Solicitation-191N6525Q0145 (Question-Answer).xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 34 KB Posted
- Solicitation number
- SF30-A0001-Amendment-191N6525Q0145
- Issued by
-
Department of State
About this file
This document is a Questions and Answers (Q&A) spreadsheet related to a solicitation for developing customized Provident Fund (PF) and Superannuation Fund (SAF) software for the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India. The solicitation (191N6525Q0145) seeks a vendor to provide a comprehensive software solution with specific requirements including data migration, loan approval workflows, reporting capabilities, security features, and technical support. Key details include a web-based application that can handle historical data retrieval from SQL databases, multi-level loan approval workflows, automated tax rule updates, daily automated backups, and admin rights for Embassy representatives.
The solicitation requires the vendor to procure and install servers, provide a dedicated internet line, and offer technical support from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. The bid submission deadline is extended to August 23, 2025, at 1700 hours local India time. Vendors must address specific technical requirements such as data export, compliance with Embassy policies, notification systems for employee contributions and loan processes, and the ability to handle tax segregation. The software must support PF settlements, provide audit trails, and offer cross-platform web-based access, with the vendor responsible for system configuration, maintenance, and ongoing technical support.
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Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| SF30-A0001 Amendment (191N6525Q0145) Develop Software.pdf |
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Query-1
| Verson Software Systems Pvt. Ltd. (FactoHR) | ||||||
| SR/Query. NO. | DOCUMENT NAME | PAGE NO. | HEADING | POINTS | FACTOHR REVERT | REMARKS FROM US Embassy (FMC) |
| 1 | Annexure A- Scope of Work- PF & SA Software | 2 | Customer Support | Provide hardware service support to rectify hardware failures. | factoHR shall provide only software at your server. However we can provide you the Hardware specifications that you need at your end. So hardware support would not come under over scope. | The SOW states "Procure and install server(s) at the Embassy for standalone use and to provide access to employees.". |
| 2 | Annexure A- Scope of Work- PF & SA Software | 2 | Provide software & Hardware maintenance services. | As factoHR is only going to give software it will only be responsible for factoHR software maintenance and not hardware. | See above comment. | |
| 3 | Annexure A- Scope of Work- PF & SA Software | 3 | Technical Support | Licensing and upgrades to Operating system and Database software to ensure operability (software/hardware), including scalability and enhancement to add new features as per the future requirements | We are only responsible for factoHR software. The Licensing of Operating system, Database, enhancement etc will not be taken care by factoHR. | See above comment. |
| 4 | Annexure A- Scope of Work- PF & SA Software | 3 | Admin rights for Server Operating systems and Database Server instance. | Server will be procured by US Embassy and you will have access to it. | See above comment. | |
| 5 | Annexure A- Scope of Work- PF & SA Software | 3 | Procure and install server(s) at the Embassy for standalone use and to provide access to employees. | factoHR Tech team will only install factoHR software related tool, rest of other things either related to software or hardware US Embassy needs to arrange | See above comment. | |
| 6 | Annexure A- Scope of Work- PF & SA Software | 3 | Procure and install dedicated internet line for the server. | factoHR shall not help in this matter. US Embassy need to arrange | See above comment. | |
| 7 | Annexure A- Scope of Work- PF & SA Software | 3 | Grant the PF Trust representative "admin" rights to manage and create user IDs and passwords for the employees. | factoHR team will provide Admin user of factoHR application, so that user can eailsy create & upload employee data into factoHR application | Refer the SLA, we need full access of hardware as well as software. | |
| 8 | Annexure A- Scope of Work- PF & SA Software | 4 | Others | Turnaround time for problem ticket closure. | As per SLA | Agreed as per SLA |
| 9 | Annexure A- Scope of Work- PF & SA Software | 4 | Product workflow and documentation. | factoHR will provide | Ok | |
| 10 | Annexure A- Scope of Work- PF & SA Software | 4 | Data Export from existing application. | US Emabssy needs to provide data in factoHR's data template | Current PF software is run in SQL. The data will be available from existing SQL database. | |
| 11 | Annexure A- Scope of Work- PF & SA Software | 4 | Conclusion | The customized software will be installed on a server provided by the vendor, which will be located within the Embassy premises along with a dedicated internet line. The vendor will also be responsible for providing comprehensive maintenance services for both the software and hardware. This includes regular updates, troubleshooting, and technical support, which are essential for maintaining the system's reliability and efficiency. | factoHR will only provide PF, SA software, so factoHR is only responsible for providing PF, SA software maintenance. factoHR will not provide any support related to hardware ,internet line & other windows softwares. | See above comment. |
| 12 | Solicitation-191N6525Q0145 | 2 | Liquidated Damages | If the vendor fails to complete the work within the time specified in the contract, the vendor shall pay liquidated damages to the U.S. Government in the amount of 1% for each calendar day of delay subject to a maximum of 10% of the total contract value, until the work is completed or accepted. | factoHR will be able to agree for a maximum 5% of the total contract value as the liquidated damages. | ok |
Query-2
| SR/Query. NO. | HEADING | QUERIES FROM VENDOR | REMARKS FROM US |
| 1 | Software Scope Clarification Questions | What is the current format in which historical data available? Its it on any other software or excel sheet | Current PF software is run in SQL. The data will be available from existing SQL database. |
| 2 | Will the client provide the historical PF & SAF data in a structured format, or will the vendor be responsible for extracting it from the existing application/database? | For PF - The Embassy will provide the data as mentioned in the point above. |
For SAF - An excel file will be provided.
