FDA Sources Sought - NextGen Cyber Engineering, Operations AI and Unified Services

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Digital Transformation has issued a Sources Sought notice to conduct market research for NextGen Cyber Engineering, Operations, AI, and Unified Services. This initiative aims to identify small business capabilities to support the FDA's transition to a Zero Trust cybersecurity framework, aligning all engineering activities with NIST, CISA, and OMB standards. The scope of work includes cybersecurity engineering, 24x7x365 operations (SOC/NOC), identity and access management (ICAM), threat management, and the integration of advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) for automated compliance monitoring, post-quantum cryptography, and predictive risk modeling. The FDA intends to establish a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) to provide scalable, enterprise-wide solutions across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments, integrating platforms like SIEM, SOAR, and EDR. This is a market research effort specifically targeting small businesses on GSA MAS Schedules 54151S and 54151HACS to assess the feasibility of a total small business set-aside. Interested respondents must provide capability statements not exceeding 15 pages, including their Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), CAGE number, and socioeconomic status. The FDA will informally assess respondents based on their corporate profile and relevant experience, specifically requiring at least one example of a federal-scale cyber operations effort where the organization served as the prime contractor. Performance will be conducted on a hybrid basis, involving on-site work at FDA facilities in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, including North Bethesda and Silver Spring, Maryland, or via telework. Personnel must be capable of obtaining a Public Trust, Moderate Level Tier 2S background investigation.