A1 MULTI-CLOUD ECOSYSTEM (MCE) MANAGED SERVICES SUPPORT (MSS)

1.0 PROCURING & ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRACTING OFFICE Air Force District of Washington (AFDW) Contracting Directorate (PK) Headquarters Air Force (HAF) - Enterprise Support Division (PKH), DoDAAC: FA7014 2.0 INTRODUCTION This is a Sources Sought Notice (SSN) which is being released to industry for information gathering and planning purposes only pursuant to FAR Part 10 Market Research. This SSN is not a solicitation nor shall this SSN constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP), Invitation for Bid (IFB), or Request for Quote (RFQ). The Government shall not award any contract solely on the basis of this SSN nor shall the Government reimburse any Contractor for any associated costs they incur to submit a Capability Package to the Government in response to this SSN. This market research notice is being deployed to bring forth qualified, capable sources and in no way shall restrict the Government's final acquisition strategy, planning, or requirements refinement. *Note: Recipients of this SSN are hereby advised that the Government shall NOT accept any Capability Package submitted in response to this SSN containing extraneous, unsolicited material or content which does not conform to the Government's specific questions and request for certain procurement/contracting data as expressed below. Additional company literature, presentations, pamphlets, papers, etc. must not be submitted in response to this SSN and any such unsolicited artifacts shall not be accepted nor reviewed by the Government. Recipients of this SSN should not request an extension or more time to respond to this SSN regardless of circumstance. 3.0 NAICS CODE The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) Code for this SSN is 518210 - Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services. *Note: A small business firm competing as a Prime Contractor would need to perform at least 50% of the total requirement form within its own company (See FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting). 4.0 BACKGROUND & DESCRIPTION OF GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS The Government has a potential requirement to provide professional support, sustainment, and modernization of the current A1 Virtual Data Center (A1 VDC) which is a fully functioning commercial cloud environment capable of supporting applications in the Air Force A1 and A1 DTA portfolios, and for building out the A1 Multi-Cloud Ecosystem (A1 MCE) landing zone. Commercial Professional Services would be performed to ensure continued operations of the existing environment, execution and management of multi-cloud ecosystems, modernization/optimization (i.e. enhancing common shared services, streamlining processes, and achieving cost efficiencies), execution and management of Big Data and AI initiatives, execution of emerging technologies across a multi-cloud ecosystem, and increase capabilities of the cloud environment per applicable information technology (IT) guidance, as well as, DoD and Air Force directives/policies across multiple Impact Levels including IL6. 5.0 GOVERNMENT QUESTIONS FOR INDUSTRY RESPONSE 1. Experience in Multi-Cloud Ecosystems: A. Does your company have experience architecting, implementing, managing, and optimizing a multi-cloud landing zone ecosystem across DoD Impact Levels (IL), especially IL6, within DoD RMF and Cloud Computing SRG standards? B. If so, is that multi-cloud ecosystems experience from performing as a Prime Contractor, Subcontractor, Integrator, Commercial Business Partner, etc.? C. If so, describe your approach to governance, change management, and incident response in each of those environments. D. If so, provide examples of the DoD and/or Air Force Contracts or Agreements that required this level of engagement. 2. Optimization of Common Shared Services: A. Does your company have experience delivering and optimizing common shared services (such as a centrally managed DevSecOps CI/CD pipeline and development tools), streamlining processes, and achieving cost savings or efficiencies within a multi-cloud landing zone ecosystem? B. If so, include your methods for integrating governance structures and managing change to support continuous improvement. C. If so, provide examples of the DoD and/or Air Force Contracts or Agreements that required this level of engagement. 3. Artificial Intelligence Initiatives: A. Does your company have experience executing and managing Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiatives across a hybrid multi-cloud landing zone ecosystem? B. If so, explain your process/methodology, including how you architect and implement monitoring guiderails within that hybrid multi-cloud landing zone. C. If so, provide examples of the DoD and/or Air Force Contracts or Agreements that required this level of engagement. 4. Big Data Initiatives: A. Does your company have experience executing big data initiatives and architecting zero trust framework architectures across a multi-cloud landing zone ecosystem? B. If so, how did your company incorporate governance, change management, and incident response strategies in such initiatives across a multi-cloud landing zone ecosystem (explain your process and methodology)? C. If so, provide examples of the DoD and/or Air Force Contracts or Agreements that required this level of engagement. 5. Multi-Cloud Management Technologies: A. Does your company have experience with emerging technology tools and services unique to multi-cloud landing zone ecosystems (e.g., Palo Alto SASE, Splunk, Elastic, HashiCorp, Aqua Security, etc.)? B. If so, describe your company's experience/expertise in implementing microservices and containerization technologies within the environments of those multi-cloud landing zone ecosystems. C. If so, describe the exact technology tools and services that your company used in those multi-cloud landing zone ecosystems. D. If so, does your company suggest any new technology tools/services or recommend any proven technology tools/services that can facilitate additional value to the environments of those multi-cloud landing zone ecosystems? 6. Subcontracting Dependencies: A. If your company has experience managing and/or performing requirements for a multi-cloud landing zone ecosystem, what percentage of that work was performed by your Company as a Subcontractor versus by your company as the Prime Contractor (also, explain whether that work was related to managing and/or performing)? B. Would your company need to subcontract significantly to perform most of the subject requirements identified above and if so, identify each of those requirements where Subcontractors would need to be assigned? C. Explain how governance, change management, and incident response processes are maintained across your Subcontractor teams as both the Prime Contractor managing assigned Subcontractors and as a Subcontractor performing on behalf of the Prime Contractor. D. Provide examples of Subcontracting sources, business partnerships/relationships, goals, and plans your company would utilize to ensure performance of all subject requirements. 6.0 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR CAPABILITY PACKAGES As part of the Capability Packages submitted in response to this SSN, all Respondents must fully address the Government's requested Related Procurement and Contracting Data expressed below which will help during other pre-award activities in the future. Respondents must identify/provide the Contractor's: a. Company Name (full legal name and D.B.A., if applicable); b. Company Address; c. Company Pre-Award/Proposal Team/Business Development Point of Contact (POC) by Name (First and Last); d. Company POC Email Address; e. Company POC Telephone Number; f. Cognizant DCMA Office Code and Info (if applicable); g. Cognizant DCAA Office Code and Info (if applicable); h. Cognizant Defense Security Office Code and Info (if applicable); i. Current Facility Classification Level (FCL); j. Federal Cage Code and Unique Entity ID (SAM.gov); *Note: A company must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) to be considered responsible for a Federal Contract Award. To register your company, go to https://www.sam.gov. k. Business size (large or small) and applicable socioeconomic categories (VOSB, 8a, HUBzone, SDB, WOSB, etc.) for the established NAICS Code established above for this SSN and for the Contractor's other similar NAICS Codes; l. General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedules (FSS), Multiple Award Contracts (MACs), Government-wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs), DoD Enterprise Service Initiatives (ESI), Indefinite-delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contracts, Agreements, and/or Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) that the Contractor currently holds and authorizes Ordering from the respective Air Force Contracting Office (provide the respective contract/agreement numbers, identify the source of the procurement vehicle, and any other relevant information); *Note: Some examples are.Air Force Enterprise SBEAS IDIQs; STARS3, Alliant2, VETS2, and OASIS+ GSA GWACs; NASA SEWP GWAC; National Institute of Health (NIH) GWACs; Veterans Administration (VA) GWACs; GSA AF 2GIT BPAs; etc. m. Examples/references/samples (no more than 3) of recent and relevant performance (recent, meaning within the last 3 years and relevant, meaning the same or similar requirements based on the subject requirements identified above); and *Note: For each example/reference/sample, provide the Federal Contract/Agreement Numbers, Commercial Company-to-Company Purchase Order Numbers, Dates/PoPs, Total Dollars, Description of Work/Requirements, Significance of work, Percent of Work performed as Prime and Sub, Project POC Name, Project POC Email Address, and Project POC Phone Number. n. Company's history, capabilities, experience, strengths, and weaknesses in providing Professional Services which are similar to and/or consistent with the Government's requirements detailed above. 7.0 MANDATORY CAPABILITY PACKAGE INSTRUCTIONS, FORMATTING & DEADLINE Interested Parties shall submit Capability Packages to the Government which meet all formatting, instructions, limitations, and the submittal deadline as expressed below. Capability Packages must be submitted to the Government: a. Within the confines of 8 total pages; b. Electronically via one (1) email before the established SSN deadline; c. In Adobe Portable Document Format (.pdf) format only; d. In a digital file size that does NOT exceed 5MB; *Note1: If file size is 5MB or larger, the Government will NOT receive the Respondent's email and attached document due to internal DoD and Air Force message system limits and restrictions. *Note2: Respondent's must not submit a Zip File because the Government email system does NOT allow transmittal of Zip files. e. Containing UNCLASSIFIED data/information/content only; *Note: Capability Packages a submitted to the Government in response to this SSN SHALL NOT and MUST NOT contain any Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), Classified, Secret, or Top Secret data/information/contents. f. And received at the identified Government office on or before 4:30 PM (Central Time Zone) on Thursday, 30 January 2025; and g. Air Force Contracting Office electronically via email to Ms. Brittney Devallon, AFDW/PKH Contract Specialist, at brittney.devallon@us.af.mil. 8.0 ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST The Government would also like to remind companies of their responsibility to avoid and/or mitigate any potential Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI). Guidance is found in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 9.5. If a company has a potential OCI situation, they must submit and have an approved mitigation plan prior to the Government's consideration of any proposal for award. Since the approval process can be lengthy and approval of any plan is not assured, it is highly recommended that potential OCI identification and resolution processes begin during the planning phase if possible. An OCI could result in the canceling of a contract or determining an Offeror to be ineligible for award. Potential OCI issues, and mitigation plans if developed, shall be included as an attachment to Capability Package. Such OCI attachment shall NOT be considered in the Capability Package total page count.