Industry Call FY26 Q2 QAs FINAL.pdf

CO Division Slide posted/updated

Question Response

Is USCIS planning on hosting an in-person industry day in FY2026 and/or a program/requirement specific industry day? Will there be more engagement with industry from the government ahead of RFIs?

USCIS is not currently planning an in-person industry day in FY2026.

There are no requirement-specific industry days planned at this time, however, if any are planned in the future an announcement would be made on SAM.gov. For engagement ahead of RFIs, please utilize the

Acquisition Planning Forecast System (APFS) and engage directly with the primary and alternate POCs listed for individual requirements.

For future requirements, will secondary RFIs be issued ahead of this determination by the CO when the initial

RFIs were released prior to the new implementation of the GSAM/R 538.7103-3(a)(2)? Depending upon when the initial RFI response was submitted, (if responses were submitted 9-12 months ago), a company may have additional corporate experience that is applicable to the government’s requirement that may not be articulated in their initial RFI response, documented past performance that is now applicable and measurable. How would those instances be handled?

Whether or not an additional RFI or further market research is necessary and will be conducted is determined by the Contracting

Officer for individual requirements.

Simon Latson In December, USCIS issued an RFI (70SBUR26I00000007

USCIS-OIT: IT Services - Request For Information), but the customer is not named, and the exact scope of the work is unclear. This RFI is not noted in the draft presentation. Would the government be able to provide more information about the goal of the RFI and what work the government is doing in the market research for? (Note: the RFI is due the day of the industry briefing, so I don’t expect it will impact our response, but the context is helpful as we seek to understand future opportunities.)

We are requesting information from any recipient(s) of notice

70SBUR26I00000007 with the purpose of identifying the current/potential capabilities of industry. The information/questions within the notice are not to allude to active work being delivered to any one of USCIS-OIT Program

Offices’; rather, the information/questions within the notice were released to industry in hopes of providing strategic insight into the capabilities of industry. We are requesting information from any recipient(s) of the notice with the technical knowledge to respond to any of the questions provided.

Disclaimer: The response to the questions provided herein may differ from the solicitation that is released for the requirement. Industry should reference the released solicitation and not hold the government liable for any responses listed herein.

FY26 Q2 Industry Call Q&As (February 3, 2026)

OPERATIONS DIVISION

PRE-CALL SUBMITTED QUESTIONS

General OCON

Hershey Shinney 36

Does the Government anticipate this requirement aligning with the traditional contact center model described in the PWS and the March 2025 RFI, or the modernized, technology‑enabled contact center with reduced reliance on human agents as outlined in the

September 2025 RFI?

The Government is planning to release a new RFI to GSA vendors in the coming weeks. It is anticipated that the PWS will reflect the original requirement previously advertised in March 2025.

Hershey Shinney 36

Does USCIS plan to hold an Industry Day and one‑on‑one vendor engagement sessions for the USCIS

CCT1 procurement, similar to the sessions previously scheduled for October 28, 2025, that were subsequently cancelled?

The Government does plan to hold an Industry Day with vendor engagement sessions but a date has not yet been set. Industry Day will be set following release of the formal solicitation.

Hershey Shinney 36

Can the Government please clarify the contracting vehicle it currently anticipates using for the USCIS

Contact Center Tier 1 Support Services procurement?

Does the Government anticipate issuing the solicitation via the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), and if so, does USCIS expect to use the Contact Center-related

SIN, e.g., 561422?

The Government is still conducting market research and plans to release a RFI to GSA vendors in the coming weeks. The requirement will be posted using NAICS 561422.

Hershey Shinney 36

Does the Government currently anticipate this procurement remaining full and open, or is USCIS considering a small business set-aside or partial set-aside strategy?

The Government is still conducting market research and has not determined the acquisition strategy yet.

Hershey Shinney 36

Considering recent Government policy changes and

USCIS’s evolving approach to automation and self-service, can the Government provide updated insight into the anticipated total contract value or overall scope of effort for this program?

The Government is planning to release a new RFI to GSA vendors in the coming weeks. It is anticipated that the PWS will reflect the original requirement and scope previously advertised in March 2025.

Hershey Shinney 36

Based on the RFI responses received to date, can the

Government share any high-level observations regarding common themes, capability areas, or approaches emphasized by industry (e.g., automation, channel optimization, workforce models)?

High level observations are not particularly relevant since the

Government requirement is still evolving.

Hershey Shinney 36

Can the Government please confirm the anticipated period of performance for the follow-on contract, including the expected base period and option structure?

