Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) RDT&E Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) Support Acquisition Strategy

Update 10 (March 7, 2013)
The Government has issued an amendment to extend the validity of proposals received under this solicitation through June 28, 2013. The Government requests acknowledgement of the offerors agreement to extend the validity of their proposal NO LATER THAN 2:00 PM March 19, 2013. Please review Amendment 000004 for instructions.

Update 9 (December 31, 2012)
The Government has issued an amendment to extend the validity of proposals received under this solicitation through April 2, 2013. The Government requests acknowledgement of the offerors agreement to extend the validity of their proposal NO LATER THAN 2:00 PM January 18, 2013. Please review Amendment 000003 for instructions.

Update 8 (September 6, 2012)
The Government has issued an amendment to extend the due date for proposals. Also, a second amendment will be issued the week of September 10th, 2012. This amendment will include revisions to the RFP and Government responses to industry questions and comments received by August 23, 2012.

Update 7 (August 10, 2012)
The final RFP is hereby issued. Proposals in response to this RFP are due September 12, 2012 as stated in the RFP. The Government will not issue individual responses to questions and comments received previously regarding the draft RFP. However, all comments were duly considered in the formation of the final document.

UPDATE 6 (July 26, 2012)
The anticipated date to release the final RFP is revised to August 9, 2012.

UPDATE 5 (June 21, 2012)
The agenda for the upcoming June 27th pre-proposal conference is uploaded.

UPDATE 4 (June 8, 2012)

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE INFORMATION FOR S&T RDT&E SETA SUPPORT

DATE: Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Time: 9 am to 11 am (Registration begins at 8:30 am)

Location: General Services Administration (GSA) Regional Office Building/National Capital Region Building at 301 7th Street, SW Washington, DC 20407 in the GSA auditorium.

Registration Instructions: Please register via email to S&TIDIQ@HQ.DHS.GOV . Please note that space is limited. Therefore, companies may register up to two attendees only. In your email, please include the following information for each of the two attendees: First name, Last name, Company, Position/Title, Email address

Registration confirmation will be sent to you via return email. Registration ends June 20, 2012.

Day of the conference Instructions: Prospective offerors planning to attend the Pre-proposal conference should arrive at the main entrance of the GSA Building on the D Street, "visitors' entrance" side with a Government-issued photo ID (e.g. driver's license). Please be prepared to pass through building security and metal detector. You are encouraged to use metro because parking is limited in the area. The GSA Building is located directly across the street from the L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station Mall Entrance.

**The conference agenda will be posted to FBO prior to the event**

UPDATE 3 (May 3, 2012)
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through the issuance of this DRAFT Request for Proposals (RFP), is actively soliciting comments from interested parties. Please thoroughly review the DRAFT RFP and submit clarification requests and/or questions to the Government in accordance with Paragraph "L.4.1 Communications and Questions" contained in the draft RFP NO LATER THAN 2:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time on May 18, 2012. Interested parties shall submit their comments and questions via email to the following address: S&TIDIQ@hq.dhs.gov . The Government will provide responses to all properly submitted questions through the Federal Business Opportunities website (FBO). All questions concerning this notice or the attached draft RFP should also be sent electronically to S&TIDIQ@hq.dhs.gov.

UPDATE 2 (April 26, 2012)
The anticipated release date for the draft RFP is changed to 5/4/2012. The Pre-proposal conference will be scheduled for late May - Early June 2012. Therefore, an additional notice will be posted with the specific time, date, location and registration instructions for the conference.

UPDATE 1 (March 23, 2012)

The purpose of this update is to revise the acquisition schdule presented in the original pre-solicitation notice.

The Government's projected timetable for this acquisition is changed to read as follows:

- Draft RFP issued via FBO on or about 4/27/2012
- Pre-proposal conference on or about 5/11/2012
- Final RFP issued via FBO on or about 6/4/2012
- Award on or about 11/15/12

This is a pre-solicitation notice in accordance with FAR 5.203(a). The Directorate of Science and Technology (S&T) within the Department of Homeland Security has a requirement to procure the full range of services currently acquired through a single award S&T SETA Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA). The Government intends to use a three pronged approach to procure the services. The Government will procure (1) clerical and administrative support using the DHS Program Management, Administrative, Clerical and Technical Services (PACTS) contract ; (2) Finance, and Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) program and project management support using the DHS Technical, Acquisition and Business Support Services (TABSS) contract; and (3) higher level technical and expert services necessary to support the RDT&E mission across the threat spectrum required by the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) and other S&T Programs through a multiple-award RDT&E SETA IDIQ contract.

Accordingly, the Government intends to conduct a FAR PART 15 unrestricted competition to award 2-5 RDT&E SETA Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts. The objective of the procurement will be to obtain professional scientific and technological expert services to assist in the integrated planning, management, and execution of scientific research and technology development in support of S&T's missions, functions, and objectives. The maximum cumulative ceiling value of the RDT&E S&T SETA multiple award IDIQ contracts will be $236 million. The RDT&E S&T SETA multiple award IDIQ contracts will allow for task orders to be competed among the IDIQ holders and awarded using a variety of pricing arrangements to include Cost Plus Incentive Fee; Cost Plus Fixed Fee; Cost Reimbursement; T&M; FFP, Fixed Price Incentive Fee; or Cost Plus Award Fee Agreements. The RDT&E S&T SETA multiple award IDIQ contracts will specify a 5-Year Ordering Period. Task Order performance however, may continue after the ordering period for an additional two years. The work under the IDIQ contracts may be performed at a government site or at a contractor site, as specified in the individual task orders. All qualified business concerns may submit offers. Proposals from large business firms must comply with FAR 19.7 and FAR Clause 52.219-9 regarding the requirement for submission of a subcontracting plan. The government's projected time table for this acquisition is as follows:

• Draft RFP issued via FBO on or about 3/26/12

• Pre-proposal conference on or about 4/9/12

• Final RFP issued via FBO on or about 4/26/12

• Award on or about 10/4/12

The solicitation and all correspondence related to the solicitation will be posted on the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website (http://www.fbo.gov). Hard copies of the solicitation will not be available. Please forward all questions to S&TIDIQ@hq.dhs.gov