| 3 | Will the Client provide the rules and regulations that need to be followed for calculation as per there norms | Yes, as per PF/SAF Trust hand book (rules and regulations). | |
| 4 | Will any future enhancements or new feature requests post-go-live be handled as a change request with additional cost? | Any enhancements or upgrades for new features will be required in the future. What will be the standard charge to implement any major changes? And, what will be the charge for minor tweaks in conjunction with the Host Government policies? | |
| 5 | Can the client provide a detailed workflow for loan and withdrawal approvals to be configured in the system | Yes, details of workflow and approval will be provided by us. | |
| 6 | Hardware Scope Clarification Questions | Hardware Support Manpower: Do you require a dedicated hardware support team or manpower to be stationed at the Embassy for immediate troubleshooting and maintenance? | No. The support team can visit the Embassy in the occurrence of any hardware support requirement. |
| 7 | If so, what would be the expected working hours, response times, and service level agreements (SLAs) for this on-site support? | Hardware support response time should be within one working day from the request raised through email/phone call. | |
| 8 | For 24/7 on-site support we would require at least 3 resources to work in rotation. | 24/7 on-site support will not be required. Instead, online support will be required from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. | |
| 9 | How the Embassy will provide access to on- site resources, and in case of any temporary deployment in an event of leaves or other issue. | NA. Please see the point above. | |
| 10 | Hardware Specifications: | Do you already have detailed specifications for the required hardware (e.g., server make/model, processor, storage, RAM, backup solutions, UPS, etc.)? | The embassy does not have specification for hardware requirements. This is subject to compatibility with the software. |
| 11 | Are there any brand or technology preferences (e.g., Dell, HP, Lenovo) or compliance standards (e.g., ISO, FIPS) for the hardware? | The preferred brands are only Dell and HP. Compliance standards must be (e.g., ISO, FIPS & etc.) for the hardware | |
| 12 | Server Location & Security | You mentioned that the server will be installed at the Embassy premises. Are there any physical security requirements (e.g., restricted access rooms, CCTV, biometric access) that the vendor must adhere to during installation and maintenance? | Yes, there will be security requirements such as building access, tools. The Embassy will facilitate the approvals. |
| 13 | Internet Connectivity | For the "dedicated internet line" requirement, should the vendor procure and manage the internet service provider contract, or will this be handled directly by the Embassy? | The Vendor will procure and provide the dedicated internet with required bandwidth. |
| 14 | Is there a preferred internet service provider or minimum bandwidth requirement? | No | |
| 15 | Static IP will be required from the internet service provider. | Yes. The internet service should be uninterrupted, fast secure, and seamless. | |
| 16 | Backup & Disaster Recovery: | Should the vendor provide and manage a backup solution (onsite/offsite/cloud) for both hardware and software data? | The software application should be able to backup automatically. Vendor should also provide SOP for manual backup of server and database. |
| 17 | Is there a defined disaster recovery plan or business continuity protocol that the vendor must follow (like backup frequency and retention period of data)? | The backup frequency should be frequent, i.e., daily. It should be automated. | |
| 18 | AMC (Annual Maintenance Contract): | The AMC will start after 30 days of going live. | Since the hardware will be purchased from third party the warranty must be provided by the said brands or sellers. |
| 19 | Additional Hardware: | Should firewall appliances and network security devices be part of the hardware procurement? | Yes. |
Query-3
| SR/Query. NO. | HEADING | POINTS | QUERIES FROM VENDOR | REMARKS FROM US |
| 1 | Hardware | Procure and install server(s) at the Embassy for standalone use and to provide access to employees. | We are primarily software vendors and we'll be able to provide you with ONLY our software - Providence. The Hardware & Software to run the hardware (Operating system, Microsoft SQL Server, Antivirus etc) as it is a part of Infra and has to be provided by the Embassy. We'll not be providing any internet line. | The SOW states "Procure and install server(s) at the Embassy for standalone use and to provide access to employees.". |
