DA01--Market Research Request Geographic Information System Support

Modification to a Previous Notice

Amendment to a Previous Notice

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Amendment to a Previous Notice

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The purpose of this amendment is to respond to a vendor question. The response date and time remains unchanged.

We understand that we need to respond to the 22 sections under the Requested Capability Information and answer the 10 questions under Response Instructions. Given that the page limit is set to a maximum of 10 pages, can the government be a little flexible on the page count.

Response: The page limit is amended to 15 pages.

What level of clearance does personnel need to have for this contract?

Response: A VA background check is required.

Can we provide candidates who are eligible to get clearance, but do not have active clearance?

Response: Yes

Should the offeror have the ability to provide security clearances to the personnel being provided?

Response: As stated in question 2, a VA background check is required. However, if an offeror is required to provide security clearances for the personnel being proposed, this requirement will be clearly identified in the solicitation

PWS Section 5.2.2 outlines requirements for advanced database administration and geodatabase maintenance. Does the current ArcGIS implementation within the Corporate Data Warehouse (CDW) heavily utilize standard ESRI out-of-the-box system tables, or are there significant schema customizations and proprietary extensions that the contractor will be required to maintain?

Response: EGT s databases are SDE enabled and use the standard out of the box schemas and tables. However, EGT also uses SQL/SSIS to create views, query data, ETL data, and modify it without the use of ArcGIS Pro. All our databases are within CDW and follow CDW rules. We are required to support geospatial needs and data requirements with and without ESRI. Expert knowledge in SQL especially the ST functions is a must.

PWS Section 5.2.1 and Section 5.2.3 reference troubleshooting and integrating interfaces between ArcGIS Enterprise and third-party systems. Could the Government provide a specific list of these external IT platforms, databases, or application names referenced in Attachment 3?

Response: Power BI is one of the key systems we support. We also must support researchers who use Python and R outside of ArcGIS to do analysis. We also feed our data into other key applications via the ArcGIS REST API. This allows users to embed our web maps in web applications outside of the ArcGIS Portal framework.

The RFI requests experience with ArcGIS Indoors, and the PWS references creating indoor floor plans using CAD, BIM, and LAS datasets. Does the VA currently have a standardized data model and schema established for facility footprints across its administrations, or will the contractor be tasked with establishing the initial spatial framework and data pipeline definitions for these facility layers?

Response: VA uses the ESRI ArcGIS data model for indoor and 3D data. For 2D utility and facility data VA uses a customized version of the Spatial Data Standards for Facilities, Infrastructure and Environment (SDSFIE).  All other data (such as Census) is typically in the format that the creator publishes it as.

PWS Section 5.4 outlines migrating and consolidating multiple VA ArcGIS instances into a unified platform within the VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC). To assist in accurately projecting workload, what is the approximate size (e.g., in terabytes or record counts) of the geospatial datasets slated for cloud migration and consolidation?

Response: Currently the existing data is within the 10-20 TB range for all systems. This includes databases, files on SAN drive, and portal contents.  However, we are expecting significant growth of 10-20 TB per year for the next several years to support ArcGIS Indoors.

Example metrics:

sPatient addresses: 249,932,233

NCA:

5,429,154 graves features

4,136,039 markers features

Common data:

EGT data: 70 tables

ORNL data: 78 tables

EGT Portal contents: 2,015 items

GSSC Portal contents: 3,714 items

PWS Section 5.2.1 states that incident volume can trend between 15 to 20 incidents per week. Is there an existing backlog of data anomalies, mismatched data features, or unresolved help desk tickets, or is the incoming contractor expected to focus primarily on steady-state operations?

Response: Currently, tickets are completed in 1-2 days and no backlog exists.

PWS Section 5.1.5 notes that the contractor must track all requirements, testing results, and risks in project management tools like Jira. Does the Government currently manage an enterprise-wide instance of Jira with pre-configured workflows for the Product Engineering Service (PES), or will the contractor be responsible for setting up and managing the team s workspace and traceability matrices?

Response: Yes, the PES has our own Jira instance. Usage has been on and off over the years but is used to track metrics for leadership. Contractor will be able to use these Jira boards.

