HT003826SC001-01_Questions_Answers.pdf

QUESTION #

DATE

RECEIVED

Reference PROSPECTIVE VENDOR'S QUESTION DATE OF REPLY GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE

1 30-Jan-26

Can the Government clarify the primary indicators of success at the conclusion of the six-month period of performance, and whether certain outcomes (e.g., accelerated delivery timelines, measurable ROI, organizational adoption) will be prioritized over others? 6-Feb-26

The Government defines success as a fully delivered solution (tangible results) that supports all defined outcomes and the solution delivered can be sustained by DHMSM personnel.

2 30-Jan-26

What is the single most important problem you want solved in the first 60–90 days (e.g., pipeline visibility, faster pilots, governance cadence, adoption), and how will you judge early success? 6-Feb-26

The Government has identified a gap and is looking to industry to provide an innovative solution to support all defined outcomes to close the gap.

3 30-Jan-26

Government mentions a “functioning, repeatable framework” and “accelerated project timelines.” What baseline are you using today (cycle time, throughput, time-to-POC, etc.) so offerors can propose realistic targets? 6-Feb-26

The Government has identified a gap meaning there is no baseline at this time.

4 30-Jan-26

Are there existing technology transformation, innovation management, or execution frameworks currently in use within DHMSM that the proposed solution is expected to integrate with, enhance, or replace? 6-Feb-26

The Government has identified a gap and is looking to industry to provide an innovative solution to support all defined outcomes to close the gap.

5 30-Jan-26

What delivery constraints exist today (release approvals, governance gates, contracting constraints, integration dependencies) that the framework must work within? 6-Feb-26

The Government has identified a gap and is looking to industry to provide an innovative solution to support all defined outcomes to close the gap.

6 30-Jan-26

What constitutes “de-risked” for a pilot (technical feasibility, security posture, clinical workflow fit, cost model, integration feasibility)?

6-Feb-26

The Government is looking to industry to provide an innovative solution to support all defined outcomes. To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

7 30-Jan-26

How many POCs/pilots do you expect within the 6-month period, and what is the typical/desired duration of a POC?

6-Feb-26

The outcome is for an innovative, structured methodology for executing POCs and pilot programs that is sustained by DHMSM personnel. The offeror should provide an innovative solution to meet not only this outcome but all outcomes.

8 30-Jan-26 Award Structure

Does the Government anticipate awarding Notice #HT003826SC001-01 and Notice #HT003826SC001-02 to the same vendor, or are these intended as distinct solutions evaluated independently? 6-Feb-26

Notice #HT003826SC001-01 and Notice #HT003826SC001-02 are being treated as two independent requirements. Each will be evaluated separately

9 30-Jan-26 Bidscale Submission If the same vendor is responding to both CSO notices, will their single Bidscale account accommodate both submissions? 6-Feb-26

Send separate emails to customersuccess@bidscale.com requesting portal access for each opportunity.

10 30-Jan-26 GFE/GFI

Does the Government intend to provide contractor access to existing enterprise tools or platforms (e.g., data analytics platforms, collaboration tools, cloud environments) as GFE/GFI? Should offerors assume integration with existing Government systems, or propose standalone solutions?

6-Feb-26

The Government is looking to offerors to provide innovative proposed solution to meet all outcomes identified in the CSO IPR. To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

11 30-Jan-26 Innovation Threshold

Section 12 requires solutions to be 'innovative' per DFARS 212.7001. Will the Government consider a novel methodology or framework for integrating and optimizing existing Government-owned tools as meeting this threshold, or must solutions introduce entirely new technology platforms? 6-Feb-26

The Government is seeking proposals for solutions that introduce new technologies, processes, or methods for all outcomes identified in the CSO IPR. To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

12 30-Jan-26 Meaningful Improvement

Under Factor 1 (Advancement), what standard will the Government apply to determine whether an improvement is 'meaningful'? Is there a quantitative threshold (e.g., percentage efficiency gain, cost savings)?

6-Feb-26

The Government desires more than the status quo. Solutions presented to the government must represent a meaningful improvement.

13 30-Jan-26 Real-Time Adaptability

Factor 3 requires 'a clear mechanism for adjusting to unfavorable circumstances in real time without requiring additional Government funding.' Does 'real time' refer to contractor agility during performance, or to automated/technology-enabled adjustments within the delivered solution? 6-Feb-26

The offeror's solution presented must include a clear mechanism for adjusting to unfavorable circumstances in real time.