This is contained in the APFS posting. The Government anticipates exercising option 52.217-8, which allows up to 6-months of additional performance beyond what is currently awarded. When exercised, the performance end date is 02/12/2027.

Hershey Shinney 36

Does the Government anticipate incorporating any pilot efforts, phased implementation approaches, or limited-scope proof-of-concept activities as part of the upcoming procurement, either pre-award or during the early period of performance, to evaluate automation, self-service, or process improvement concepts?

The Government is planning to release a new RFI to GSA vendors in the coming weeks. It is anticipated that the PWS will reflect the original requirement previously advertised in March 2025. The

Government has not determined the acquisition strategy or evaluation strategy at this time.

Kurtz Gadwah 57 APFS was recently updated for QSTAG requirement that indicated the government plans to issue this requirement to GSA MAS IT Schedule 54151S small business contract holders identified through market research as aligned with the Government’s requirement, in accordance with GSAM/R 538.7103-

3(a)(2). Market research was used to identify a viable pool of interested sources capable of meeting the requirement. Question: The initial RFI for this requirement was issued in July 2025 and at that time, industry may or may not have responded but has interest in the requirement, not knowing that responses to RFIs could potentially change the competition/invitations among vendors.

Communicated in Q1FY26 engagement with industry, the government was no longer having 1:1 session with industry. Can you provide insight on the criteria utilized that the selected vendors still represent a competitive pool of industry for a RFI that was issued over 6 months ago and as of October?

Additional information will not be provided.

Is there guidance offered to industry or can USCIS provide commentary surrounding the recent decisions made to exclude offerors based on RFI response status and "invite only" RFP distribution? It appears as though well qualified offerors are being excluded from opportunities to bid on contracts - even with responding to RFI's. RFP's were also sent to vendors who are not bidding on the RFP's they were invited to, while well qualified bidders with every intent to bid were excluded.

Each procurement is dependent on its circumstances so no formal guidance can be provided. It is recommended that offerors reach out to the COs listed in APFS records of interest to ensure that they receive any specific, applicable guidance.

TECHNOLOGY DIVISION

During and Post Call Questions and Answers General

Hello. We appreciate USCIS’s efforts to align procurement practices with the RFO FAR Part 8 Class Deviation and GSAM guidance. From an industry perspective, has USCIS considered a brief, open market research step to allow firms that were actively preparing for these requirements but did not participate in earlier RFIs to engage, helping broaden competition and visibility into current capabilities and innovative approaches? Thank you for the opportunity to raise this.

Each procurement is dependent on its circumstances. We recommend reaching out to the applicable COs for the requirements of concern to discuss such ideas.

Is there an intention to utilize a limited distribution approach for any of these procurements? If so, when can we expect advanced notification?

This is procurement dependent.

The issuance of ODOS IV/3.1 and QSTAG MAS solicitations via limited distribution was highly discouraging to the many businesses that invested time in responding to market research and RFP preparations. Because the RFO no longer requires release of those solicitations upon request, we were shut out of the competition. Were these unique circumstances, or can we expect more limited distribution

FAR 8.401 competitions?

Each procurement is dependent upon its circumstnace. USCIS may utilize the flexibilities afforded by the new GSAR/M procedures when determined appropriate.

Are small businesses ever selected for p-card or simplified acquisitions for immediate requirements that do not need to go through solicitation? How do we reach out to these

POCs?

Please reach out to the SBS who can relay your capabilities to the p-card holders for their consideration on future p-card transactions.

Can you give some insight into how vendors are selected for limited distribution bids? Additionally, is it the intention not to notify vendors ahead of time that an opportunity is expected to be distributed to a limited number of companies?

Each procurement is dependent on its circumstances so there is no formal insight that can be provided. We are considering ways, such as updating

APFS records with such determinations, when practicable, for industry awareness.

These virtual industry quarterly engagements are very helpful. Thank you. Has USCIS ever considered organizing an in-person industry day where vendors can purchase booth space to give an opportunity to showcase innovation that can be brought to USCIS?

There are no in-person industry days currently planned. We will consider ways to allow for industry to showcase innovations for future industry days.

Does letting us know a RFP was released as "limited distribution" after we invested time, built a team and prepared for the bid have costs the Govt is willing to acknowledge?

We appreciate all the effort, both time and cost, that go into participating in our procurements. It is our intention to minimize such efforts to what is necessary to comply with procurement goals and applicable regulations.

USCIS Small Business Specialist

Eric, can you or the team speak to FAR 19.805(c)(2), and the deviation allowing agencies to remove contracts from the

8(a) program without SBA approval?

