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual.” Examples of PII include, but are not limited to the following: Social Security number, date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, biometric records, etc.
PII Confidentiality Impact Level has been determined to be: [] Low [] Moderate [X] High
4) Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). CUI is defined as “information that laws, regulations, or Government-wide policies require to have safeguarding or dissemination controls, excluding classified information.” The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) must comply with Executive Order 13556, Controlled Unclassified Information, (implemented at 3 CFR, part 2002) when handling CUI. 32 C.F.R.
2002.4(aa). As implemented the term “handling” refers to “…any use of CUI, including but not limited to marking, safeguarding, transporting, disseminating, re- using, and disposing of the information.” 81 Fed.
Reg. 63323. All sensitive information that has been identified as CUI by a regulation or statute, handled by this solicitation/contract, shall be:
a. marked appropriately.
b. disclosed to authorized personnel on a Need-To-Know basis.
c. protected in accordance with NIST SP 800-53, Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations applicable baseline if handled by a contractor system operated on behalf of the agency, or NIST SP 800-171, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Information Systems and Organizations if handled by internal Contractor system; and returned to FDA control, destroyed when no longer needed, or held until otherwise directed. Destruction of information and/or data shall be accomplished in accordance with NIST SP 800-88, Guidelines for Media Sanitization and the FDA IS2P Appendix T: Sanitization of Computer-Related Storage Media.
5) Protection of Sensitive Information. For security purposes, information is or may be sensitive because it requires security to protect its confidentiality, integrity, and/or availability. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall protect all government information that is or may be sensitive in accordance with OMB Memorandum M-06-16, Protection of Sensitive Agency Information by securing it with a FIPS 140-2 validated solution.
6) Confidentiality and Nondisclosure of Information. Any information provided to the contractor http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistpubs/800-60-rev1/SP800-60_Vol2-Rev1.pdf http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistpubs/800-60-rev1/SP800-60_Vol2-Rev1.pdf http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistpubs/800-60-rev1/SP800-60_Vol2-Rev1.pdf http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistpubs/800-60-rev1/SP800-60_Vol2-Rev1.pdf
(and/or any subcontractor) by FDA or collected by the contractor on behalf of FDA shall be used only for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this contract and shall not be disclosed or made known in any manner to any persons except as may be necessary in the performance of the contract. The Contractor assumes responsibility for protection of the confidentiality of Government records and shall ensure that all work performed by its employees and subcontractors shall be under the supervision of the Contractor.
Each Contractor employee or any of its subcontractors to whom any FDA records may be made available or disclosed shall be notified in writing by the Contractor that information disclosed to such employee or subcontractor can be used only for that purpose and to the extent authorized herein.
The confidentiality, integrity, and availability of such information shall be protected in accordance with HHS and FDA policies. Unauthorized disclosure of information will be subject to the HHS/FDA sanction policies and/or governed by the following laws and regulations:
a. 18 U.S.C. 641 (Criminal Code: Public Money, Property or Records);
b. 18 U.S.C. 1905 (Criminal Code: Disclosure of Confidential Information); and
c. 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, Subchapter I (Paperwork Reduction Act).
7) Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6). All procurements using Internet Protocol shall comply with OMB Memorandum M-05-22, Transition Planning for Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6).
8) Government Websites. All new and existing public-facing government websites must be securely configured with Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) using the most recent version of Transport Layer Security (TLS). In addition, HTTPS shall enable HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) to instruct compliant browsers to assume HTTPS at all times to reduce the number of insecure redirects and protect against attacks that attempt to downgrade connections to plain HTTP. For internal-facing websites, the HTTPS is not required, but it is highly recommended.
9) Contract Documentation. The Contractor shall use FDA-provided templates, policies, forms, and other agency documents to comply with contract deliverables as appropriate.
10) Standard for Encryption. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall:
a. Comply with the HHS Standard for Encryption of Computing Devices and Information to prevent unauthorized access to government information.
b. Encrypt all sensitive federal data and information (i.e., PII, protected health information [PHI], proprietary information, etc.) in transit (i.e., email, network connections, etc.) and at rest (i.e., servers, storage devices, mobile devices, backup media, etc.) with FIPS 140-2 validated encryption solution.
c. All devices (i.e.: desktops, laptops, mobile devices, etc.) that store, transmit, or process non-public FDA information should utilize FDA-provided or FDA information security authorized devices that meet HHS and FDA-specific encryption standard requirements. Maintain a complete and current inventory of all laptop computers, desktop computers, and other mobile devices and portable media that store or process sensitive government information (including PII).
d. Verify that the encryption solutions in use are compliant with FIPS 140-2. The Contractor shall provide a written copy of the validation documentation to the COR.
e. Use the Key Management system on the HHS Personal Identification Verification (PIV) card or establish and use a key recovery mechanism to ensure the ability for authorized personnel to encrypt/decrypt information and recover encryption keys. Encryption keys (PIV card) shall be provided to the COR upon request and at the conclusion of the contract. Upon completion of contract, contractor ensures that COR can access and read any encrypted data.
