RFI PD - OPS - People Readiness Studio Maintenance.docx

OPS People Readiness System Maintenance TAC Number: VA-26-00063256

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION (PD) TEMPLATE

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Office of Information & Technology (OIT) People Readiness

People Readiness System Maintenance

Date: 06/02/2026

VA-26-00063256

PD Version Number: 1.2

Contents

PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS

The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), Office of Information and Technology (OIT) People Readiness has a requirement for system maintenance and hardware upgrades. These upgrades are necessary to maintain security compliance, ensure proper functionality, and support the overall hardware lifecycle. The system maintenance effort includes replacing end‑of‑life hardware and providing warranty coverage for the new equipment.

The Contractor shall provide all hardware required to complete the Audio/Video/Equipment upgrades. All hardware shall be Brand Name or Equal (BNOE). Vyond Software shall be Brand Name. Delivery shall occur within 30 days of award, and all items shall be shipped to the VA warehouse in Landover, Maryland. Each hardware item shall include a minimum of warranty period of 90 days from receipt of delivery.

16 configurable SDI Inputs and Outputs, Flex Control Panel, Panel must be compatible with Tricaster Vizion, 16xBNC

Canare

Micro BNC to BNC, 6 feet long, Male to Male connectors

DPA

Omni Lavalier, TA4F Connector

360° Rotation, 33" Length, Includes Extension for SM7 & MV7 Mics

Element Type: Dynamic, Analog Output: 1xXLR 3-pin

For 2" Diameter Broadcast Dynamic Mics

Frequency Response 10-20kHz Impedance 63 Ohms Sensitivity 106 dB/W/m Power Handling 1,000mW Plug Type Gold, Stereo Unimatch plug 1/4" and 1/8

440 lb Load Capacity, Modular & Expandable, 19.7 x 40.6 x 31.5" / 50.0 x 103.0 x 80.0 cm (In-Use)

19.7 x 40.6 x 19.7" / 50.0 x 103.0 x 50.0 cm (Folded)

Digital UHF Wireless Technology, 2 Audio Channels, RF Frequency Band 470 to 636 MHz 2400 to 2483.5 MHz

, Connector Type TA4M, Frequency Band G57: 470 to 616 MHz

For Axient Digital ADX5D Receiver or equal, Supports SuperSlot and UniSlot Devices

Per-Channel EQ, HPF,6 x High-Gain, Low-Noise Mic Preamps, 16-Channel Dugan Automixing, Accurate Timecode Synchronization, 16-Channel Dante I/O

Accepts 2 x UniSlot/SuperSlot Receivers. Supports four channels per slot, Accepts either analog or digital audio from slot-in receivers

7800mAh Capacity

4400mAh Capacity

Dimensions:

10.6” x 9” x 6.4” 268 mm x 230 mm x 162 mm, compatible with Audio field recorders such as sound devices 833

4K Full-Frame 10.2MP CMOS Exmor R Sensor, DCI 4K60p | UHD 4K120 | 1080p240, Body of Camera only

V mount, VM2 Dual-Bay Charger, 4-Pin XLR Output, 98Wh Capacity, D-Tap & USB Outputs

Weighted Round Base

The mount is designed to support the RE20, RE27N/D and RE320 microphones. Because these mics have internal shock mounts as well, the 309A provides an additional level of protection against unwanted vibrations.

Mounts Directly on FX6 Camera Body or proposed camera.

99Wh Lithium-Ion V-Mount Battery, Supports up to 14A Draw, Ultracompact, Travel-Friendly Size

16 Foot Roll | 1-1/2in Width, Black

2 XLR Inputs, USB Connectivity with Computer, 4 Channels.

Shure

H-10 Band (542-572 MHz), 2 XLR outputs, 2 1/4" Outputs

H-10 Band (542-572 MHz), Handheld Wireless Transmitter, Male XLR Connector

H-10 Band (542-572 MHz), Wireless Bodypack Transmitter

Shure

TA4F (TQG) Mini-XLR

2 Pack, 5 feet, XLR Male to XLR Female

Bluetooth Capability, 3.5" monitor, audio output mode is stereo

30 feet, 16AWG Speaker Wire Cable

Apricorn

5TB, Real-Time AES-XTS 256-Bit Encryption

NOTICE OF THE FEDERAL ACCESSIBILITY LAW AFFECTING ALL INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) PROCUREMENTS (SECTION 508)

On January 18, 2017, the Access Board issued a final rule that updated accessibility requirements covered by Section 508 and refreshed guidelines for telecommunications equipment subject to Section 255 of the Communications Act. The final rule went into effect on January 18, 2018. The revisions and updates to the Section 508-based standards and Section 255-based guidelines are intended to ensure that information and communication technology (ICT) covered by the respective statutes is accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.