The FAR reference provided appears to be incorrect. In accordance with

Revolutionary FAR Overhaul Part 19.108-11, any follow-on requirement that was previously in the 8(a) program does not require SBA approval of the release if the follow-on will be procured through a mandatory source (see

8.101 through 8.103) or the follow-on will be set aside under the HUBZone, SDVOSB, or WOSB programs.

What is the plan to support small business companies to bring Innovation to USCIS ? Can we setup capability briefings and do showcase the innovation what we have ?

Small businesses are encouraged to showcase innovative solutions in response to Requests for Information (RFI) for USCIS acquisitions, as well as in response to solicitations when appropriate and within the confines of the solicitation requirements. Additionally, there may be opportunities for capability briefings with the relevant points of contact for specific acquisitions. We recommend reaching out to the points of contact listed within each Acquisition Planning Forecast System (APFS) record of interest to inquire about the possibility of setting up a capability briefing.

Hershey Shinney 11 The protest for Assessment of Internal Controls (A-123) was dismissed, do you plan to release a corrective action?

The Government is taking corrective action.

Bishop Bishop 15 BPMISS still with the Contract Vehicle and SDVOSB? See APFS Record. No changes

Bishop Bishop 15 Can you confirm BPIMS is coming out this week as given

(February 5)

APFS represents 'estimated' dates. BPIMSS has not been issued.

Bishop Bishop 15 BPMISS still with the Contract Vehicle (OASIS+) and

SDVOSB?

See APFS Record. No changes

Bishop Bishop 15 will a limited distribution approach be used for BPIMSS? Yes, it will be set aside for SDVOSB

Bishop Bishop 16 is ROSS still planned to be released this week? What is the anticipated release of the ROSS solicitation now that 2/2 has passed?

APFS represents estimates only. ROSS has not been issued.

Bishop Bishop 16 For ROSS will STARS III or OASIS+ 8a vehicles be under consideration?

Market research considers all vehicles

Hodahkwen Hodahkwen 22, 23 Can you clarify from the V2 slide deck the release date for the FOSS solicitation, which shows a past date of 2/1/26 and there is also a FOSS bridge contract listed with a 10 year

POP? How are those records related and what is the current acquisition strategy timeline for the FOSS follow-on contract?

The period of performance for the FOSS bridge was a typo and it was not a

10 year contract. The estimated released date for the FOSS recompete has been revised to 4/1/2026 and the APFS record has been updated.

Hodahkwen Hodahkwen 22 Regarding FOSS, do we have a new timeline now that 2/1 has passed? APFS says 3/5.. is that accurate?

The estimated released date for the FOSS recompete has been revised to

4/1/2026 and the APFS record has been updated.

Hershey Shinney 34 CCT1 had an Industry Day scheduled in November 2025 and cancelled. Is there a plan to have a CCT1 specific Industry

Day?

The Government is currently assessing if/when an Industry Day will be planned for the future. This acquisition is still is market research phase and updates will be posted to APFS or posted to perspective vendors on

SAM.gov or GSA, as determined.

OPERATIONS DIVISION

Hershey Shinney 34 For CCT1, does the Government anticipate this requirement aligning with the traditional contact center model described in the PWS and the March 2025 RFI, or the modernized, technology‑enabled contact center with reduced reliance on human agents as outlined in the September 2025 RFI?

The most current known requirement is included in the RFI currently posted on GSA eBuy to all GSA MAS 561422 vendors. The PWS on this RFI is aligned with the traditional contact center model described in the PWS and March

2025 RFI posted to SAM, https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/538100afee1144dea4850725756

4101a/view.

39 ENTERPRISE GATEWAY INTEGRATION SERVICES III (EGIS III),

is this still coming 1/13/2027 EGIS III recompete is expected on schedule. We are in the acquisition planning phase.

39 Can you confirm the released date ENTERPRISE GATEWAY

INTEGRATION SERVICES III (EGIS III)

An APFS record will be created in the next month with anticipated dates. At this time I would expect a solicitation released in Q1 FY27.

Kurtz Gadwah 41 Will PLANXS II still be released GSA SB full distribution and not reduced to a limited distribution, and is it still on schedule for 2/20/2026? Thank you.

PLANXS II will be invite only IAW the GSAR/M procedures. The solicitation release will likely be pushed back 1-week.

Kurtz Gadwah 41 Given the recent announcement that CIO-SP4 is cancelled, will PLANXS II still be released via CIO-SP3?

No. The slide presented and APFS both reflect GSA MAS, not CIO-SP3.

Kurtz Gadwah 41 Will PLANXS II still be released GSA SB full distribution and not reduced to a limited distribution?