11) Contractor Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Each Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employee having access to non-public government information under this contract shall complete the FDA non-disclosure agreement (3398 Form), as applicable. A copy of each signed and witnessed NDA shall be submitted to the CO and/or COR prior to performing any work under this acquisition.
12) Privacy Threshold Analysis (PTA)/Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) – The Contractor shall assist the procuring activity representative, program office and the FDA SOP or designee with conducting a PTA for the information system and/or information handled under this contract to determine whether or not a full PIA needs to be completed.
a. If the results of the PTA show that a full PIA is needed, the Contractor shall assist procuring activity representative, program office and the FDA SOP or designee with completing a PIA for the system or information after completion of the PTA and in accordance with HHS and FDA policy and OMB M-03- 22, Guidance for Implementing the Privacy Provisions of the E-Government Act of 2002. The PTA/PIA must be completed and approved prior to active use and/or collection or processing of PII and is a prerequisite to agency issuance of an authorization to operate (ATO).
b. The Contractor shall assist the procuring activity representative, program office and the FDA SOP or designee in reviewing and updating the PIA at least every three years throughout the Enterprise Performance Life Cycle (EPLC) /information lifecycle, or when determined by the agency that a review is required based on a major change to the system, or when new types of PII are collected that introduces new or increased privacy risks, whichever comes first.
B. Training
1) Mandatory Training for All Contractor Staff. All Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employees assigned to work on this contract shall complete the applicable FDA Contractor Information Security Awareness, Privacy, and Records Management training (provided upon contract award) before performing any work under this contract. Thereafter, the employees shall complete FDA Information Security Awareness, Privacy, and Records Management training at least annually, during the life of this contract.
All provided training shall be compliant with HHS and FDA training policies.
2) Role-based Training. All Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employees with significant security responsibilities (as determined by the program manager) must complete role-based training annually commensurate with their role and responsibilities in accordance with HHS and FDA policy and FDA Role- Based Training (RBT) of Personnel with Significant Security Responsibilities Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
3) Training Records. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall maintain training records for all its employees working under this contract in accordance with HHS and FDA policy. A copy of the training records shall be provided to the CO and/or COR within 30 days after contract award and annually thereafter or upon request.
C. Rules of Behavior
1) The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall ensure that all employees performing on the contract comply with the HHS Information Technology General Rules of Behavior.
2) All Contractor employees performing on the contract must read and adhere to the Rules of Behavior (ROB) before accessing HHS and FDA data or other information, systems, and/or networks that store/process government information, initially at the beginning of the contract and at least annually thereafter, which may be done as part of annual FDA Information Security Awareness Training. If the training is provided by the contractor, the signed ROB must be provided as a separate deliverable to the CO and/or COR per defined timelines.
D. Incident Response
The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall respond to all alerts/Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) provided by HHS Computer Security Incident Response Center (CSIRC)/FDA SMC /Incident Response Team (IRT) teams within 24 hours, whether the response is positive or negative.
FISMA defines an incident as “an occurrence that (1) actually or imminently jeopardizes, without lawful authority, the integrity, confidentiality, or availability of information or an information system; or (2) constitutes a violation or imminent threat of violation of law, security policies, security procedures, or acceptable use policies.” The HHS Policy for IT Security and Privacy Incident Reporting and Response further defines incidents as events involving cybersecurity and privacy threats, such as viruses, malicious user activity, loss of, unauthorized disclosure or destruction of data, and so on.
A privacy breach is a type of incident and is defined by FISMA as the loss of control, compromise, unauthorized disclosure, unauthorized acquisition, or any similar occurrence where (1) a person other than an authorized user accesses or potentially accesses personally identifiable information or (2) an authorized user accesses or potentially accesses personally identifiable information for another than authorized purpose. The HHS Policy for IT Security and Privacy Incident Reporting and Response further defines a breach as “a suspected or confirmed incident involving PII.”