14 30-Jan-26 FFP Structure

For Phase 1a, should offerors describe their proposed deliverable-to-price linkage conceptually, or reserve all pricing details for Phase 1b? Will the Government consider milestone-based fixed-price structures?

6-Feb-26

Please reserve all pricing detail to Phase 1b as prices will not be considered until Phase 1b per the HT003826SC001 Notice of Availability Innovation Solutions document.

15 30-Jan-26 Teaming

May a small business prime contractor include a large business or non-profit as a subcontractor? How will the Government evaluate the combined team's qualifications under the technical factors?

6-Feb-26

All proposals, whether from small, large, or non-profit entities, must be evaluated fairly and impartially against the exact same criteria published in the CSO.

16 30-Jan-26 OCI Restrictions

Section 13.1 states successful offerors 'shall be ineligible to perform...

under any Prime Mission Product Support contract... related to solutions provided.' Please clarify: (a) Does this restriction apply only to prime contractor roles, or also to subcontractor participation? (b) Is the restriction limited to the specific solution domain or all PEO DHMS products?

6-Feb-26

Successful offerors shall be ineligible to perform, whether as a contractor, subcontractor, or team member, under any Prime Mission Product Support contract that is in any way related to solutions provided under any contract awarded, i.e., products managed by a PEO DHMS partner or subordinate organization. Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) Mitigation Plan may be submitted for consideration if the offeror perceives a potential organizational conflict of interest.

17 30-Jan-26 Submission Format

Should the Cover Page and Terms & Conditions attachment count against the 15-slide limit, or be uploaded as separate files? May offerors include a separate OCI Mitigation Plan appendix if applicable?

6-Feb-26

Please follow the instructions within the Submission and Evaluation Phases of the HT003826SC001 Notice of Availability Innovation Solutions document. Instructions for submission are updated in the CSO to clarify a maximum of two files: one containing the slides and a seperate file for all attachments (terms and conditions and an organizational conflict mitigation plan, if applicable).

18 30-Jan-26 Past Performance

The NoA identifies three technical evaluation factors but does not reference past performance. Will past performance or corporate experience be evaluated? If so, what criteria will apply? 6-Feb-26

The Government will follow the evaluation process and methodology described in section 11 and 12 of the CSO.

19 30-Jan-26 Security Clearances

Section 13 states contractors are 'likely to require privileged IT and security clearance access.' What clearance level is anticipated, and must Key Personnel hold active clearances at proposal submission? 6-Feb-26

This will be dependant upon the solution proposed.

20 30-Jan-26 Framework Definition

Does DHMSM envision the 'technology-enabled framework' as a Government-owned execution model implemented using existing or approved tools, rather than acquisition of a new proprietary software platform?

6-Feb-26

The Government is looking to offerors to provide innovative proposed solution to meet all outcomes identified in the CSO IPR and the solution delivered can be sustained by DHMSM personnel. To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

21 30-Jan-26 Innovation Pipeline

For Innovation Pipeline Management, should proposals prioritize a repeatable evaluation and prioritization methodology, or identification of specific emerging technologies for DHMSM consideration?

6-Feb-26

The Government is looking to offerors to provide innovative proposed solution to meet all outcomes identified in the CSO IPR. To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

22 30-Jan-26 Prototyping Scope

For rapid prototyping and validation, does DHMSM expect delivery of executed proof-of-concept efforts, or a structured methodology and templates that Government personnel will apply to future POCs?

6-Feb-26

The Government seeks a solution for the implementation of a functioning, repeatable framework for technology transformation that results in accelerated project timelines, a clear return on investment (ROI) for innovation, and that can be sustained by DHMSM personnel.

Q&A LOG (HT003826SC001-01)

Innovation Solutions

Date: 2 February 2026

23 30-Jan-26 Transition Outcome

Does DHMSM define success as full transition to Government-led execution by the end of the 6-month Period of Performance, with no ongoing contractor dependency required? 6-Feb-26

The Government defines success as a fully delivered solution (tangible results) that supports all defined outcomes and the solution delivered can be sustained by DHMSM personnel.

24 30-Jan-26 OCI Restrictions

Are there any restrictions of possible OCI concerns with one vendor submitting a bid for both CSO Notices ie. Notice #HT003826SC001-01 and

6-Feb-26

No, there are no restrictions preventing a vendor from submitting proposals for both notices.

