F5 BIG-IP Load Balancer Hardware and Firmware Maintenance and Support Services

The U.S. Forest Service is seeking to procure F5 BIG-IP Load Balancer hardware and firmware maintenance and support services to provide 24x7 support for their National Enterprise Support Service (NESS) environment. The procurement includes two F5 BIG-IP R5600 appliances along with associated hardware components such as FIPS 140 upgrades, SFP+ fiber connectors, AC power supplies, and 36-month premium first-line support services delivered by U.S. nationals. Contractors must be capable of procuring, delivering, installing, and providing comprehensive support within 60 days of contract award, including hardware problem diagnosis, mission-critical technical support with 4-hour response time, next business day onsite support, and regular firmware updates. The evaluation will focus on two primary factors: whether the proposed products meet the technical requirements specified in the Bill of Materials, and selection of the lowest evaluated price from quotes meeting acceptability standards. Quotes are due by September 19, 2025 at 5:00 PM ET, with all questions required to be submitted by August 29, 2025 at 5:00 PM ET to the contracting officer Derick Yara at derick.yara@usda.gov.

This procurement is designated as a total small business set-aside under NAICS code 541519 with a size standard of $34 million, and no incumbent contractors are identified in the documentation. While specific award values are not disclosed in the available materials, the Bill of Materials shows zero pricing for all line items, indicating this may be a competitive solicitation where pricing will be determined through the quote process. The contract requires delivery and installation of two F5 BIG-IP Load Balancer appliances with a 36-month support period beginning October 1, 2025, and all delivery must occur within 60 days of contract award. Performance will take place at two critical data centers: the Earth Resource Observation and Science Center (EROS) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and the Digital Infrastructure Service Center (DISC) in Kansas City, Missouri. The procurement is structured as a firm-fixed-price purchase order for new equipment only, with no partial quotes accepted, and the hardware will support multiple fire applications requiring high availability and failover capabilities.