PWS Section 4.5.1 lists four critical labor categories as Key Personnel (GIS System Admin, GIS DBA, GIS Analyst, GIS Programmer) but does not define the full required headcount. Is the Government expecting a 1-to-1 staff allocation for these roles, or are contractors expected to propose a scalable staffing mix based on incident volume, and if so, will all personnel be considered key if there are more than one per LCAT?

Response: Currently, VA has 2 SA (1 senior, 1 junior), 1 senior DBA, and 1 Analyst, with a vacant programmer contractor position. VA will be expecting to need 2 additional analysts in year 1 to meet expected workload. Additional staff may be needed in later years.

PWS Section 5.1.5 mandates tracking code coverage and risks using Agile tools. Will the VA GIS program operate under an enterprise Agile Release Train (ART), or will it run on localized Scrum/Kanban teams?

Response: VA uses Github for code storage and issue tracking. We do not run formal scrum/kanban teams/processes at this time.Â

PWS Section 5.2.2 tasks the contractor with database storage management, trend analysis, and geodatabase archiving. Does the VA currently utilize third-party tools for data optimization, and what are these third-party tool names, or are these workflows built entirely using native SQL Server/ESRI tools?

Response: VA has several customer scripts that check for things like long running queries. We use standard SQL Server and ArcGIS tools for usage tracking.

PWS Section 5.3.3 requires knowledge of CAD, BIM, and LAS data to maintain indoor floor plans. Are these source files centrally managed and standardized, or will the contractor be responsible for clean-up, projection conversion, and schema mapping from disparate local facility offices?

Response: The local facilities will be required to clean up the contents (snapping, correct layer assignment, etc) all files before submitting to EGT. Contractor may need to give guidance to local facilities should submitted files not be clean. Contractor may need to project files and map CAD layer to feature class was part of normal duties.

PWS Section 5.3.1 mandates a minimum of two training sessions per month and weekly virtual office hours. Could the Government provide the estimated number of cores vs. casual users to help appropriately size the training and customer support communication plan?

Response: For weekly office hours, we have roughly 10-15 normal attendees. Several have expert GIS knowledge while many are new to GIS. New attendees are almost always new to GIS. For larger training, typically it is within the range of 25-50 people, although we have had trainings top 300+ in the past.

Attachment 3 is referenced several times in the PWS but does not appear to have been included. Can VA please provide Attachment 3?

Response: Attachment 3 is a boiler plate text that was not removed.

Can VA provide any additional details regarding the current ArcGIS Enterprise environment, including approximate number of environments, hosting locations, and whether the environment is currently federated/high availability?

Response: Currently, the VA hosts 2 on-prem GIS portal (EGT and VACO Indoors) and 1 cloud GIS portal (GSSC). EGT and GSSC are in the process of merging key GSSC applications into EGT. However, the GSSC portal will not be fully merged into after the combined VA GIS portal in the VA cloud has been completed.

EGT:

Production and Test version

Production:

2 ArcGIS Portal nodes

4 Federated ArcGIS Server

2 GeoEvent Server

1 2-node SQL Server

1 Street Map Premium

ArcGIS Indoors

1 Portal node

2 ArcGIS Server

Same SQL Server as other portal

SAN drives for EGT and NCA.

Clients:

6 ArcGIS Pro VMs for EGT

3 ArcGIS Pro VMs for NCA

2 ArcGIS Pro VMs for geoprocessing

GSSC:

Production and Test

Production:

2 ArcGIS Portal node

2 Federated ArcGIS Server

1 Street Map Premium

1 SQL Server managed instance

VACO Indoors

Not sure on their server counts but I believe it is a minimum deployment.

Can VA provide approximate operational metrics such as:

Number of users

Average monthly ticket volumes

Approximate number of integrated systems/interfaces

Response: Tickets are typically handled via email or MS Teams. They are put into Jira as worked on. Tickets volume is round 10-15 per week.

EGT Portal users:

174 Content creators

5,471 Viewers

GSSC Portal users:

322 Content creators

4,787 Viewers

Regarding the planned GIS consolidation into the VAEC environment, can VA provide any additional detail regarding:

Approximate number of GIS environments anticipated for migration/consolidation

Whether migration sequencing or prioritization has already been established

Response: 3 main environments will be consolidated: EGT, GSSC, VACO Indoors. EGT and GSSC consolidation are already underway. VACO indoors will be done last.

Is ArcGIS Indoors/facility mapping expected to be a significant component of the operational environment?