25 30-Jan-26

How will the methodologies, processes, frameworks, and tools for Innovative Technology Transformation and Execution Framework obtained through this CSO be leveraged in conjunction with the Health Care Delivery Solutions (HCDS) contracts, including the PMO Support and Services Support contracts identified in the PEO DHMS HCDS EHR Draft Contract Strategy?

6-Feb-26

The Government seeks a solution for the implementation of a functioning, repeatable framework. AOI 1 Operations: Introducing novel processes or implementing new technologies designed to enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness. AOI 3 Governance: Deploying new systems or processes to strengthen governance structures, automate reporting, and enhance organizational accountability.

26 30-Jan-26 CSO AOI 3: Governance

The outcomes for an Advanced Solution Delivery Framework and for Organizational Adoption and Change Management are categorized under AOI 3 (Governance). Will the deliverables for this requirement be used only for oversight and governance of these processes?

6-Feb-26

Outcomes associated withAOI 3 in the CSO IPR align with the overarching CSO's AOI for governance which states: Deploying new systems or processes to strengthen governance structures, automate reporting, and enhance organizational accountability.

27 30-Jan-26

Upon delivery of the tangible results supporting the outcomes of Innovative Technology Transformation and Execution Framework, will the provider of those deliverables then provide services to support the implementation of those deliverables (beyond the 6 month maximum period of performance)? 6-Feb-26

The Government defines success as a fully delivered solution (tangible results) that supports all defined outcomes and the solution delivered can be sustained by DHMSM personnel.

28 30-Jan-26 Could the Government please clarify whether landscape orientation is permitted for any sections of the Technical Proposal? 6-Feb-26

There are no restrictions on landscape orientation.

29 30-Jan-26

Could the Government confirm whether video hyperlinks to prototypes are permitted within the Offeror’s response?

6-Feb-26 The Government is not accepting videos at this time.

30 30-Jan-26

Please confirm whether the one-page Executive Summary is included within the overall limit of fifteen (15) slides for the Technical Proposal. 6-Feb-26

Yes, the one page Executive Summary does count toward the 15 page limit

31 30-Jan-26

Please clarify whether illustrations, graphics, and tables may use a font size smaller than 11-point, provided all content remains legible. 6-Feb-26

No, the Notice of Availability states 11-point font at a minimum. Text that is difficult to read in that format may not be reviewed

32 30-Jan-26

Could the Government please confirm whether the fifteen (15) “slides” referenced in the submission instructions are intended to be fifteen PowerPoint-style slides, or fifteen pages in a Word or PDF document formatted for printing on standard 8½ x 11 paper? Additionally, if a Word or PDF format is acceptable, should each page be treated as a single “slide” for purposes of the page limitation? 6-Feb-26

The written proposal should not exceed fifteen (15) slides using 11-point font at a minimum.

33 30-Jan-26

Could you please provide Section 12 (or the full NoA document) so we can ensure our submission is fully compliant with the CSO requirements? 6-Feb-26

The Notice of Availability is posted on Sam.gov under Notice ID:

HT003826SC001

34 30-Jan-26 Is there existing work currently being performed, or recently completed, that overlaps with the scope of CSO 01 – DHMSM? 6-Feb-26

No

35 30-Jan-26

Does the Government expect a single submission to address all Areas of Interest (e.g., AOI 01 and AOI 03), or may offerors submit a solution focused on one AOI only? 6-Feb-26

The Government is seeking proposals for solutions that introduce new technologies, processes, or methods for all outcomes identified in the

CSO IPR.

36 30-Jan-26 Is there a preferred file naming convention for the Phase 1a technical slide deck submission? 6-Feb-26

No, there is not a preferred naming convention.

37 30-Jan-26

For Phase 1a, should the Terms and Conditions and OCI Mitigation Plan referenced in Sections 4 and 5 be included as appendices within the slide deck, or submitted as separate attachments? If submitted separately, is there a preferred file naming convention?

6-Feb-26

The Terms and Conditions and OCI Mitigation Plan are attachments.

There is not a preferred naming convention. Instructions for submission are updated in the CSO to clarify a maximum of two files: one containing the slides and a seperate file for all attachments (terms and conditions and an organizational conflict mitigation plan, if applicable).

38 30-Jan-26

Should proposed deliverables for Phase 1a be described at a conceptual level, or does the Government prefer more detailed descriptions of formats and artifacts at this stage? 6-Feb-26

The proposal must include sufficient detail for the Government to understand the proposed solution, tangible deliverables, and how those map back to each outcome.

39 30-Jan-26

Does the Government anticipate exercising the optional Phase 2 Solution Pitch for CSO 01 – DHMSM, or should offerors assume Phase 1a submissions will be evaluated independently of an oral presentation?

6-Feb-26

The Government may invite offerors to present their proposed solution and pricing to a Government evaluation panel.

40 30-Jan-26 Does the Government anticipate a follow-on production award after the initial 6-month period? 6-Feb-26

The Government will award a FAR based contract and not a prototype agreement.

41 30-Jan-26

Could the Government clarify if there should also be an AOI 2 Strategy for

CSO 01?

6-Feb-26

This is an Individual Program Requirement Notice that the problem statement/ outcomes covers multiple AOIs, but is not required to cover all AOIs defined in the overarching CSO.

42 30-Jan-26

What data domains are expected to be in scope for these CSOs (e.g., clinical, operational, financial, cybersecurity, acquisition, workforce?

6-Feb-26

The Government seeks a solution for the implementation of a functioning, repeatable framework for technology transformation that results in accelerated project timelines, a clear return on investment (ROI) for innovation, and that can be sustained by DHMSM personnel.

To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

43 30-Jan-26

What level of data access (production, synthetic, or representative datasets) will be available during the period of performance?

6-Feb-26

The Government is looking to offerors to provide innovative proposed solution to meet all outcomes identified in the CSO IPR. To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

44 30-Jan-26

Are there existing DHA/MHS enterprise data platforms, analytics environments, or governance tools that proposed Data and AI solutions are expected to integrate with?

6-Feb-26

The Government is looking to offerors to provide innovative proposed solution to meet all outcomes identified in the CSO IPR. To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

45 30-Jan-26

Do the technologies used in the solution need to be FedRAMP authorized?

what other compliance frameworks apply (FISMA, SOC 2 / ISO?)

6-Feb-26

The Government is looking to offerors to provide innovative proposed solution to meet all outcomes identified in the CSO IPR. To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

46 30-Jan-26

Which tools are currently in use (Jira?); are there any enterprise contracts or vendor lock-ins we have to honor?

6-Feb-26

The Government is looking to offerors to provide innovative proposed solution to meet all outcomes identified in the CSO IPR. To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

47 30-Jan-26 should the proposed process integrate with existing DHA systems (e.g., project tracking or portfolio tools), or should offerors assume a standalone framework?

6-Feb-26

The Government is looking to offerors to provide innovative proposed solution to meet all outcomes identified in the CSO IPR. To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

48 30-Jan-26

For the Governance Outcome AOI, does the Government expect integration with existing governance bodies and reporting processes, or should the proposed governance framework be designed independently?

6-Feb-26

The Government is looking to offerors to provide innovative proposed solution to meet all outcomes identified in the CSO IPR. To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

49 30-Jan-26 Is there a defined budget or funding range? If so, can you share the details?

6-Feb-26 This data will not be made available by the Government.

50 30-Jan-26

Can government elaborate on the specific technology transformation goals and capability gaps identified by DHMSM? Are there priority areas or technologies the government is particularly interested in addressing?

6-Feb-26

Please re-review the outcomes identified in the CSO IPR and the AOI goals in the CSO. The Government is looking to offerors to provide innovative proposed solution to meet all outcomes identified in the CSO

IPR.

51 30-Jan-26

For CSO AOI 1: Operations, is there a preferred approach or existing framework for innovation pipeline management the government would like vendors to build upon?

6-Feb-26

The Government is looking to offerors to provide innovative proposed solution to meet all outcomes identified in the CSO IPR. To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

52 30-Jan-26

For CSO AOI 3: Governance, are there specific technologies or methodologies the government prefers for rapid prototyping and validation?

6-Feb-26

The Government is looking to offerors to provide innovative proposed solution to meet all outcomes identified in the CSO IPR. To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

53 30-Jan-26

To enable fair competition and clarify potential conflicts of interest, can the government please define and provide a list of “Prime Mission Product Support contracts” referenced on page 7 of the Notice of Availability?

Please define Prime Mission Product as employed by government.

6-Feb-26

As described in section 13 of the CSO it states, under any Prime Mission Product Support contract that is in any way related to solutions provided under any contract awarded, i.e., products managed by a PEO DHMS partner or subordinate organization. Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) Mitigation Plan may be submitted for consideration if the offeror perceives a potential organizational conflict of interest.

54 30-Jan-26

Does the government foresee any bias ground rules conflict should the offeror support other DHA programs? OR Would contractors currently supporting DHA programs such as GENESIS, MEDCOP, CustX require OCI mitigation or limitations should they also participate in these CSO's?