In the event of a suspected or confirmed incident or breach, the Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall:
1) Protect all sensitive information, including any PII created, stored, or transmitted in the performance of this contract to avoid a secondary sensitive information incident with FIPS 140-2 validated encryption.
2) NOT notify affected individuals unless so instructed by the Contracting Officer or designated representative. If so, instructed by the Contracting Officer or representative, the Contractor shall send FDA approved notifications to affected individuals as directed by FDA’s SOP.
3) Report all suspected and confirmed information security and privacy incidents and breaches to the FDA Systems Management Center, COR, CO, and other stakeholders, including incidents involving PII, in any medium or form, including paper, oral, or electronic, as soon as possible and without unreasonable delay, no later than one (1) hour of discovery/detection, and consistent with the applicable FDA and HHS policy and procedures, NIST standards and guidelines, as well as US-CERT notification guidelines. The types of information required in an incident report must include at a minimum: company and point of contact information, contract information, impact classifications/threat vector, and the type of information compromised. In addition, the Contractor shall:
a. cooperate and exchange any information, as determined by the Agency, necessary to effectively manage or mitigate a suspected or confirmed breach;
b. not include any sensitive information in the subject or body of any reporting e-mail; and
c. encrypt sensitive information in attachments to email, media, etc.
4) Comply with OMB M-17-12, Preparing for and Responding to a Breach of Personally Identifiable Information and HHS and FDA incident response policies when handling PII breaches.
5) Provide full access and cooperate on all activities as determined by the Government to ensure an effective incident response, including providing all requested images, log files, and event information to facilitate rapid resolution of sensitive information incidents. This may involve disconnecting the system processing, storing, or transmitting the sensitive information from the Internet or other networks or applying additional security controls. This may also involve physical access to contractor facilities during a breach/incident investigation demand.
E. Position Sensitivity Designations
All Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employees must obtain a background investigation commensurate with their position sensitivity designation that complies with Parts 1400 and 731 of Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The following position sensitivity designation levels apply to this solicitation/contract: [See the FDA Security Article, entitled Contractor Personnel Security Clearance Standards and Residency Requirements for the Position Risk Designation Tier(s) (i.e., 1, 2, and/or 4) that apply to this award.]
F. Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-12
The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) and its employees shall comply with Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-12, Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors; OMB M-05-24; FIPS 201, Personal Identity Verification (PIV) of Federal Employees and Contractors; HHS HSPD-12 policy; and Executive Order 13467, Part 1 §1.2.
Roster. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall submit a roster by name, position, e-mail address, phone number and responsibility, of all staff working under this acquisition where the Contractor will develop, have the ability to access, or host and/or maintain a government information system(s). The roster and any revisions to the roster as a result of staffing changes shall be submitted to the COR and/or CO per the COR or CO’s direction. Any revisions to the roster as a result of staffing changes shall be submitted within a timeline as directed by the COR and/or CO. The COR will notify the Contractor of the appropriate level of investigation required for each staff member.
If the employee is filling a new position, the Contractor shall provide a position description and the Government will determine the appropriate suitability level.
G. Contract Initiation and Expiration
1) General Security Requirements. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall comply with information security and privacy requirements, Enterprise Performance Life Cycle (EPLC) processes, HHS Enterprise Architecture requirements to ensure information is appropriately protected from initiation to expiration of the contract. All information systems development or enhancement tasks supported by the contractor shall follow the FDA EPLC framework and methodology in accordance with the FDA EPLC Project documentation, located here:
http://sharepoint.fda.gov/orgs/DelMgmtSupport/IntakeProc/EPLCv2/SitePages/v2/EPLC Home.aspx HHS EA requirements may be located here:
https://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/asa/ocio/index.html
2) System Documentation. Contractors (and/or any subcontractors) must follow and adhere to
NIST SP 800-64, Security Considerations in the System Development Life Cycle, at a minimum, for system development and provide system documentation at designated intervals (specifically, at the expiration of the contract) within the EPLC that require artifact review and approval.
http://sharepoint.fda.gov/orgs/DelMgmtSupport/IntakeProc/EPLCv2/SitePages/v2/EPLCHome.aspx http://sharepoint.fda.gov/orgs/DelMgmtSupport/IntakeProc/EPLCv2/SitePages/v2/EPLCHome.aspx https://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/asa/ocio/index.html
3) Sanitization of Government Files and Information. As part of contract closeout and at expiration of the contract, the Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall provide all required documentation in accordance with FDA OAGS SMGs to the CO and/or COR to certify that, at the government’s direction, all electronic and paper records are appropriately disposed of and all devices and media are sanitized in accordance with NIST SP 800-88, Guidelines for Media Sanitization and FDA IS2P Appendix T: Sanitization of Computer-Related Storage Media
4) Notification. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall notify the CO and/or COR as soon as it is known that an employee will stop working under this contract.
