AFLCMC Data Operations Commercial Solutions Opening - Call 1 Project Golden Gate

Amendment 2 (23 February 2023) - The purpose of this amendment is to attach an updated solicitation question and answer document. No additional questions will be answered at this time. White Papers are due 27 February 2023 at 0900 ET. Amendment 1 (17 February 2023) - The purpose of this amendment is to attach a solicitation question and answer document. Please note, this document contains all questions and the corresponding answers submitted in relation to "Project Golden Gate". Please submit any additional questions no later than 22 February 2023 to ensure they can be answered prior to submission due date and time. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation: AFLCMC Data Operation CSO Call 1 titled - Project Golden Gate. Commercial Solutions Opening Type: This is the initial announcement under Call 1. This will be a Two-Step Closed Call. First Step: WHITE PAPER DUE DATE AND TIME: White Papers will be accepted until 27 February 2023 at 0900 ET. White Papers may be submitted at any time during this period. White Papers received after specified date and time, will be considered late in accordance with FAR 52.212-1(f). Second Step: PROPOSAL DUE DATE AND TIME: To be provided in the Requests for Proposal (RFP) sent to offerors that submit White Papers considered to be of further interest to AFLCMC. Submission POCs: White Papers must be submitted via email to the following Contracting Points of Contact (POCs): Contracting Officer Name: Marina Schemmel Email: marina.schemmel@us.af.mil Contract Specialist Name: Stephen McGuire Email: stephen.mcguire.5@us.af.mil This Commercial Services Opening (CSO) Call is intended to be a streamlined solicitation to allow for the establishment of a modern Data Operations (DataOps) solutions supporting a variety of critical national security systems. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) invites innovating technical white papers and proposals addressing the following aspects of Digital Infrastructure (DI), detailed in the user story focus areas below. This requires delivering an enduring, secure, robust, efficient, responsive, agile, elastic, and extensible DI solution spanning all classification levels. 2.0 Digital Infrastructure (DI) Technology Focus Areas (User Stories) AFLCMC requires offerors to deliver a state-of-the-art commercial solution that innovates all, some, or one of the following capability areas which will address a specific subset of AFLCMC programs. Offerors may propose a solution that addresses some, all, or one of the capabilities detailed below. Anticipated delivery dates are provided after each user story. Offerors should state their anticipated delivery date for each of their proposed solutions, even if it is the same as the Government's estimate. Each Technology Focus Area identifies an area where prospective offerors can bring substantial value to meet the DI mission. The four user stories detailed below are meant to be read expansively and not limited to the enumerated Focus Areas. Additionally, other Focus Areas may be explicitly included via amendments to this Call or on a separate call altogether. The offeror's proposed solution, including a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) or - hello world, should specifically address one or more of the following user stories, which will act as a Statement of Objectives (SOO) for this Call: 1. Core Cloud Computing Capabilities: User Story: Currently, an AFLCMC organization operates an on-premises (on-prem) development network, supporting comprehensive DevSecOps through a robust continuous integration, continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline. On-prem infrastructure has limited AFLCMC's ability to operate at the speed of relevance. Some teams have even been confronted with temporary work stoppages due to limitations on compute, network, and storage resources. In addition to current limitations, procurement of additional hardware to bolster on-prem capabilities has been plagued with long lead times that extend beyond 200 days and the workload associated with procurement has occupied an impractical amount of time for key AFLCMC employees. Intent: AFLCMC seeks an offeror to help deliver and transition to hyper-elastic compute and storage capability at IL6+, which includes unique Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence handling caveats. This includes data classification at unclassified, classified secret, top secret, and special access program (SAP) levels. Multi-tenancy is crucial to mission success, and AFLCMC prefers a core cloud provider to offer software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS) and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) which can support multiple different programming languages, tools, and frameworks. Underlying hyper-elastic cloud service should maintain availability and reliability of 99% and have the capability to support automated disaster recovery functionality to support Continuity of Operations (CoOPS). Hyper-elastic compute and storage shall provide automated, on-demand, distributable, immutable, and ephemeral