Questions.pdf

UNCLASSIFIED

Question Answers

The solicitation does not appear to include quote preparation instructions, a page limit, a required font and size, or margin requirements.Will the

Government confirm whether a page limit applies and, if so, the maximum page count, the required font and minimum point size, and the minimum page margins?

There are no page limits for this solicitation.

If a page limit applies, will tables, charts, graphics, the cover page, the compliance matrix, the price quote, and required representations and certifications count toward the page limit, or are they excluded from it?

Not applicable

Will the Government accept a single combined PDF, or are separate technical and price volumes required? Which file formats are acceptable for the quote and pricing sheet (PDF, Mircrosoft Word, Microsoft Excel)?

The Government will accept a singl combined PDF. Separate technical and pricing is not required.

Please confirm the exact method and address for quote submission and any maximum email attachment size.

Please email quote to kaitlyn.kroner@dodiis.mil. There is no maximum email attachment size.

The solicitation incorporates FAR 52.212-4 and 52.212-5 but does not include

52.212-1 (Instructions to Offerors) or 52.212-2 (Evaluation Factors for Award).

Will the Government identify the basis of award (for example lowest price technically acceptable or best value tradeoff) and the evaluation factors with their relative importance?

Bases for award is best value. Evaluation factors are technical and price.

For this brand name or equal acuqisition, what documentation must an offeror of an equal product submit to demonstrate the salient characteristics, and will equal products be evaluated for technical acceptability before price?

To demonstrate technical acceptability, offerors of "equal" products must submit a comprehensive Techncial Volume that explicitly proves their product meets or exceeds every salient characteristic of the brand-name item. The

Government will conduct a Technical-First Evaluation, verifying technical acceptability prior to evaluating pricing.

Salient characteristic (f) requires an OIG specific Type Authorization. Please define this authorization, identify the issuing authority and the standard it certifies against, and confirm whether it is required for award or is a desired feature. As written, it appears to be available only from the named product and may unduly restrict competition.

The solution musst hold handling aensitive audit data, FISMA High-Impact

Validation for DIA's security environment, and FIPS-Compliant encryption.

Salient Characteristic (f) also requires FISMA High Impact validation for the

DIA environment. Will the Government accept a FedRAMP High authorization or a FedRAMP High Ready Package, together with agency authorization support, as satisfying this requirement for a solution delivered into a

Government controlled environment?

This capability needs to be provided on premises as the data restrictions and network limitations do not allow for external cloud storage or software.

Salient characteristic © requires advanced statistical sampling compliant with federal auditing standards. Will the Government confirm the specific standards the sampling must meet (for example the GAO and CIGIE Financial Audit

Manual) and whether sampling delivered through an integrated companion module or documented method satisfies the requirement?

The types of sampling done must comply with AICPA and GAO standards for supportability and documentary evidence. This is a core capability of the selected product and does not require any supplementary modules.

The line item narrative states the current application holds CIO Security approval and an Authority to Operate and that the Government cannot accommodate solutions requiring significant integration time. If award is made to any offeror other than the current product, will the Government confirm whether a new authorization is required, and how much time the Government will allow for that authorization relative to the July 30, 2026 need date?

Any new system that is added to the network must go through a new assessment and authorization process (A&A). Due to the nature of the audit and oversight work the Software supports and the time constraints for delivery of ongoing testing and the final products, extended gaps in service would represent a mission failure.

Please identify the incumbent contractor and the incumbent contract number, and provide the current license and maintenance unit pricing if releasable, to support fair and equal price competition.

Caseware

Is there a phase in or transition period? Is the incumbent funded and contractually obligated to provide knowledge transfer, license key transfer, and data or configuration handover during phase in? If so, please describe the scope and duration so offerors can plan a no gap transition.

There isn't a phase or transition period. The incumbent is not contractually obligated to provide knowledge transfer, license key transfer, and data or configuration handover during phase in.

Please confirm the deployment target environment, including network, hosting, and whether Government furnished infrastructure is provided, and identify any

Government furnished equipment, software, data, or access required for delivery and support.

The designated target deployment environment for this effort is JWICS. The

Government will provide the necessary hosting infrastructure and secure access, while the contractor must identify any specific software dependencies or technical baseline requirements needed for successful delivery and support.

Will past performance be evaluated, and if so, is a Past Performance

Questionnaire required? To reduce the burden on Government references, will the Government accept existing CPARS evaluations in lieu of completed questionnaires?

Past performance is not a factor.

Beyond 24x7 technical support, does the Government require specific service level metrics, such as response and restoration times by severity and a system availability target? If so, please provide the required targets so they can be reflected in the quote and priced accurately.

No.

Please confirm the warranty period expected under clause 5552.239-9000 and confirm that maintenance includes upgrades to the latest release at no additional cost within each period of performance.

Warranty period is expected for this requirement and maintenance must include upgrades to the latest release at no additional cost within each period of perfromance.

Clause 5552.217-9001 states that the Government will add a six month extension priced at the last option period rates for evaluation. Please confirm that offerors should not add a separate priced line for this extension on the

Government pricing sheet and that the factor is computed by the Government for evaluation only.

The six month extension is optional. The Government will not evaluate an extension for this requirement and confirms that offerors should not add a separate priced line for the solicitation.

Clause 5552.232-9000 requires electronic invoicing through the Maryland

Procurement office using and ECA or IECA PKI certificate. Please confirm the registration steps and typial lead time, and confirm that award may proceed in parallel with certificate issuance.

Maryland Procurement Office invoicing instructions will be forwarded to the successful offeror.

The drop shipping prohibition in clause 5552.211-9007 addresses physical supplies. For an electronically delivered software license with hosted or remote support, please confirm that electronic delivery to the COR satisfies delivery and that the prohibition does not apply.

The Government confirms that electronic delivery to the COR satisfies delivery and that the prohibition does not apply.

Please confirm the Section 508 expectation: is a current VPAT or Accessibility

Conformance Report required with the quote, or only on request after award?

The Accessibility Conformance Report is required at the submission of a current ACR alongside your technical and pricing quote.

Please confirm the quote validity period the Government requires, for example

60 or 90 days.

The quote validity period is for 90 days.

This requirement is issues as an open market commercial item acquisition under

NAICS 541511. Would the Government consider ordering through a Best in

Class vehicle such as GSA STARSIII if a holder offers it, or must the quote be submtited strictly as open market?

No.