5) Contractor Responsibilities Upon Physical Completion of the Contract. The contractor (and/or any subcontractors) shall return all government information and IT resources (i.e., government information in non-government-owned systems, media, and backup systems) acquired during the term of this contract to the CO and/or COR.
Additionally, the Contractor shall provide a certification that all government information has been properly sanitized and purged from Contractor-owned systems, including backup systems and media used during contract performance, in accordance with HHS and/or FDA policies.
6) The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall coordinate with the COR via email, copying the Contract Specialist, to ensure that the appropriate person performs and documents the actions identified in the FDA eDepart system http://inside.fda.gov:9003/EmployeeResources/NewEmployee/eDepartDepartureSystem/ default.htm as soon as it is known that an employee will terminate work under this contract within days of the employee’s exit from the contract. All documentation shall be made available to the CO and/or COR upon request.
In the event that a contractor (and/or any subcontractor) accidentally disposes of or destroys a record without proper authorization, it shall be documented and reported as an incident in accordance with HHS/FDA policies.
ISSO – Section 6 (Other IT Procurements)
1) Card Readers. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall include Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 201-compliant smart card (access card) readers (referred to as LACS Transparent Readers) with the purchase of servers, printers, desktops, and laptops.
2) Mobile Devices. The contractor shall follow FDA security requirements and NIST 800- 124, Rev. 1, Guidelines for Managing the Security of Mobile Devices in the Enterprise when using mobile devices that process or store FDA data
Records Management and Retention
The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall maintain all information in accordance with Executive Order 13556 -- Controlled Unclassified Information, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) records retention policies and schedules and HHS/FDA policies and shall not dispose of any records unless authorized by HHS/FDA.
In the event that a contractor (and/or any subcontractor) accidentally disposes of or destroys a record without proper authorization, it shall be documented and reported as an incident in accordance with HHS/FDA policies.
http://inside.fda.gov:9003/EmployeeResources/NewEmployee/eDepartDepartureSystem/default.htm http://inside.fda.gov:9003/EmployeeResources/NewEmployee/eDepartDepartureSystem/default.htm
FDA PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS
1. BACKGROUND
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), requires that DHHS employees and contractor employees (including subcontractors) who will be working in a DHHS-owned or leased space and/or who will have access to DHHS equipment, and non-public privileged, proprietary, or trade secret information, undergo a background investigation of some type.
Contractor employees who will be in DHHS-owned or lease space for less than thirty (30) days are exempted from the background investigation requirement. These contractor employees must be escorted at all time while in DHHS-owned or leased space.
2. GENERAL
The contractor shall submit the following items to the Contracting Officer, ten (10) calendar days prior to commencement of work under this contract:
Certification that all required security form packets and a list of contractor employees names for whom the requisite security information has been provided to Division of Security Operations, Policy and Planning, Personnel Security Staff.
a. "Contractor's Commitment to Protect Non-public Information Agreement" forms signed by each employee named in the paragraph above.
With the exception of costs associated with fingerprinting Contractor employees outside of the FDA Personnel Security Office, the Government will conduct all required background investigations at no cost to the contractor. The cost of fingerprinting Contractor employees at any location other than the FDA Personnel Security Office will be borne by the Contractor.
Contractor employees shall obtain security badges in order to access to DHHS-owned or leased property without an escort. (See Section 3 for details on the badging process) However, in the event that work must commence before security badges can be issued, contractor employees will be allowed onto DHHS-owned or leased property but must be escorted at all times.
All Contractor employees who undergo a background investigation are required to log onto the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM’s) Electronic Questionnaire for Investigation Processing (e-QIP) system to complete the forms necessary to initiate their background investigations. The forms required vary with the position risk levels for the contract.
The position risk levels for this contract are Non-Sensitive Positions (Level 1).
There are two (2) potential position risk levels, which are:
Non-Sensitive Positions (Level 1) (SEE CHART A) - Positions which involve the lowest degree of adverse impact on the efficiency of the Agency. The forms set forth by CHART A are required for Non-Sensitive Positions (Level 1). Contractor employees assigned to Level 1 who receive a security badge will be required to provide additional security information for a background investigation as specified in Paragraph 5 below.
b. Public Trust Positions (Levels 5 or 6) (SEE CHART B) - Positions in which the incumbent's actions or inaction could diminish public confidence in the integrity, efficiency, or effectiveness of assigned
Government activities, whether or not actual damage occurs. The forms set forth by CHART B are required for Public Trust Positions (Levels 5 or 6). Contractor employees assigned Levels 5 or 6 must receive security badge as well as a background investigation.
In order to access the e-QIP system, Contractor employees must provide the appropriate Personnel Security Specialist with the following information: (a) full name; (b) position title; (c) social security number; (d) date of birth; (e) place of birth; (f) email address; and (g) phone number. The Personnel Security Specialist will use this information to initiate each Contractor employee into the e-QIP system. Once this is done, each Contractor employee will receive an email that contains a web link to access the e-QIP system, as well as instructions and additional forms needed to initiate the suitability background investigation. The Project Officer for the contract will provide the name of the appropriate Personnel Security Specialist to the Contractor.
A Contractor’s failure to comply with the e-QIP processing guidelines will result in that Contractor’s employees being denied access to FDA property until all security processing has been completed.
3. BADGING PROCESS
The FDA Project Officer will sponsor Contractor employees on the FDA Form 3391 for the purpose of obtaining an FDA Security Access Card. In order to obtain one, a contractor employee must receive a "favorable" fingerprint return. Fingerprints must be submitted to the Personnel Security Office at least ten (10) days prior to the commencement of work. Fingerprints will be submitted in one of two ways, depending on where the contract will be performed:
Contractor employees who will work in the Washington D.C. metro area will, at the direction of the FDA Project Officer or his/her designee, contact the Personnel Security Branch to schedule a fingerprinting appointment, or
b. Contractor employees who will work in a field office will submit fingerprints to:
Food and Drug Administration Fingerprinting and Personnel Security Office 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Building 1, Room 1201 Silver Spring, MD 20993
Upon the receipt of a "favorable" fingerprint return, each Contractor employee must present two forms of identification in order to receive his or her badge. One form of identification must be a government-issued photo identification document. Acceptable forms of photo identification are referenced on the FDA Form 3391. Acceptable forms of secondary identification are listed on the back of the I-9 Form.
This form can be obtained at http://uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/files/i-9.pdf
An individual who receives an unfavorable report may appeal that finding by submitting a written request to the Personnel Security Staff.
4. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS
The Government shall conduct an additional background investigation for those individuals named to risk Levels 1, 5 and 6 serving under this contract.
Required background investigations may include, but not be limited to:
Review of prior Government/military personnel records;
Review of FBI records and fingerprint files;
Searches of credit bureaus;
Personal interviews; and Written inquiries covering the subject's background.
Background investigations will be conducted by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
The Contractor is responsible for ensuring that the integrity of contract performance is maintained pending completion of all appropriate background investigations of contractor employees.
The Contractor shall submit the information required for eQIP access and other requisite forms for the risk level(s) specified. In addition, the contractor shall provide a cover letter which includes: the Contractor's name, the contract number, the name of the Contracting Officer administering the contract, the names of all Contractor employees' for whom a background check is required and those employees’ social security numbers, dates of birth, and former names. This cover letter and all completed forms shall be transmitted, in a separate sealed envelope marked, "TO BE OPENED BY ADDRESSEE ONLY," to:
Food and Drug Administration Badging and Credentialing Office 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Building 1, Room 1201 Silver Spring, MD 20993
The contractor shall send a separate letter to the Contracting Officer that includes the contract number and employee names.
The contractor shall advise its prospective employees that all standard forms submitted to the FDA will be forwarded to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for scheduling background investigations.
Personnel Security Staff will resolve with the contract employee any issues arising out of inaccurate or incomplete forms.
Employees who have been previously granted a Government security clearance shall advise Personnel Security Staff of the details of such clearances to determine if a previous clearance level is suitable for the current FDA position.
At any time, if a contractor employee for whom security forms have been submitted is terminated or otherwise ceases work under the contract, the contractor shall immediately notify Personnel Security Staff, in writing, with copies to the respective FDA Project and Contracting Officers.
The OPM background investigation will take approximately 120 days. The Contracting Officer will notify the Contractor in writing if an employee is denied a clearance. Those individuals who have been cleared by Personnel Security Staff may continue to work under the contract. Those who are not cleared must cease work on the contract immediately.
If a Contractor changes job responsibilities under this contract, the contractor…
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