Request__for__Information_DOI_Grants_Management_System.pdf

DOI Financial Assistance Management System

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this requirement is to explore a secure Department of Interior (DOI) Department-wide technology solution for the management of the end-to-end lifecycle of Financial Assistance (FA). This RFI is intended to explore potential solutions that align with our requirements for managing the FA process effectively and efficiently, from initial identification of the financial assistance need, including pre-award stages (both from the requiring program lead and grants specialists) through opportunity announcements, evaluation, award, audit resolution and grant closeout. The solution should be fast to implement and adopt, cost effective, easy to utilize by all stakeholders, provide efficient functionality, and ensure compliance across the Department’s mission programs.

As part of our commitment to modernizing our financial assistance management processes, DOI is particularly interested in innovative technological solutions that can enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and user experience throughout the entire lifecycle.

We are not solely looking for responses that replicate traditional methods of grants management;

instead, we seek input from vendors that envision “the art of the possible.” We seek solutions that challenge the status quo, inspire new ways of thinking, and propose unique approaches that can lead to transformative outcomes in our grants management processes.

Information is requested for solutions that embrace and implement innovative technologies, including showcasing any relevant case studies or examples that demonstrate their successful application in similar environments.

We look forward to exploring cutting-edge technologies that can help us achieve our goals in financial assistance management. We encourage vendors to incorporate the latest advancements in technology into their responses. Examples may include, but are not limited to:

-Artificial Intelligence (AI): Solutions that leverage AI for data analysis, risk assessment, predictive modeling, and improving decision-making processes.

- Robotic Process Automation (RPA): Automation of repetitive tasks to streamline workflows, reduce errors, and improve speed.

- Chatbots and Virtual Assistants: Tools that enhance user interaction, provide real-time support, and facilitate communication for both grant applicants and administrators.

- Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT): Innovative approaches to enhance transparency, security, and traceability in the management of funds and resources.

Financial Assistance, for this RFI, is defined as assistance that recipients or subrecipients receive or administer in the form of: Grants; Cooperative agreements; non-cash contributions or donations of property (including donated surplus property); direct appropriations; food commodities; and other financial assistance.

BACKGROUND AND FUNCTIONALITY NEEDED

The Department of the Interior (DOI) plays a crucial role in the daily lives of all Americans. As the caretaker of 20 percent of the nation’s land, the DOI serves as the primary agency for managing the country’s lands, waters, natural resources, and cultural heritage. The Department oversees and conserves the nation’s energy resources, including access to the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS); fulfills federal obligations to Indian Tribes, Alaska Natives, the Native Hawaiian Community, and insular areas; supplies and distributes water in the Western states; collaborates with other federal agencies to safeguard our borders; and manages national parks, historic sites, and wildlife. The Department's mission contributes to economic growth through direct investments and by fostering private sector initiatives. Under President Trump’s leadership, we are transitioning into a new era of abundance that promotes technological progress. By utilizing practical strategies and advanced technological systems, we can enhance returns for taxpayers while preserving our stunning landscapes, supporting wildlife, and ensuring clean air and water.

For fiscal year 2024, DOI processed nearly 43,000 financial assistance transactions that included 8,334 new financial assistance awards with a combined value totaling more than $12B collaborating with more than 2,400 FA recipients. DOI has many Departmental users – nearly 5,000 which includes grant specialist, program leads, and financial analysts. DOI is considered a mid-sized FA awarding agency.

High-Level Functionality

Solutions should include capabilities and features of available financial assistance management systems that support the entire lifecycle (both discretionary and mandatory type FA transactions), including but not limited to:

Program Planning: Documenting all program requirements, statutes, plan and timeline for competition (discretionary awards) and plan for formula grant program including documentation of formula calculations.

Pre-Award Stage: Notice of Opportunity or funding opportunity guidance / announcement, solicitation, application submission, and evaluation.

Award Management: Award notifications, terms and conditions management, and initial funding distribution.

Post-Award Management: Grant monitoring, reporting requirements, and financial oversight.

Audit Resolution: Processes for addressing and resolving audit findings.

Grant Closeout: Final reporting, financial reconciliation, and official project closeout notifications.

Program Progress/Evaluation Reporting: program progress reporting and evaluation reporting.

Capability to evaluate, track and monitor real property purchases from the initial request for acquisition to post- grant closeout for a minimum of 15 years.

Lifecycle Coverage: Detailed description of how your system supports the entire grants management lifecycle as reflected in the phases above. Additional information is contained in Appendix A and Appendix B.

Further, a detailed description of how your system will integrate the appropriate standards and data elements from the GREAT Act (2019) and the Grants Federal Integrated Business Framework: https://ussm.gsa.gov/fibf-gm/.