Response: Currently, no. However, expected growth is 5 VA Medical Center campus per year for the foreseeable future. Each medical center is the size of a college campus and is estimated to take 5-10TB of storage each.

Is ESRI software (ArcGIS Enterprise) the target for hosting and management of GIS data or is open-source technologies like GeoServer, QGIS, or other a potential for implementation?

Response: QGIS and Mapbox both are approved for VA use but are not used within the EGT/GSSC/VA Indoor systems. ESRI and SQL Server software will be used for this implementation.

Will there be any data collection like GPS, survey, scanning, or remote sensing be included as part of this work?

Response: NCA has GPS collection efforts, and the contractor may be asked to assist with moving GPS data and photos from ArcGIS Online to VA GIS system. However, no GPS, survey, scanning, or remote sensing will be part of the work for this contract.

Regarding large datasets (100+ million records), approximately how many datasets/feature classes are in questions. Or are these few datasets with very large tables?

Response: Almost all large geospatial datasets are tied to addresses. We are working to normalize this data to allow for 1-2 large tables with several reference/crosswalk tables to link things like patients and enrollees to the same address records. Currently, there are 2-5 large addresses tables within VA for this.Â

CDW, which EGT is part of, has Trillions of records across all databases. Many of these tables are related to patient care. Contractor may be required to join and publish patient data with address to the portal. Example: Join all prescriptions for X Drug to patient records and publish them to portal.

Since the data is large, is the target database SQL Server? Is other RDBMS optional like Oracle or PostgreSQL/PostGIS especially since replication and scaling may be necessary.

Response: CDW runs SQL Server for almost all databases. Other database is not viable option at this time.

Can any of the work be processed at contractor s location like software development, testing, or data modification to improve performance and manageability?

Response: Limited work can be done on non-VA systems such as code develop. All data must remain of the VA network due to Personal Health Information (PHI) concerns.Â

Will there be a need for onsite staffing for support?

Response: No. All positions are remote. Travel, if any, will be for training such as attending ESRI UC.Â

Is the GIS a single site or a multi-site implementation?

Response: There are 3 current VA GIS systems within the VA and 1 ArcGIS Online instance. This will be consolidated to 1 VA GIS system (Test and Production versions) and 1 ArcGIS Online instance.

Is customer training to include vendor certified training like (ESRI)?

Response: No certifications are required.Â

Is the Company Information section, Response Instructions items 1 10, included within the 10-page limit?

Response: Yes, unless Company Information is included in the cover letter.

Should the Industry Recommendations section, Question 22, Parts A G, also be included within the same 10-page limit?

Response: Yes

When referencing the "transmittal page," is the Government referring to the cover letter/transmittal letter accompanying the response?

Response: The Government referring to the cover letter accompanying the response.

The purpose of this amendment is to respond to a vendor question:

Question: Could you please confirm whether there is an incumbent for this requirement, and if so, which contract vehicle and prime contractors are expected to pursue the upcoming opportunity?

Answer: This is a new contract opportunity with no incumbent.

Sources Sought Notice

RFI: 36C10B26Q0402

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This Sources Sought notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes. Do not submit a proposal. This notice does not constitute an Invitation for Bid, Request for Task Execution Plan, Request for Quotation, or Request for Proposal, and shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to award a contract or otherwise acquire any products or services. In accordance with Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul VA Class Deviation (RFO) 15.101(c), responses are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. The Government will not reimburse any costs incurred in responding to this notice; all participation is strictly voluntary. No funds have been authorized, appropriated, or received for this effort.

Respondents are responsible for properly marking proprietary, restricted, or competition-sensitive information. Information marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly.

Any Service-Disabled Veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs) or Veteran-owned small businesses (VOSBs) responding to this RFI must include their intent and ability to meet set-aside requirements for performance of this effort in accordance with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) 852.219-73, VA Notice of Total Set-Aside for Certified SDVOSB (DEVIATION) or 852.219-74, VA Notice of Total Set-Aside for Certified VOSB; specifically the requirement for at least 50% of the cost of manufacturing or 50% of the services be performed by yourself and/or other eligible/verified SDVOSB/VOSB concerns; and be listed in the Small Business Administration certification database at the time of submission.Â

DESCRIPTION

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Information and Technology (OIT), is conducting market research to identify industry capabilities, best practices, and delivery models for enterprise Geographic Information System (GIS) services and operations supporting large-scale federal environments. VA is particularly interested in understanding proven approaches that improve platform performance, scalability, security, user experience, and operational efficiency while minimizing implementation and operational risk in complex enterprise settings.

