HQ USSOCOM Architecture Solution

January 26th 2021: Responses to all questions are attached within this annoucement. United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) is conducting market research in accordance with FAR 15.201. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP). The government is still in the early acquisition planning stage and all activities at this time are considered market research. THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. As stipulated in FAR 8.404, responses to this RFI are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. This RFI is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for the information submitted in response. Respondents will not be notified of the results of any Government assessments. The information received will be utilized to assist in formulating the acquisition strategy. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. Responders are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative cost incurred in response to this announcement and information submitted in response to this RFI will not be returned. The information obtained through this RFI is to obtain market information and capabilities. Responses will assist the Government in determining potential responsible sources and to determine appropriate strategies to meet the Agency's requirements. REQUIREMENT: SCOPE: HQ USSOCOM is seeking information from qualified sources to provide a capability that enables DoD, Interagency, and international users to access and leverage PAI, providing increased situational awareness by leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) technologies and state-of-the-art analytic Tool Kits. This objective includes the management, development, enhancement, integration, testing, deployment, and maintenance of a system composed of several mission specific Tool Kits that provide the user the ability to detect, monitor, understand, and act in the information environment. The capability shall segment tools, users, and data to support a variety of user groups and missions to include DoD, Interagency and Coalition Partners. The system shall allow for the integration of new data, analytics, and collaboration features across USG and foreign-partner communities of interest and operation. Additionally, the system shall allow for the rapid integration and deployment of innovative plug-and-play technologies, as well as leverage ML to automate analytics, and provide authentication, end-user access, security, auditing, compliance, managed attribution, and dynamic enclave scaling support servicing a variety of mission-focused Tool Kits. For the purposes of this RFI, the period of performance is assumed to be a 12 month base year starting 01 August 2021 with four option years. Initial Collaborative Environment System Design Plan The Contractor shall develop a plan for the system design of a secure, unclassified collaborative environment . The Contractor shall ensure the collaborative environment is designed and developed pursuant to Open System Architecture best practices, is unclassified, and is protected and accredited IAW with the guidelines set forth in DoD Instruction 8500.01 and 8510.01 (minimum Authorization to Operate (ATO)). The contractor shall implement a robust information assurance gateway that provides encrypted global data exchange capability between DoD, U.S. Interagency, and foreign partners operating in remote locations. The Contractor shall ensure all data generated by the system from the field (low-bandwidth) locations is encrypted through the use of the internet using National Security Agency (NSA) Suite-B compliant components. The Contractor shall ensure the system design includes a certification and accreditation process based on the guidelines set forth under Department of Defense Risk Management Framework (RMF), FedRAMP, CNSS 1253 and NIST SP 800-53rv4 for the system architecture IAW the latest revision. For the purpose of developing the system design, the Contractor shall follow all guidance provided by the Computer Network Defense Service Provider. The Contractor shall ensure the system design complies with Open System Architecture best practices to maximize system sustainability, component flexibility, and overall scalability. The Contractor shall ensure the system design includes an advanced collaborative infrastructure with mechanisms for secure data, tool, and user segmentation with positive control of user data that ensures protection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII). The Contractor shall ensure the system design includes the Data, Tool, and User Segmentation Architecture to allow for maintenance of sensitive relationships and compartmented data, while providing a backbone for general collaboration and information sharing. The system design shall provide the capability to employ the concept of - least privilege, where access controls limit user access permissions to only what is necessary to perform their job. The system design shall include a capability to combine technologies and user policies to create a cross-organization/cross-domain collaboration architecture that allows DoD and interagency users to share data they are authorized to share, while also allowing authority and policy supported cross-domain collaboration about more general information where they are not allowed to share the actual data. The Contractor shall ensure the system design includes a plan to provide security across multiple domains through - trust relationships between domains (DoD, Interagency, Coalition, Other). The Contractor shall ensure the system design includes a plan to implement a Low-to-High Information Transfer system with the ability to transfer selected data from the proposed system to at least three (3) other classified or restricted USG networks. Due to the volume of data anticipated, the design shall ensure this gateway is capable of moving at least 100 Mbps of data from the collaborative environment system to the restricted network. The Contractor shall provide the initial design of the system no later than the first PMR (reference section 3.e). The COR will review the initial design and provide comments within 15 days of receipt. The Contractor shall provide a revised design no later than 15 days after receipt of the COR's comments or corrections to draft. Upon Government approval, the Contractor shall implement the approved collaborative environment system. The Contractor shall provide a robust auditing/logging system. At a minimum, this system should include a method to determine all pertinent information needed to conduct a thorough investigation. The exact specifications of these requirements are available upon request. 2.0 REQUESTED INFORMATION: 2.1 Capability Statement: Request you submit a Capability Statement that presents your technical capability for providing a solution for an Architecture solution as it relates to the scope identified above. The Capability Statement shall at a minimum address the specific questions identified below: Describe your approach to providing a solution for the Architecture requirement. Identify previous contracts which are relevant to the scope of this requirement. Include the contract number, Period of Performance, whether performance was completed as a prime or subcontractor, and detailed summary of services performed. Attach your timeline in obtaining the skill sets for Contract Award, transition within 45 days, clearances (if required), and any other information that would be crucial to obtain a 01 August 2021 award with transition complete by 15 Sept 2021. Provide a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) for service for this type of work and the - Other Direct Costs that would be incurred i.e. travel, housing, and rental car. Please be specific in the Labor Category with the skill sets and that Firm Fixed Price associated to that specific labor category. Provide any additional information that is relevant to this type of work. 2.2 Questions: Any questions regarding this RFI shall be submitted in writing by e-mail to the POCs identified below. Verbal questions will not be accepted. The Government may publish responses to all questions. Questions shall be submitted no later than 2:00 PM EST 15 January 2021. 2.3 Submission Instructions: Companies shall include a Cover Page with the following information: Company name, mailing address, CAGE code, DUNS identification number, Point of Contact (POC), to include telephone number and email address. Identify your business size status and what NAICS codes. If you are under the 8(a) program, please identify when you will graduate from the program. Any available existing contract vehicles (e.g. GSA Schedule, GWACs, etc.), as well as the contract numbers. Capability Statements shall be limited to 10 pages, single spaced, and 12-point font, with at least one-inch margins in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat format. Capability Statements shall be submitted by e-mail to the POCs identified below. The file size shall not exceed a 5 MB e-mail limit for all items submitted in response to this RFI. Responses must be unclassified and any proprietary information provided must be marked accordingly. To protect such data, each page containing such data must be specifically identified and marked with a legend similar to the following: - The following contains proprietary information that (name of Responder) requests not be released to persons outside the Government, except for the purposes of review and evaluation. 2.4 Industry Discussions: USSOCOM representatives may choose to meet with companies who responded to this RFI to hold one-on-one discussions. Discussion would only be held to obtain further clarification of potential capability to meet the requirements, to include any development and certification risks. POCs: Responses shall be submitted to Christie Orlando, contact@example.gov no later than 2:00 PM EST, 3 February 2021.