PLANXS II will be invite only IAW the GSAR/M procedures.

Kurtz Gadwah 41 Do you have a date on when additional information on

PLANX distro will be provided? PLANXS II will be invite only IAW the GSAR/M procedures.

Kurtz Gadwah 41 What is the timeline for PLANXS II The solicitation is expected to be released at the end of February.

Kurtz Gadwah 41 The slide says that the Est Draft Solicitation Date is 2/2026, which is also the listed date for the Estimated Final

Solicitation Date. Which is correct? Thank You.

The final solicitation will be posted in Feb 2026. No draft.

Gadwah Gadwah 43 Will CSAI III have a coding challenge? To be determined.

Gadwah Gadwah 43 Will CSAI III going to a limited release distribution based on

RFI respondents or be released open on the chosen vehicle?

To be determined.

Gadwah Gadwah 43 USCIS Customer Service Accounts and Integration (CSAI) III

APFS Number: 2025072091. Can you confirm the RFP release date?

Monitor APFS for updates to the anticipated release date.

Gadwah Gadwah 43 For CSAI III oppty, per APFS Estimated Solicitation Release:

is June 15 2026. Slide today showed release date of March

2026, which is accurate?

Monitor APFS for updates to the anticipated release date.

Kurtz, Hrnjic, Gadwah Gadwah 41, 42, 43 Will PLANXS II, ITAM IV, and or CSAI III be limited distribution? PLANXS II will be invite only IAW the GSAR/M procedures.

Kurtz, Gadwah Gadwah 41, 43 Are you planning an industry day for PLANXS II or CSAI III? No we are not planning an indistry day event specifically for PLANXS or CSAI.

Hrnjic, Gadwah Gadwah 42, 43 any code challenge for CSAI or ITAM? To be determined.

TECHNOLOGY DIVISION

Salkic Hemingway 47 Any update about GCACS IV? Thank you for your inquiry regarding the G-CACS IV requirement. The latest information has been posted to the Acquisition Planning Forecast System

(APFS) under number F2025070000 (link: https://apfs-cloud.dhs.gov/record/70000/public-print/). Please continue to monitor APFS as the posting will be updated as soon as we know of any changes or have additional information to share with industry.

Salkic Hemingway 47, 48 For GCAS IV, will STARS III or OASIS+ 8a vehicles be under consideration? For CMASS, will an RFI or sources sought be released before final RFP release?

USCIS is currently actively working on CMASS IV and GCACS IV requirements and will update the APFS records as needed. 8(a) STARS III is the selected vehicle for both.

Salkic Hemingway 48 Are these forecast F2025069990 released date 3/2/2026 and

F2026072674 still 3/27/2026. Or is there any change?

Thank you for your inquiry regarding the CMASS IV requirement. The latest information has been posted to the Acquisition Planning Forecast System

(APFS) under number F2025069990 (link: https://apfs-cloud.dhs.gov/record/69990/public-print/). Please continue to monitor APFS as the posting will be updated as soon as we know of any changes or have additional information to share with industry.

Salkic Hemingway 48 Any update about CMASS IV? Thank you for your inquiry regarding the CMASS IV requirement. The latest information has been posted to the Acquisition Planning Forecast System

(APFS) under number F2025069990 (link: https://apfs-cloud.dhs.gov/record/69990/public-print/). Please continue to monitor APFS as the posting will be updated as soon as we know of any changes or have additional information to share with industry.

Salkic Hemingway 48 Will there be market research or a draft rfp prior to the release of CMASS 4?

Market research has been completed for this requirement. USCIS does not intend to issue a draft RFP prior to the release of the CMASS IV solicitation.

Salkic Hemingway 48 For CMASS, will an RFI or sources sought be released before final RFP release?

Market research has been completed for this requirement. USCIS does not intend to issue a draft RFP prior to the release of the CMASS IV solicitation.

Hemingway Hemingway 49 For IASS 3, two questions: (1) the RFP date in AFPS is

8/21/2026 instead of the slide's date of 12/30/2026. Can you pls clarify the correct date? (2) Will an RFI or updated

PWS be released for IASS 3? Thanks.

The correct estimated solicitation date is 08/21/2026. The latest information has been posted to the Acquisition Planning Forecast System (APFS) under number F2025070005 (link: https://apfs-cloud.dhs.gov/record/70005/public-print/). Please continue to monitor APFS as the posting will be updated as soon as we know of any changes or have additional information to share with industry regarding an RFI or updated PWS.

Hemingway Hemingway 49 IASS shows an est solicitation date of Aug 26 on APFS, but

Dec 26 on the slide deck, which is correct?