Integration Capabilities: Information on how your system integrates with existing financial systems, compliance tracking tools, and reporting systems; and how it will comply with the SHARE IT Act (2024).

User Experience: Description of user interface design and user experience for both grant administrators and applicants.

Data Management: Capabilities for data entry, management, reporting, and analytics, including data security measures and compliance with federal regulations.

Support and Training: Information on training offered for end-users and ongoing support services.

Security and Auditability

The solution should support industry and government FedRAMP Authorization. The solution should include multi-layered record security. All interactions with the system must be logged at key transaction points. The interactions being logged must include “e.g., who, what, when, where” information and include session information as well as authenticated user ID for nonrepudiation and accountability. Logging data must be made available in timeframes, in machine readable format(s), interface with Government owned and operated appliances and apparatuses, and upon request to ensure data integrity and availability.

Oversight and Administration Functions The solution should support the ability to designate users by required permissions and accessible full-life cycle transactions or a portion of the lifecycle transaction to segregate application features and documents or transaction access. Users should have access to their documents and actions that they have submitted or have an associated action. They should be able to quickly determine assigned and upcoming actions as well as track statuses. Administrators should have increased permissions to support user management and managing workflows within the solution.

Reporting of documents, routing workflows, and attachments information should be available and separated by defined groups. Reporting should include dashboards summarizing records en route and processed and limiting based on user access and group. The solution should support the https://ussm.gsa.gov/fibf-gm/ ability to set timeframe to archive transactions – when the transaction no longer displays in solution.

Notification timing (e.g. email, SMS & IM), content including embedded links, and notification recipients should be available but customizable by DOI and by users. Other notifications, such as in-application notifications are also desired.

RFI OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this RFI is part of the acquisition planning and market research phase for a potential future acquisition related to large enterprise financial assistance solutions and the input received from this RFI will be considered in preparing future related official acquisition packages.

The RFI is for information and planning purposes only. It is not a commitment by the Government and does not constitute a solicitation. Responses to this notice are not and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. A Request for Proposal is not a part of this RFI, and a task order/contract will not be awarded from this announcement. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement and/or any follow-up information requested.

HOW TO RESPOND

Written Responses to the questions are due no later than July 28 2025 @ 10:00 a.m.

Eastern Time (ET). Interested parties are advised to email their responses directly to the Contracting Officer, Stephanie McCullough at stephanie_mccullough@ibc.doi.gov. The Government will acknowledge receipt of your response.

Written responses should be limited to not more than 10 pages single sided. Product videos may also be submitted to demonstrate tool capability, and an upload link will be provided by the Contracting Officer if vendors choose to augment their written responses with a video.

In addition to written responses, there will be a limited number of opportunities to provide an in-person or virtual capabilities briefing. If you would like to schedule a capability briefing, email your request to the Contracting Officer identified above. If availability exists for the briefing, confirmation will be provided. Once the vendor receives confirmation, presenters will have 2 days to submit a high-level response, not to exceed two-pages single sided, highlighting the out of the box commercial product meeting the objectives of this RFI. If the vendor response is not received and verified, the capabilities briefing will be canceled and the time slot will be provided to another waitlisted vendor.

Tentative dates for the capability briefings are anticipated for the week of July 28th, 2025.

Vendors should limit company highlights to less than 7 minutes of the presentation and focus the briefing on responses to the questions, including full demonstration of the out of the box solution. The capabilities briefings will need to address the following questions within the timeframe specified.

1. Solution Overview and High-Level Functionality: Provide an overview of your solution capabilities and how it meets the requirements identified in this RFI plus include details of the user interface design and user experience for all key stakeholders to include program leads, grant administrators, funding specialists, applicants, and recipients.

2. Operational Details: Provide details on the operating functionality of the proposed tool that could include areas such as: high-level architecture, deployment options (cloud-based, on-premise, etc.), integration capabilities (how your system integrates with existing financial systems), compliance tracking tools and reporting, data entry, management, reporting, and analytics, capabilities, data security measures and compliance with federal regulations.

3. Support and Training: Provide information on training offered for end-users and ongoing support services.

4. Implementation Timeline: Provide the timeline for implementation of the solution, including training if needed, but NOT including the ATO or any other security accreditation process (e.g. FedRAMP), and highlight any success stories with other federal entities.

5. Pricing: Provide details on your pricing structure breaking out implementation costs versus on-going operations cost for maintaining the system and for each different user if that pricing is by individual user. Include details on Tiered Pricing, if that exists.

6. Describe compliance capabilities of the system including a description of how your system will integrate the appropriate standards and data elements from the GREAT Act (2019) and the Grants Federal Integrated Business Framework: https://ussm.gsa.gov/fibf-gm/.

7. If the Government determines testing industry tools is a logical next step, would your firm offer a two-week test environment where up to 50 DOI employees could test your solution to experience the full capability?