The potential North American Industrial Classification (NAICS) code for this effort is 541519. The attached draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) and below information outlines preliminary requirements and is provided for context only; it does not represent final specifications

Operating Environment (Informational Only)

VA s enterprise GIS Environment supports a large, geographically distributed user base across multiple administrations and operational components. The environment includes on-premises and cloud-based platforms, large geospatial datasets, internal and public-facing users, and integrations with other enterprise IT and data services.

Scope of Interest

VA is seeking information from vendors with experience delivering, operating, securing, and modernizing enterprise GIS platforms and services, including environments that support:

Large-scale geospatial datasets

Hybrid and cloud architectures

High availability and mission-critical operations

Secure access for diverse user communities

Where feasible, VA is interested in approaches that leverage and enhance existing enterprise GIS capabilities rather than wholesale platform replacement, while improving performance, reliability, and user experience.

REQUESTED CAPABILITY INFORMATION

Respondents are requested to provide concise, factual descriptions addressing the areas below. Responses should focus on demonstrated experience, approaches, and outcomes relevant to enterprise GIS operations.

Please do not respond with pre-printed organizational marketing material, boilerplate capability statements, or generic product descriptions, as such content does not provide value to VA s market research objectives.

Respondents are encouraged to organize their responses using the numbered sections below to facilitate review.

Enterprise GIS Platform Experience

Provide examples of enterprise GIS solutions delivered using:

ArcGIS Enterprise

Enterprise Geodatabases

ArcGIS Indoors

2. Large-Scale Data & Geoprocessing

Describe experience with:

Geoprocessing workflows

Managing and analyzing large-scale datasets (greater than 100 million records)

Techniques used to optimize performance at scale

3. Platform Operations, Configuration, and Security

Describe experience managing, upgrading, configuring, and securing ArcGIS enterprise platforms in:

On-Prem environments

Microsoft Azure Cloud

ArcGIS Online

Include approaches for availability, patching, backup, recovery, and access controls.

4. Direct Database GIS Data Management

Describe experience transferring or modifying GIS data directly within databases (e.g., SQL Server) without using ArcGIS software, including:

Methods used

Controls implemented to maintain the integrity of SDE system tables

5. GIS System Consolidation and Integration

Describe experience consolidating and integrating multiple GIS systems into a unified enterprise platform, including:

Reduction of redundancy

Operational improvements

Risk or cost reductions achieved

6. Performance Troubleshooting

Describe your standard troubleshooting approach when users report:

Slow ArcGIS application performance

Degraded web map or service performance

7. Geospatial Analysis and Reporting

Describe experience conducting geospatial analysis and producing reports or visualizations to support operational or leadership decision-making.

8. Federal Experience

Describe experience managing GIS or IT systems within a federal agency, including scale, governance, and compliance considerations.

9. Customer Experience (CX) Support

Describe experience providing customer experience services within complex GIS environments, including:

CX strategy development

CX analysis and identification of experienced drivers

Operationalizing insights across large, multi-stakeholder environments

10. Transition-In Approach

Describe your standard transition-in approach for assuming operations of an existing GIS environment, including:

Knowledge transfer

Stabilization activities

Risk mitigation

Include recruiting approaches used to identify GIS experts with experience in:

Database management

System administration

Application development

11. Contractor Onboarding

Provide examples demonstrating how contractors are onboarded and granted full system access within 30 days of hire while maintaining federal security requirements.

12. Workforce Stability

Describe approaches used to minimize attrition and maintain continuity of operations in enterprise GIS environments.

13. DevSecOps and Product Engineering

Indicate experience with DevSecOps practices within Product Engineering Services relevant to enterprise GIS platforms.

14. Versioning and Environment Promotion

Describe how GIS services and data pipelines are:

Versioned

Tested

Promoted across development, test, and production environments

15. Alternative Delivery Models

Describe any alternative or non-traditional delivery models used to provide enterprise GIS services, such as:

Platform-as-a-Service

Managed services

Automation-first approaches

16. Automation Opportunities

Identify GIS operational tasks well suited for automation and provide examples where automation reduced cost, improved performance, or reduced operational risk.