cloud infrastructure services at all classification levels. Core Cloud shall include enabled automatic data tagging, handling, and presentation. AFLCMC seeks an offeror that would also be able to assist with required procurement to enable the proposed solution. Key Capabilities Sought: Cloud, CoOPS, Supply Chain Procurement, Data Tagging, DevSecOps Optimization Anticipated Delivery Date: 12 months after receipt of order (ARO) 2. Network in a Box (NiaB) Deployment User Story: AFLCMC operates a network which allows for collaborative communication and development between key stakeholders at an IL 6+ (S//SAR) level. There are currently more than thirty (30) open requests from various organizations attempting to get a connection to said network. Establishing a connection requires each organization to create their own wide area network (WAN) or local area network (LAN) in an accredited and secure space before requesting to connect into AFLCMC's collaboration network. Most organizations do not have the experience or expertise to do this, leading to prohibitively long timelines between a request for network connection and date when the connection is active. This process is extensive and requires rigorous cybersecurity compliance and approval processes, ordering of long-lead hardware, and network configuration. Intent: To support our system program offices, AFLCMC desires an easily accreditable Network in a Box (NiaB) capability to deploy a network configuration and connection to new locations within 60 days of ordering. NiaB solutions should come with all required hardware including, but not limited to: cybersecurity compliant firewalls, crypto (Taclanes or Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC)), servers, VoIP phones, workstations, keyboard, video, and mouse (KVMs), etc., as well as deployable personnel with information assurance and cybersecurity expertise in establishing and accrediting stand-alone, air gapped networks in secure spaces. Deployable individuals must also have expertise with Authorities to Connect (ATC) or Interservice Agreements (ISAs). Key Capabilities Sought: Cybersecurity Compliance Solutions, Supply Chain Optimization, Deployable Personnel, NiaB Anticipated Delivery Date: 4 months ARO 3. Edge Data Transport User Story: An AFLCMC organization is planning a test at a simulated forward deployed location which may be CONUS or OCONUS. In the past, AFLCMC members have had to physically courier data boxes from the test location to a separate location for ingestion and analysis. This required an incredibly heavy lift in terms of financial burden, personnel needed, and limited AFLCMC's ability to analyze and respond to data points collected in the test in a relevant timeline. Intent: AFLCMC seeks an offeror that will provide an edge node with two-way network connection at a CONUS or OCNUS test location that will provide near-real time ingestion and transport of data at the sight of collection via a cloud provider or accredited hybrid cloud network. An ideal solution would be able to transport up to one petabyte of data to anywhere in the continental United States within 8 (objective) to 24 (threshold) hours via a hybrid cloud or cloud connection. Initially, the data sets would largely exist in a Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) state. However, AFLCMC would also be interested in an edge node that is an IA approved portable SAP environment with up to four (4) workstations and associated hardware required for data ingestion and transport at higher classification levels. An ideal solution would provide the associated hardware, software, and network connectivity to address the user story and intent. Key Capabilities Sought: Big Data, Data Transport, Hybrid Cloud Anticipated Delivery Date: 4 months ARO 4. One-Way Data Transfer as a Service (DTaaS) User Story: AFLCMC currently has multiple organizations that operate at different classification levels. DevSecOps principals suggest developers code at the lowest level possible and then push up to improve velocity. While many AFLCMC organizations operate with a posture of multitenancy, many do not have a succinct way to one-way transport data from lower classification networks to higher classification networks without a manual Data Transfer Approval (DTA) process. The current process from low to high currently takes anywhere from 48-72 hours or more, which does not allow AFLCMC to operate at velocity required for mission success. The largest pain points exist between IL2 to IL5 and IL5 to IL 6+. Intent: AFLCMC seeks an offeror who can provide a comprehensive, one-way DTaaS solution. This solution will have to interface with on-prem, hybrid, and cloud networks at various classification levels, including SAP. An ideal offeror for AFLCMC will have experience with DTaaS, Data Diodes, and expertise with cyber security approval of such a process. An offeror shall provide historical examples or bodies of evidence the support the use of DTaaS to a cybersecurity compliance department. Key Capabilities Sought: DTaaS, Information Assurance (IA) Anticipated Delivery Date: 4 months ARO Please see the Call attachment for full submission information.