The correct estimated solicitation date is 08/21/2026. The latest information has been posted to the Acquisition Planning Forecast System (APFS) under number F2025070005 (link: https://apfs-cloud.dhs.gov/record/70005/public-print/). Please continue to monitor APFS as the posting will be updated as soon as we know of any changes or have additional information to share with industry.

Hemingway Hemingway 50 Is there an updated release date for C3S Operations? Thank you for your inquiry regarding the C3S Operations requirement. The latest information has been posted to the Acquisition Planning Forecast

System (APFS) under number F2025070136 (link: https://apfs-cloud.dhs.gov/record/70136/public-print/). Please continue to monitor APFS as the posting will be updated as soon as we know of any changes or have additional information to share with industry. This requirement will remain a 100% set-aside for 8(a) small business concerns.

Hemingway Hemingway 50 C3S Operations has a posted release date in January was this already released? Additionally, is it confirmed 8a?

Thank you for your inquiry regarding the C3S Operations requirement. The latest information has been posted to the Acquisition Planning Forecast

System (APFS) under number F2025070136 (link: https://apfs-cloud.dhs.gov/record/70136/public-print/). Please continue to monitor APFS as the posting will be updated as soon as we know of any changes or have additional information to share with industry. This requirement will remain a 100% set-aside for 8(a) small business concerns.

Hemingway Hemingway 50,51 Will there be an Industry Day on either C3S Architecture II;

or, C3S Operations?

No, USCIS does not intend to hold a designated Industry Day for either of these requirements.

Hemingway Hemingway 51 Cyber Security Support Services (C3S) – Architecture II (APFS -

F2025070335) is scheduled to release on 2026-06-03. Is still on target? And on GSA HACS 8a?

Yes. Please continue to monitor APFS as the posting will be updated as soon as we know of any changes or have additional information to share with industry.

Hemingway Hemingway 51 When will the RFI for Architecture be released? The RFI was released in January 2026.

Hemingway Hemingway will there still be an ODOS IV and when is that predicted to come out?

A new APFS record will be created for ODOS IV once the long term strategy has been finalized.

Salkic Hemingway 52 On APFS, Zero Trust says release date of 2/2/2026. Has this been released? Will this be limited distribution on 8(a) Stars

III?

ZTIS 2 solicitation was issued to all eligible GSA 8(a) STARS III contract holders under the Emerging Technology Sub-area via GSA eBuy on

02/13/2026.

Salkic Hemingway 52 APFS has ZTIS releasing yesterday? Is that pushed and is there a more accurate release date?

ZTIS 2 solicitation was issued to all eligible GSA 8(a) STARS III contract holders under the Emerging Technology Sub-area via GSA eBuy on

02/13/2026.

Salkic Hemingway 52 On APFS, Zero Trust says release date of 2/2/2026. Has this been released? Will this be limited distribution on 8(a) Stars

III?

ZTIS 2 solicitation was issued to all eligible GSA 8(a) STARS III contract holders under the Emerging Technology Sub-area via GSA eBuy on

02/13/2026.

Hemingway Hemingway RE ODOS IV: what is USCIS' current thinking regarding the future of the program? For example, will an RFP for ODOS

IV be released 6 months or so prior to the end of ODOS 3.1?

Thanks.

This information will be included in the new APFS record for ODOS IV once the long term strategy has been finalized.

Gross Putnam 58 Will the scope of eAuto contain traditional UC (e.g.

telephony) or is the scope moving forward to modern UC

(Sharepoint, 0365 etc.) Will eAuto have limited distribution?

The requirements document is still a work in progress and the scope has not been finalized at this point yet. It is anticipated at this point that there will be limited distribution.

Gross Putnam 58 Will there be a DRFP for EAUTO? That had been discussed at one point. What about a draft SOW or PWS or SOO?

A draft release is desired but will be timeline dependent.

Gross Putnam 58 Will eAuto be impacted by the revised FAR guidance in any way? And can you clarify the contract vehicle and whether it will be open to all vendors with that vehicle or invite only? USCIS is working under the DHS FAR deviations for updated processes within the FAR. It is anticipated for this to be limited distribution.

Gross Putnam 58 Will there be an eAUTO Industry Day? There will not be an industry day for eAUTO.

Gross Putnam 58 eAUTO - Please comment on Contract Vehicle. GSA MAS ? Yes

Gross Putnam 58 How can we ensure we are on the limited distribution or best position ourselves to demonstrate our capability to meet criteria to be selected for the eAUTO downslect?

This will be determined based on the market research conducted.