SLTT SOC ISAC FAQs_27JUNE23.pdf

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) State, Local, Tribal and Territorial (SLTT) Security Operations Center (SOC) | Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC)

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) DHS-23-CISA-123-ISAC000001

Q1: The instructions on Content and Form of Application Submission in NOFO D.11/12

(pp. 16–21) do not clearly align with the Programmatic Evaluation Criteria in NOFO E.1.a

(pp. 23–26). Will the Government clarify the alignment between the Evaluation Factors/Sub-Factors and the content requirements for individual documents?

A1: All application requirements are assessed regardless of what document the information was placed in.

Q2: Will the page limits need to be adhered to?

A2: Amendment 1 – removed page limits

Q3: Will we need to respond to each task outlined in Appendix A as is traditionally done in application or given the page limit is it focused only on the Programmatic Evaluation Criteria, which do not fully cover all tasks in our estimation?

A3: Respond to each task

Q4: Which documents within the Application Package (listed on pp. 16–17) will be evaluated?

A4: All of them

Q5: Please confirm that the Program Approach, Program Management Plan, Budget Narrative/Justification, and Draft Operational Services Plan will all be reviewed against the applicable Evaluation Criteria.

A5: Yes – entire package will be evaluated

Q6: In which document are applicants to address Evaluation Factor 3, Past Performance and Prior Experience (p. 26)? Are applicants permitted to submit this as a separate, stand-alone document?

A6: Not on a separate document, please put your response in the document you find most applicable.

Q7: In which document are applicants to address the Applicant Eligibility Criteria in NOFO C.2 (p. 9)? Since these criteria pertain to performance and capabilities, can they be packaged with Past Performance?

A7: Please put your response in the document you find most applicable.

Q8: In which document are applicants to provide the Transition Plan noted in NOFO D.12

(p. 21)? Are applicants permitted to submit this as a separate, stand-alone document?

A8: Transition plan is a stand-alone document see page 21

Q9: Please confirm that applicants can provide a Cover Page and a Table of Contents for each document that is not a form, and that the Cover Page and Table of Contents do not count against any page limitations.

A9: Yes

Q10: Please confirm that applicants can provide a Compliance Matrix showing where their application addresses each of the Evaluation Criteria, and that this Compliance Matrix does not count against any page limitations.

A10: Yes

Q11: Where the Program Management Plan is described in NOFO D.11.d (pp. 18–19), bullets i, ii, and iii are nearly identical to the first three bullets under the Program Approach in NOFO D.11.c (p. 18). Are applicants to provide this very similar content in both the Program Management Plan and the Program Approach?

A11: Yes

Q12. Please confirm that if the below items from NOFO D.15 (pp. 22–23) are submitted, they should be attachments to the Budget Narrative, Yes but they do not count against its page limit – Amendment 1 – removed page limits

a. Written request for pre-award costs

b. Copy of the latest indirect cost rate agreement negotiated with a cognizant federal agency (to substantiate indirect Facilities and Administrative Costs)

c. Signed acknowledgement that the applicant is accepting a lower indirect cost rate than allowed

Q13. NOFO E.1.a says that “the applicant must conduct a Capabilities Demonstration.”

Will the Government clarify whether the Capabilities Demonstration is separate from the written proposal and explain what it entails? Is this a written response item or a presentation of some kind conducted live for CISA staff?

A13: CISA will make a decision if a capabilities demonstration is needed after all applications have been reviewed.

Q14: What is the topic of Technical Sub-factor 1.3? On p. 24 it is provided as “Capacity for Secure Automated Indicator Handling,” but where it is listed with sub-bullets on p. 25 it is “SOC Operating Capabilities.”

A14: Typo – Both should read SOC Operating Capabilities

Q15: Does Business Management Sub-factor 2.2 address all personnel or only key personnel? On p. 24 it refers to “Personnel,” but on p. 25 it is “Key Personnel.”

A15: Key Personnel