| 2 | Procure and install dedicated internet line for the server | The Vendor will procure and provide the dedicated internet with required bandwidth. | ||
| 3 | Software | Licensing and upgrades to Operating system and Database software to ensure operability (software/hardware), including scalability and enhancement to add new features as per the future requirements | ||
| As mentioned above, we will not be providing any Software to run the hardware (Operating system, Microsoft SQL Server, Antivirus etc) as it is a part of Infra and has to be provided by the Embassy. | The SOW states "Procure and install server(s) at the Embassy for standalone use and to provide access to employees.". | |||
| 4 | Admin rights for Server Operating systems and Database Server instance. | |||
| 5 | Provide source code, programming language, development tools and other source files. | |||
| Also we will not be sharing any source code as we have a standard product which will be configured based on your requirements. We'll only be issuing you a perpetual license against our application - Providence. | As per SOW, source code will be required and provided by the vendor |
Query-4
| SR/Query. NO. | HEADING | QUERIES FROM VENDOR | REMARKS FROM US | |
| 1 | Project Scope & Data | Historical Data: What is the format of the existing PF/SAF data? Who will handle data cleanup before upload? | ||
| Historical data will be retrieve from SQL Database. The Vendor team will work with the Embassy admin team to cleanup the data before uploading. | ||||
| 2 | Retired Employees: Will they have read-only access or full functionality? | Access for read-only and download the statement | ||
| 3 | Functional Features | Loan Approval: Single-level or multi-level workflow? | ||
| Multilevel workflow | ||||
| 4 | Tax Rules: How do yoy want updates to IT rules to be managed in the system? | The IT rules will be provided by the Embassy, there should be flexibility in the software to amend the process as per any new IT rules & regulations. Vendor support staff should educate how to make necessary changes in the software. | ||
| 5 | Reports & Dashboard: Which KPIs and analytics are required? | |||
| We need reports and dashboard. All reports are required which are mandatory. | ||||
| 6 | Notifications: Frequency management for alerts. | The employee should get the alerts as soon as their bi-weekly contribution added to their PF account, loan application submission, loan application approved & disbursed. | ||
| 7 | Security & Compliance | Backup & Disaster Recovery: Frequency | The software application should be able to backup automatically on a daily basis. Vendor should also provide SOP for manual backup of server and database. | |
| 8 | Technical Support & Maintenance | SLA: Expected turnaround time for urgent vs normal issues. | One working day. | |
| 9 | Mobile & Cross-platform | Apart from web app do you need a mobile app version also or just a system which can work on mobile apps | No, currently we do not need mobile app, application should be web based only | |
| 10 | Other Queries | Would you like an Audit trail and reporting for compliance purposes? | Yes. | |
| 11 | Settlement and Transfer Module: Manage PF settlements and transfers with built-in eligibility criteria. Since PF settlements are managed by the PF authorities, what do you mean by PF settlement here? | The Embassy PF settlement are separate and in-house which are not processed by EPFO. | ||
| 12 | Tax Segregation: Per the latest IT rules, automatically segregate PF contributions into taxable and nontaxable categories. Who will provide this data? | The bifurcation of taxable and non-taxable contribution should be automatically done by software application. | ||
| 13 | Provide real-time customer support to assist and promptly resolve issues—who will provide this support, and is it official from your team? | The vendor team will provide technical support on call/email during working hours from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. | ||
| 14 | Grant the PF Trust representative "admin" rights to manage. So, this representative will be an internal employee of the embassy. Is that correct? | Yes | ||
| 11 | Procure and install dedicated internet line for the server.- isn't it should be procured by the embassy itself ? | The software, hardware and internet line will be provided by the vendor for seamless services. The internet service should be uninterrupted, fast secure, and seamless. Whether using Static IP or Dynamic IP. |
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .