EITA SOURCES SOUGHT RFI #3 - ED-FSA-12-FBO-SS-3

A. EITA SOURCES SOUGHT Request for Information (RFI)#2 - ED-FSA-12-FBO-SS-2 was canceled on December 10, 2012 due to technical reasons. This RFI replaces ED-FSA-12-FBO-SS-2. This is a RFI FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY. It is the replacement of the previously issued EITA Sources Sought- ED-FSA-12-FBO-SS-2. It is neither a solicitation announcement nor a request for proposals or quotes and does not obligate the Government to award a contract. Proposals in response to this RFI will not receive a response. Responses to this RFI must be in writing. The purpose of this RFI is for market research to make appropriate acquisition decisions and to gain knowledge of potential qualified Small Businesses, e.g., General Small Businesses, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses, Veteran Owned Small Businesses, 8(a), HUBZone and others interested and capable of performing the work. Responses to this notice shall include the following: (a) company name b) address (c) point of contact (d)phone, fax, and email (e) DUNS number (f) Cage Code (g) Tax ID Number (h) Type of small business, to include Service Disabled Veteran Owned small Business, Veteran-Owned small business, 8(a), HUBZone Small Business, Women Owned small business, and Small Disadvantaged business, if applicable. B. Federal Student Aid (FSA), an office of The US Department of Education is seeking information from companies who have innovative ideas and the comprehensive capability and experience to operate and maintain one or more major component areas of an Enterprise Information Technology Architecture (EITA); consisting of the following component areas: 1) Integrated Technical Architecture (ITA); 2) Enterprise Service Bus (ESB); 3 Access and Identity Management System (AIMS), and 4) Enterprise Business Collaboration (EBC). Included in this notice is a revised EITA Service Catalog that identifies the depth and breadth of services that might be required for the operation and maintenance of the EITA. Other attached items include: 1. Other related technical documents as reflected in the attached EITA Document Index. 2. Zip file with those documents listed in the Index referenced at "1" above 3. EITA Service Catalog 4. Questions and Answers from the RFI#1: ED-FSA-12-FBO-SS-1. 5. Video of RFI#1 session is posted at: https://www.dropbox.com/s/7is9ou3kqksafzt/VIDEO_TS.zip C. Not to exceed 5 pages, FSA requests that interested companies provide comprehensive responses, along with your innovative approaches, to the following: 1. What is your recommended solution on how the EITA should be structured considering FSA's EITA Service Catalog, our operational structure and stakeholder requirements and utilize state-of-the-art Industry Best Practices? 2. Describe your technical and management approach to meet FSA's EITA Operations and Maintenance (O&M) requirements. 3. Can you provide the total solution or do you have a plan on how FSA should acquire the other services you cannot provide for EITA O&M services? Please submit your responses to these questions to Alex.Mavroukakis@ed.gov no later than 5 PM EST December 18, 2012. Following receipt of answers to these questions, FSA will extend an invitation to all interested firms, who offered an innovative approach in accordance with sub-paragraph 1, 2 and 3 above, to schedule an appointment to orally present your approach during a 30-45 minute session with FSA key stakeholders and contracting staff. FSA requests that your approach should clearly identify how you have provided proposed support to other customers, and how your solution would provide FSA best-of-class services to meet FSA's associated EITA requirements. You may make an appointment for these presentations by email to Alex.Mavroukakis@ed.gov, or by calling Alex at 202-377-3970. FSA plans to open these sessions for oral presentations to commence after December 18, 2012 and conclude on or before February 15, 2013. Such sessions will only be scheduled with those vendors who are fully responsive to the requested information under 1, 2 and 3 above. D. The Government is not obligated to nor will it pay for or reimburse any costs associated with responding to this sources sought synopsis request. This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. The Government will in no way be bound to this information if any solicitation is issued. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition has been determined to be 541511 and 541512. Notice to Potential Offerors: All Offerors who provide goods or services to the United States Federal Government.