6-Feb-26

Successful offerors shall be ineligible to perform, whether as a contractor, subcontractor, or team member, under any Prime Mission Product Support contract that is in any way related to solutions provided under any contract awarded, i.e., products managed by a PEO DHMS partner or subordinate organization. Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) Mitigation Plan may be submitted for consideration if the offeror perceives a potential organizational conflict of interest.

55 30-Jan-26 Relationship between notices: Can vendors/contractors bid on both CSI notices? Does one impact eligibility for the other? 6-Feb-26

No, there are no restrictions preventing a Offeror from submitting proposals for both notices.

56 Primary outcome bias

Is the objective mainly (A) innovation pipeline governance or (B) rapid POC execution throughput?

6-Feb-26

The Government is looking to offerors to provide innovative proposed solution to meet all outcomes identified in the CSO IPR. To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

57 In/Out boundary

Are we delivering a framework + playbooks only, or also standing up/operating the pipeline and delivering a number of POCs during the

POP?

6-Feb-26

The Offeror should propose tangible results (deliverables) that meet all outcomes as defined in the CSO IPR. Proposed tangible results (or deliverables) should form the backbone of your solution. The Government provided examples of "types" of deliverables the Government anticipates. To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

58 Tooling expectation

Do you want process-only deliverables, or a configured tool/workflow (e.g., ServiceNow/Azure DevOps/Jira intake, scoring, dashboards)? If tooling, are platforms mandated?

6-Feb-26

The Offeror should propose tangible results (deliverables) that meet all outcomes defined in the CSO IPR. The Government seeks a solution for the implementation of a functioning, repeatable framework for technology transformation that results in accelerated project timelines, a clear return on investment (ROI) for innovation, and that can be sustained by DHMSM personnel. The Government is seeking proposals for solutions that introduce new technologies, processes, or methods for all outcomes identified in the CSO IPR. To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

59 Security/ATO constraints

Can POCs run in non-production/sandbox without ATO, or must POCs be executed in ATO’d environments with formal security steps?

6-Feb-26

The Government has identified a gap and is looking to industry to provide an innovative solution to support all defined outcomes to close the gap.

The outcome is for an innovative, structured methodology for executing POCs and pilot programs that is sustained by DHMSM personnel. To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

60 Data access

Will POCs operate on real operational data, synthetic data, or no data?

6-Feb-26

The Government is looking to offerors to provide innovative proposed solution to meet all outcomes identified in the CSO IPR. To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

61 Scale

How many intake items per month and how many concurrent POCs should the framework support in steady state?

6-Feb-26

The Government is looking to offerors to provide innovative proposed solution to meet all outcomes identified in the CSO IPR. To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

Award Strategy (Single vs.

Multiple)

The overarching CSO (HT003826SC001) anticipates multiple awards;

however, the IPR Notice #1 requests a "comprehensive" framework covering several Outcomes. Does the Government intend to award a single contract for the end-to-end framework, or will it consider awarding separate contracts to multiple vendors for specific Outcomes/Areas of Interest (e.g., one award for Innovation Pipeline Management and another for Organizational Adoption)? 6-Feb-26

The Government is looking to offerors to provide innovative proposed solution to meet all outcomes identified in the CSO IPR. To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

63 Integration Requirements

Does the Government anticipate that the proposed "technology-enabled framework" must integrate with specific existing PEO DHMS toolsets (e.g., Jira, ServiceNow, or Bidscale), or is the Government seeking a standalone capability that can be integrated at a later date?

6-Feb-26

The Government is looking to offerors to provide innovative proposed solution to meet all outcomes identified in the CSO IPR. To ensure you have the freedom to think creatively, we will not be providing additional guidance.

Cloud Environment &

Hosting

For the 6-month period of performance, does the Government require the solution to be deployed within a Government-furnished Cloud environment (e.g., AWS/Azure GovCloud IL4/IL5), or should the offeror propose a contractor-hosted environment for the initial delivery of the framework?

6-Feb-26

The Government defines success as a fully delivered solution (tangible results) that supports all defined outcomes and the solution delivered can be sustained by DHMSM personnel.

Can you please provide any guidance/preference on page length, format, or including supporting artifacts/appendices in our response?

6-Feb-26

The Notice of Availability is posted on Sam.gov under Notice ID:

HT003826SC001. Please see section 11 and 12 of the CSO Notice of Availability.

Q&A-01