Attachment 1 - Vendor Questions and NCIS Responses Concerning Card Scan - Request for Quote N63285-26-Q-S123

Final Q&A (21 August 2026)

No. Vendor Questions NCIS’ Responses

Synology NAS Model – Page 3 identifies the NAS as the Synology DS1522 (or equal), while the parts list on page 4 identifies the Synology DS1525. Could you please confirm which Synology model is intended?

a. The request is for the DS1525+ however if this model cannot be sourced the DS1522+ will work as a substitute.

b. The DS1522+ is the older model of the DS1525 both are a 5 bay NAS.

c. Both models work with the E10G22-T1-Mini 10GbE

NIC

Workstation Configuration/Integration Requirement –

a. The ASUS NUC 15 Performance is available in multiple configurations and requires memory, storage, and an operating system to function as a complete workstation.

Could you please confirm the intended configuration or minimum requirements for the NUC?

b. Also, should the contractor deliver each Card Scan

Solution Kit fully assembled and configured as an operational integrated system, or is this a supply-only requirement with system configuration to be performed by NCIS after delivery?

a. Response

- The ASUS NUC 15 configuration: intel core ultra 7 255HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop.

- Additional memory will need to be added to this request due to memory shortages that have arisen since it was made. ASUS will not ship this device with memory in their configuration.

- ASUS recommends 48GB DDR-5-5600 SODIMM for each NUC 15.

b. Response – This will be primarily be a supply-only requirement with the system configuration to be performed by NCIS after delivery.

Protective Case – The RFQ specifies one Pelican 22" ATX Carry-on case (or equal) per kit to house and protect the kit components. Based on the published dimensions of the specified equipment, the complete component set does not appear capable of fitting within a single 22" ATX case.

a. Could you please confirm whether a larger equivalent protective case is acceptable, such as the 1560, another appropriately sized Pelican case, or whether only certain components are intended to be housed in the specified case?

b. Is the case intended solely to transport and protect the equipment, with the components removed from the case for operation, or is the completed system expected to remain installed and operate from within the case?

c. Does it need to fit as a carry-on, because the total volume for the equipment alone is 2246 cubic inches?

d. If the equipment is expected to operate while installed in the case, is there an existing layout or mounting specification that can be provided?

After double checking the interior dimensions of the case vs the dimensions of the NUC, Synology and the display devices the 25” AXT carry-on case will be best. The kit will be delivered in two transport cases. One, the “compute & data storage devices” will be in the ATX carry-on, and the “scan & network” will be in separate larger Pelican case that we already have. Your assessment is correct. The requirement has been updated to address the dimensional constraints. The previously mentioned 22" or 25” ATX carry-on case is no longer applicable.

The entire kit will now be consolidated into a single, larger transit case. The contractor is required to provide one (1) Pelican 1615 Air case per kit as the sole case for all equipment. The case is intended for the transport and protection of the components, which will be removed for on-site assembly and operation. It is not required to operate from within the case.

Workstation Peripherals – The ASUS NUC is identified as the primary workstation, but a monitor, keyboard, and mouse do not appear to be included in the BOM. Are these Government-furnished, or should they be included with each kit?

These will be government furnished.

Power Distribution –

a. Is the intent for the entire kit to operate from a single AC connection, with power distribution/management included as part of the kit?

b. There is no PDU, UPS, surge protector, or other power-distribution equipment listed in the BOM. Is this equipment Government-furnished, or should it be included in our quote?

a. This is not required; we only require the equipment.

b. No

NAS Storage/High Availability –

a. When the solicitation refers to high availability, is the contractor expected to configure the two Synology NAS devices as a Synology High Availability active/passive cluster, or is another form of redundancy/replication intended?

b. If the contractor is not expected to configure the storage, should the hard drives be installed or shipped in protective packaging?

c. If the contractor is expected to configure the storage, is there a required RAID/SHR level or minimum usable capacity?

Contractor is only expected to supply the equipment. Hard drives can be shipped in packaging.

IUID Requirements - Is each completed Card Scan Solution Kit considered the end item requiring one IUID, or are individual components within each kit also required to receive separate IUID markings?

IUID marking is not required for this procurement.

However, the applicable DFARS clause is include per 252.211-7003.

Final Testing / Acceptance – Is there an NCIS acceptance or operational verification checklist that can be provided so that we can perform the same tests prior to delivery and ensure our pre-delivery testing aligns with NCIS acceptance testing?

NO

SAMSUNG SSD Model - Narrative on page 3 states "2 x 1TB NVMe SSD Cache Drives: Samsung 990 Pro M.2 1TB (or equal)", The Parts table on page 5 shows CLIN 0004: "8 Samsung 990 M.2 2280 NVMe SSD 1TB for caching".

However, the 990 Pro and the 990 are different parts at different price points.

a. Which applies?