SECTION 508 – INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) STANDARDS

The Section 508 standards established by the Access Board are incorporated into, and made part of all VA orders, solicitations and purchase orders developed to procure ICT. These standards are found in their entirety at: Revised 508 Standards and 255 Guidelines (access-board.gov). A single PDF file version of the Revised Section 508 Standards and 255 Guidelines will be supplied upon request, or can be obtained from the Access Board website. Federal agencies must comply with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

The Contractor shall comply with “508 Chapter 2: Scoping Requirements” for all electronic ICT and content delivered under this contract. Specifically, as appropriate for the technology and its functionality, the Contractor shall comply with the technical standards marked here:

COMPATABILITY WITH ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

The standards do not require installation of specific accessibility-related software or attachment of an assistive technology device. Section 508 requires that ICT be compatible with such software and devices so that ICT can be accessible to and usable by individuals using assistive technology, including but not limited to screen readers, screen magnifiers, and speech recognition software.

ACCEPTANCE AND ACCEPTANCE TESTING

Deliverables resulting from this solicitation will be accepted based in part on satisfaction of the Section 508 Chapter 2: Scoping Requirements standards identified above.

The Government reserves the right to test for Section 508 Compliance before delivery. The Contractor shall be able to demonstrate Section 508 Compliance upon delivery.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY USING SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS

The Contractor shall comply with Sections 524 and Sections 525 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007; Section 104 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005; Executive Order 14148, “Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions,” dated January 20, 2025; Executive Order 13221, “Energy-Efficient Standby Power Devices,” dated August 2, 2001; and the Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Overhaul (RFO) to provide ENERGY STAR® certified and Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) Designated Low Standby Power information technology products, see https://www.energy.gov/femp/search-energy-efficient-products. See http://www.energystar.gov for complete product specifications and updated lists of Energy Star certified products. FEMP low standby power product listing can be found at https://www.energy.gov/femp/low-standby-power-product-list.

The Contractor shall provide products that meet the definition of sustainable products if the products are delivered to the Government; furnished by the Contractor for use by the Government, incorporated into the construction of a public building or public work, or acquired by the Contractor for use in performing services under a Government contract where the cost of the products is a direct cost to a Government contract (versus costs which are normally applied to a contractor's general and administrative expenses or indirect costs).

Specifically, the Contractor shall provide sustainable products under this contract in accordance with RFO 52.223-23 (NOV 2025). The applicable products with their associated certification and/or designation required (e.g. Energy Star, FEMP Low Standby Power) are identified within the product requirements specifications in this PD. The Contractor shall self-certify that its proposed products meet the certification(s) and/or designation(s) specified.

SHIPMENT OF HARDWARE OR EQUIPMENT

Inspection: Destination Acceptance: Destination Free on Board (FOB): Destination

Ship To and Mark For:

Primary

Alternate

Name:

Name:

Building C Landover, MD 20785

Building C Landover, MD 20785

Voice:

Voice:

Email:

Email:

SPECIAL SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS

Prior to shipping, Contractor shall notify Site POCs, by phone followed by email, of all incoming deliveries including line-by-line details for review of requirements. The Contractor shall not make any changes to the delivery schedule at the request of Site POC.

Contractors shall coordinate deliveries with Site POCs before shipment of hardware to ensure sites have adequate storage space.

All shipments, either single or multiple container deliveries, shall bear the VA IFCAP Purchase Order number (if applicable) on external shipping labels and associated manifests or packing lists. In the case of multiple container deliveries, a statement readable near the VA Integrated Funds Distribution, Control Point Activity, Accounting and Procurement (IFCAP) Purchase Order (PO) or Contract number shall indicate total number of containers for the complete shipment (e.g. “Package 1 of 2”), clearly readable on manifests and external shipping labels.

The Contractor shall provide a Shipment/Delivery Weekly Status Report which shall identify the items shipped, the serial number associated with each piece of equipment; the date of each shipment; the status of each shipment, tracking information, and information relative to Government-receipt of the equipment items at each delivery site. In addition, the Shipment/Delivery Weekly Progress Report shall identify any problems and provide a description of how the problems were resolved/addressed. If problems have not been completely resolved, the Contractor shall provide an explanation and status of resolution. Shipment/Delivery Weekly Progress Reports shall be submitted in Microsoft Excel Format and shall clearly identify each serial number of the equipment being delivered with one (1) serial number per cell.

Deliverables:

A. Shipment/Delivery Weekly Status Report

Packing Slips/Labels and Lists shall also include the following:

IFCAP PO # or Contract No.: ____________ (e.g., 166-E11234 (the IFCAP PO number is located in block #20 of the Standard Form, SF 1449)) Project Description: (e.g. Tier I Lifecycle Refresh)

Total number of Containers: Package ___ of ___. (e.g., Package 1 of 3)

NATIONAL ACQUISITIONS

N/A

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

VA TECHNICAL REFERENCE MODEL

The Contractor shall comply with the VA OIT Technical Reference Model (VA TRM). Compliance with the VA TRM is achieved by using only technologies and standards that are listed as approved for use in the VA TRM. The Contractor shall provide all necessary information requested by VA to ensure TRM approval is obtained prior to use on VA’s network.

ZERO TRUST – VA CRITICAL SECURITY CONTROLS

VA has established minimum mandatory security requirements and requires that any network connected software system or service must meet the VA Critical Security Controls as outlined in the VA Memorandum, “VA Security Controls”, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=5010. VA Critical Security Controls identify the minimum mandatory requirements that must be implemented across all VA enterprise infrastructure, cloud computing environments, information systems, networks, and specialized devices (medical devices/systems, special-purpose systems, and research scientific computing devices) that process, store, and/or transmit VA data. Effective July 1, 2025, the Contractor shall implement these VA Critical Security Controls, within any network connected software system or service prior to being authorized for use in the VA. This functional requirement is not negotiable, and Plan of Action & Milestones (POAM) will not be accepted in the event these controls cannot be implemented for new systems. Critical Security Controls are intended to increase VA’s security posture and provide security and privacy risk visibility into the VA network and is not a new requirement. The Contractor’s failure to maintain these VA Critical Controls after implementation will result in VA discontinuing the use of the system.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (SSN) REDUCTION

The Contractor solution shall support the Social Security Number (SSN) Fraud Prevention Act (FPA) of 2017 which prohibits the inclusion of SSNs on any document sent by mail. The Contractor support shall also be performed in accordance with Section 240 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) 2018, enacted March 23, 2018, which mandates VA to discontinue using SSNs to identify individuals in all VA information systems as the Primary Identifier. The Contractor shall ensure that any new IT solution discontinues the use of SSN as the Primary Identifier to replace the SSN with the Integrated Control Number (ICN) in all VA information systems for all individuals. The Contractor shall ensure that all Contractor delivered applications and systems integrate with the VA Master Person Index (MPI) for identity traits to include the use of the ICN as the Primary Identifier. The Contractor solution may only use a Social Security Number to identify an individual in an information system if and only if the use of such number is required to obtain information VA requires from an information system that is not under the jurisdiction of VA.

INTERNET PROTOCOL VERSION 6 (IPV6)

The Contractor solution shall support IPv6-Only based upon the memo issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on November 19, 2020 (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/M-21-07.pdf). Which defines IPv6-only as the state of an operational system or service when IPv4 protocol functions (addressing, packet forwarding) are not in use. The NIST USGv6 profile defines technical requirements for a product to be capable of operating in IPv6-Only environments. IPv6-Only technology, in accordance with the USGv6 Program (https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/usgv6-program/usgv6-revision-1), NIST Special Publication (SP) 500-267B Revision 1 “USGv6 Profile” (https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.500-267Br1), and NIST SP 800-119 “Guidelines for the Secure Deployment of IPv6” (https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-119), compliance shall be included in all IT infrastructures, application designs, application development, operational systems and sub-systems, and their integration. In addition to the above requirements, all devices, applications, and systems shall support all applicable functionality on native IPv6-Only as well as dual stack (IPv6 / IPv4) connectivity without additional memory or other resources being provided by the Government, so that they can function in a mixed environment. All public/external facing servers and services (e.g., web, email, DNS, ISP services, etc.) shall support native IPv6-Only and dual stack (IPv6 / IPv4) users and all internal infrastructure and applications shall support using native IPv6-Only and dual stack (IPv6 / IPv4) for all functionality and operations.

SOFTWARE AND LICENSING REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall be responsible for the provision of all software licenses and any associated licensing maintenance required for any development, delivery, integration, operation, and/or maintenance associated with its proposed application(s), software products, software solution, and/or system including, but not limited to, any and all application(s), software and/or software products that comprise, are a part of, or integrate with the Contractor’s proposed application(s), software products, software solution, and/or system for the life of any resulting contract.

TRUSTED INTERNET CONNECTION (TIC)

The Contractor solution shall meet the requirements outlined in Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-19-26, “Update to the Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) Initiative“ (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/M-19-26.pdf), VA Directive 6513 “Secure External Connections”, and shall comply with the TIC 3.0 Core Guidance Documents, including all Volumes and TIC Use Cases, found at the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) (https://www.cisa.gov/publication/tic-30-core-guidance-documents.)

GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REQUIREMENTS

If Artificial Intelligence (AI) is part of the Contractor system/solution, the Contractor shall be in compliance with E.O. 13960 and 14319, OMB Memorandums M-25-21, M-25-22, and M-26-04, and VA Directive and Handbook 6500 to support VA in trustworthy, secure, responsible, accountable, Truth Seeking, and Ideologically Neutral AI innovation.

No web-based, publicly available generative AI service has been approved for use with VA-sensitive data including, but not limited to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot, Google’s Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude. No PII, protected health information (PHI), or VA-sensitive data should be entered into these unapproved services. The entire definition of VA Sensitive Data can be found at 38 U.S.C. § 5727 (23). The Contractor shall protect VA Sensitive data from unauthorized disclosure or use, and from being used to train or improve the functionality of the vendor's commercial offerings without express permission from VA.

The Contractor shall deliver the services, technical data, configurations, models, weights, documentation or other information, including source code, developed during contract performance. The Contractor, in collaboration with VA, must evaluate the output of any AI tool for accuracy prior to using the output in VA efforts. All data, including models, weights, algorithms, and outputs generated using either Government-furnished data or data first developed under this contract shall be the property of the Government with unlimited rights as defined by FAR 52.227-14. The Contractor shall also deliver any custom-developed code developed with AI methodologies in accordance with the SHARE IT Act, if applicable. VA shall also retain unlimited rights to any improvements to that data, including the continued design, development, testing, and operation of AI systems and/or systems utilizing AI.

The Contractor shall ensure that all AI Systems, including Large Language Models (LLM), whether standalone LLMs or integrated into broader software platforms, procured under this effort and/or used in performance of this contract complies with the Unbiased AI Principles as defined in Executive Order 14319 and OMB Memorandum M-26-04, e.g. Truth Seeking and Ideologically Neutral, as applicable to the intended use of the system.

The Contractor shall ensure that AI System/LLM generated outputs are truthful in responding to user prompts seeking factual information or analysis, prioritize historical accuracy, scientific inquiry, and objectivity, as well as acknowledge uncertainty where reliable information is incomplete or contradictory and do not fabricate, hallucinate, or present unverifiable information as fact.

The Contractor shall ensure that LLMs and AI outputs are neutral, nonpartisan tools that do not manipulate responses in favor of ideological dogmas such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). The Contractor shall ensure that the LLMs, including the AI System, are not intentionally encoded with partisan or ideological judgments within an AI System’s/LLM’s outputs unless those judgments are prompted by or otherwise readily accessible to the end user.