17. Near Real-Time Data and Streaming

Describe experience supporting near real-time geospatial data ingestion, streaming data, or event-driven analytics.

18. Performance and Experience Metrics

Identify metrics used to proactively monitor:

Platform performance

Availability

User experience

19. Scalable Architecture and Cost Control

Describe architectural patterns used to scale enterprise GIS platforms while controlling infrastructure and cloud costs.

20. Zero Trust Implementation

Describe how Zero Trust principles are implemented within enterprise GIS platforms, including identity, access, and monitoring considerations.

21. Outcome-Based Management

Identify aspects of GIS services that may be suitable for outcome-based or service-level-based management rather than labor-hour-based models and provide examples where such models were used.

22. Industry Recommendations

Based on experience, provide recommendations for improving enterprise GIS operations to enhance performance, reduce cost, or reduce operational risk.

The Government is contemplating a Firm Fixed (FFP)/T&M hybrid contract type. State whether the information provided is sufficient to price the requirement as a FFP as written or explain why the tasks may not be suitable for an FFP arrangement. Â

Based on your experience, are the FFP and T&M categories appropriate for the work stated in the PWS?

Do you have any suggestions of what contract vehicle this should be and why?

Has the draft PWS provided sufficient detail to describe the technical requirements that encompass the software development and production operations support services to be performed under this effort.  If NO , please provide your technical comments/recommendations on elements of the draft PWS that may contribute to a more accurate proposal submission and efficient, cost-effective effort.

Are there alternative solutions to the existing requirements that could better meet the VA s needs?

What challenges have you encountered in the past that have impeded your ability to deliver on like contracts. How did you overcome them? How do you recommend we address them in this contract?

RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS

Respondents are encouraged to reply if they have the capabilities to meet the VA s requirements. Proprietary information must be clearly marked

Responses must be concise and limited to a maximum of 10 pages (excluding transmittal page) describing your company s ability to meet the requirements outlined in this RFI. Company Information must include the following:

Provide Company Information name, address, email, and telephone number.

CAGE/UEI Number under which the company is registered in SAM.gov.

Company Business Size and socioeconomic status, including business type(s)/certifications(s) such as HUBZone, SDB, 8(a), SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, etc.

Point of contact having the authority and knowledge to clarify responses with VA representatives.

For small business concerns, indicate whether at least 50% of the total amount paid by the Government will be paid to firms that are similarly situated.

If your company is a small business:

Clearly identify what socioeconomic category you are recommending for this effort.

State whether you can comply with RFO 52.219-6 and 52.219-14 in execution of this effort.

State whether you can comply with subcontracting limitations in 13 CFR 125.6 in execution of this effort, if required.

Identify whether your company is the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of the solution or a reseller? If you are the OEM, identify whether you have any resellers available.

Indicate whether your company is a current contract holder on any vehicles that could be used to procure the required services, such as General Services Administration Multiple Award Schedule, Government Wide Acquisition Contract, NASA Solution for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC), etc.

Provide your company s intent and ability to comply with the set aside requirements in accordance with VAAR 852.219 73 (JAN 2023) (DEVIATION) and 13 CFR §125.6, which require that no more than 50 percent of the amount paid by the Government be subcontracted to firms that are not certified SDVOSBs listed in the SBA certification database.

If proposing an alternative NAICS code, identify the code and provide a brief justification for its applicability to this requirement.

Do not wait until the last minute to submit your responses. To avoid submission of late responses, we recommend the transmission of your response file 24 hours prior to the required response due date and time. Please be advised that timeliness is determined by the date and time an Offeror s response is received by the Government not when an Offeror attempted transmission. Offerors are encouraged to review and ensure that sufficient bandwidth is available on their end of the transmission.

Questions and responses must be submitted via email to Terricia Lloyd, Terricia.Lloyd@va.gov. Information submitted any other method will not be considered.

Submit questions no later than 10:00 am EST on May 27, 2026.

Submit response no later than 10:00 am EST on June 5, 2026.

The VA reserves the right to not respond to any, all, or select responses or materials submitted. All VA current requirements identified herein are subject to change at any time. VA appreciates your time and anticipated response.