A1: The Samsung 990 Pro M.2 1TB is preferred for read/write speed. However, if there is a shortage the 990 Evo will work

Hard Drive Count Per NAS – The narrative states "8 x 20TB NAS Hard Drives: Seagate IronWolf Pro 20TB (or equal), providing a total raw storage capacity of 80TB per NAS device." Eight 20TB drives are 160TB raw, not 80TB, so the sentence is internally inconsistent. The parts table calls for 32 drives total against 8 NAS units, which works out to 4 drives per NAS - 80TB raw each, matching the stated capacity.

a. We read the parts table as the controlling document and are pricing 32 drives, 4 per NAS. Please confirm, or tell us if the intent was 8 drives per NAS unit (64 drives total).

A: The math is correct that to get 32 drives. As stated on Form1449, 1 kit will have two 5 bay NAS, with 4 drives in each NAS, totaling 8 drives per kit and 32 drives across all the kits.

Backup drives for each NAS are not necessary at this time. The design calls for one NAS as the primary and the other as the backup for that data. If there is a drive failure or storage shortage, we have a backup storage solution that is available with a stable internet connection

On the protective case - we read your answer as the contractor supplying one 25-inch ATX carry-on case per kit for the computer and data storage devices, with NCIS providing the existing larger Pelican case for the scan and network components.

a. That would be four cases in our quote rather than eight.

Please confirm.

Negative. The 25-inch ATX carry-on case does not meet our technical specifications, and we are no longer splitting the kit across two cases. The contractor must supply one

(1) Pelican 1615 Air case per kit (with a minimum total interior volume of 4,302.09 cubic inches) as the sole transit case for all kit equipment. This single case must accommodate: • 1x ASUS NUC• 2x NAS Units• 1x Portable Monitor• 1x Desktop Scanner (NCIS-provided)• 1x UniFi U7 Pro Max AP• 1x UniFi Dream Router 5G• All associated power supplies and cabling. The total number of contractor-supplied cases for this procurement is four (4) Pelican 1615 Air cases.

Since each kit will ultimately use two Pelican cases, but NCIS will be providing one of those cases, the full kit cannot be securely packed into the contractor-provided case alone.

a. For the remaining components, would NCIS prefer that they be shipped in their original OEM packaging, or may the contractor consolidate and repackage them into the minimum number of appropriately protected shipping cartons for delivery?

The delivery model has changed. Because the entire kit is now consolidated into a single contractor-provided Pelican 1615 Air case, the contractor must securely pack all supplied components directly into their respective Pelican cases prior to shipment. Please note that the NCIS team will perform the final assembly, wiring, and setup of the kits on-site. Therefore, the vendor only needs to ensure the components are safely nested and protected for transit (e.g., using padded dividers or foam), while leaving the appropriate space/configuration for the NCIS-provided desktop scanner to be added later.

On the NUC memory - the ASUS recommendation of 48 GB DDR5-5600 SODIMM could be met with either a single 48 GB module or a matched pair totaling 48 GB.

a. Does NCIS have a preference? A matched pair generally performs better in dual-channel, but a single module leaves a slot free for later expansion.

Please provide the memory in a matched pair configuration (2x SO-DIMM) supporting transfer speeds up to DDR5-6400, utilizing up to a maximum of 48 GB per stick (module).

Also, on memory - given this is supply-only, we assume the SODIMMs should ship in packaging alongside the NUCs rather than installed. We are glad to install them before shipment at no additional cost if that is more useful to your team. Either way works.

Please note that the manufacturer does not include memory with the purchase of this device. As this is a supply-only procurement, the contractor is required to source and ship the compatible memory modules (as specified in Question 13) in their original packaging alongside the NUCs. Our team will handle the physical installation.

Due to an inventory shortage, we have currently quoted the ASUS NUC 15 Performance with the Intel Core Ultra 9 instead of the Ultra 7.

a. Could we provide a quote for both options so we can allocate stock based on availability at the time of award?

Approved. Please provide quotes for both the Intel Core Ultra 7 and Intel Core Ultra 9 options. The government will evaluate both configurations based on cost, performance, and immediate stock availability at the time of award.

The specified DAC cables intended for the Synology NAS connections do not appear to be compatible with the 10GbE expansion cards confirmed in the Q&A. The E10G22-T1-Mini cards use RJ45 connections rather than SFP+, so the NAS devices could connect directly to the switch's 10GbE RJ45 ports using appropriate Ethernet cabling. Alternatively, if the intent is to utilize the SFP+ ports on the switch, 10GBASE-T SFP+ modules could be used. Would you prefer that we?

a. Substitute the specified 1m DAC cables with 1m Cat6A

Ethernet cables for the NAS connections;

b. Exclude the DAC cables from the quote; or

c. Provide the DAC cables as currently specified in the BOM, even though they would not connect directly to the specified Synology 10GbE cards?

Please proceed with Option (b): Exclude the DAC cables from the quote. The DAC cables were included in the original Bill of Materials (BOM) in error. Because the final physical layout and exact distance requirements for on-site setup are currently unknown, Cat6A Ethernet cables will be procured separately at a later date to match field deployment needs.