Compliance with the AI requirements of this contract, including adherence to the Unbiased AI Principles, Truth-Seeking and Ideological Neutrality requirements, disclosure obligations, monitoring and reporting requirements, and corrective action responsibilities, is a material condition of eligibility for payment and continued performance. In accordance with OMB Memorandum M-26-04, failure to comply with these requirements, or refusal to take timely and appropriate corrective action to remedy identified noncompliance, may constitute a material breach of contract and may result in remedies consistent with the terms of the contract and applicable law including but not limited to withholding of payment, termination for cause/default, or other appropriate contractual remedies, as determined by the Contracting Officer.

All AI for delivery and/or use in performance of the contract shall adhere to the VA Trustworthy AI Framework, available at https://department.va.gov/ai/trustworthy/. Once the Contractor has obtained CO authorization to use specific AI in contract performance, the Contractor shall provide the COR a signed Statement of Attestation prior to AI implementation as identified in the Artificial Intelligence in VA Contracts clause, to include its associated list of AI being used in contract performance.

Deliverable:

1. Statement of Attestation

AI SYSTEM/LLM DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS

To enable Government continued assessment of compliance with Trustworthy AI requirements and both Unbiased AI Principles, Truth-seeking and Ideological Neutrality, in accordance with OMB M-26-04, the Contractor shall provide AI System/LLM Development and Operation Documentation Package to include, at a minimum:

1. Acceptable Use Policy The Contractor shall provide an Acceptable Use Policy document governing its AI operation that characterizes and differentiates appropriate and inappropriate use of their product offering

1. Model Cards, System Cards and/or Data Cards The Contractor shall provide documentation describing essential information about the model, system, and or data as it relates to the AI/LLM product offering. The documentation shall address summaries of training process, identified risks and mitigations, and model evaluation scores on LLM benchmarks at a minimum, where appropriate

1. End User Resources The Contractor shall provide documentation to include product tutorials, developer guides, and/or other tools to assist VA in ensuring proper use of the AI/LLM to maximize utility

1. Mechanism for End User Feedback The Contractor shall provide documentation describing the mechanism employed to provide feedback to the Offeror on outputs identified that violate the Unbiased AI Principles. This may be satisfied by a general inbox, specific Point of Contact, or similar feedback mechanism.

1.1 SAAS FEDRAMP ASSESSMENT AND AUTHORIZATION AND CONTINUOUS MONITORING REQUIREMENTS

1. The information system solution selected by the Contractor shall comply with the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and have a current VA authorization.

2. The Contractor shall remain in compliance with FedRAMP requirements as mandated by Federal laws and policies, including making available any documentation, physical access, and logical access needed to support this requirement.

3. The FedRAMP Authorization level and existing VA ATO should be no less than the level required for this use case which has been defined as: LOW

4. The Contractor shall, where applicable, assist with the VA ATO Sustainment Process to help maintain health and quality of agency authorization of the cloud service or migrated application.

5. The Contractor shall exclusively provide subscription licenses to FedRAMP authorized and VA authorized environments.

6. If new or unanticipated vulnerabilities are discovered by either VA or the Contractor, or if existing safeguards have ceased to function, the discoverer shall bring the situation to the attention of the other party within one hour in accordance with Addendum B, VA Information and Information System Security/Privacy Language. VA Privacy and Security deliverables as directed by the VA System owner.

7. The contractor shall comply with FedRAMP data management requirements.

8. Successful issuance of a VA ATO will be required before live VA data can be used in the system.

9. The Contractor shall participate in FedRAMP Continuous Monitoring activities as outlined by FedRAMP’s Continuous Monitoring Strategy Guide found on the FedRAMP Website.

10. The Contractor shall provide continuous monitoring activities including, but not limited to, scans, security artifacts, and provide Continuous Monitoring Monthly Scans and monthly Plan of Action and Milestones (POAM) reports as outlined by FedRAMP requirements.

11. The Contractor shall participate in monthly Agency and FedRAMP Sustainment meetings following the granting of a VA ATO.

12. The Contractor shall provide a Monthly VA License report of VA sites currently utilizing the cloud product post ATO award. The license report shall include the number of subscription licenses being utilized and the specific VA site where they’re in use.

Deliverables:

A. Continuous Monitoring Monthly Scans B. Plan of Action and Milestones Reports.

C. Monthly VA License Report image1.jpeg