DA01--iFAMS Hosting Management Services and Helpdesk Support

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation is for Integrated Financial and Acquisitions Management System (iFAMS), Hosting Management Services and Helpdesk Support for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The objective is to sustain and operate the approved operational baseline for the VA ERP system, which is branded as iFAMS. This includes maintaining system availability, reliability, and performance; supporting users; resolving operational issues; executing approved changes; maintaining configuration control; supporting continuity and recovery activities; and supporting authorization activities.

• Hosting Management Services: Operate, monitor, and manage iFAMS and supporting environments, including cloud services, license management, SLA management, incident management, disaster recovery, and documentation.

• Helpdesk Support: Provide Tier 2 and Tier 3 operational, functional, and technical support for escalated incidents, service requests, and problems.

• Project Management: Plan, govern, coordinate, execute, and report on all contract tasks and activities.

• Security & Compliance: Adhere to all government security laws, regulations, and policies, including those related to cybersecurity, privacy, and information system security plans.

• Deliverables: Include Contractor Project Management Plan, Kickoff Meeting Agenda/Minutes, Weekly Status Reports, Staffing/Resource Plan, Monthly Program Management Reports, Monthly Contract Reports, QA/QC Plan, Training Certificates, Hosting Plan, Capacity Reports, Performance Test Results, Continuity of Operations Plan/Disaster Recovery Plan, Exercise Reports, Updates to System Security Plan, Risk Assessment, and Security Assessment.

• Contract Type: Time and Materials (T&M) / Labor Hour.

• Period of Performance: Date of award through August 31, 2026.

• Estimated Value: $34 Million.

• Proposals must be submitted via email to Angel Santos (Angel.Santos2@va.gov) and Kendra Casebolt (Kendra.Casebolt@va.gov) by the Response Due Date and Time specified on the SF 1449.

• Award will be made on a sole source basis to a verified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) that is technically compliant, has a fair and reasonable price, and is responsible.

• Offerors must complete Section B.4 (Price Schedule) and Attachment 0001 (Pricing Attachment).

• Key personnel qualifications must be provided as identified in Section 5.1.4 of the PWS.

• This acquisition is set aside for verified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) eligible under the SDVOSB Program.

• Offerors must be certified and listed in the SBA certification database.

• The solicitation incorporates numerous FAR and VAAR clauses related to security, data rights, accessibility (Section 508), and subcontracting limitations.

• Offerors must comply with VA's Technical Reference Model (TRM) and Zero Trust security principles.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is an Excel spreadsheet containing pricing templates and instructions for offerors to complete and submit as part of their quote. It includes specific tabs for instructions, an evaluated price summary, Schedule B, and a Time & Materials (T&M) Labor Rate Table.

• Instructions Tab: Outlines mandatory steps for completing the price sheet, including which tabs require input (Schedule B, T&M Labor Rate Table), how to avoid errors, and the importance of removing external links. It specifies that the 'Evaluated Price Summary' tab is auto-populated and should not be edited by the offeror.
• Schedule B Tab: Requires the offeror to input their company name. Other fields for CLINs (0002: Hosting Environment, 0003: Helpdesk Support), quantity, unit, unit price, and extended price are linked to other tabs and will auto-populate.
• T&M Labor Rate Table Tab: Offerors must input proposed fully loaded blended hourly labor rates for specified labor categories (Journeyman, Senior, SME Computer and Information System Manager) in the YELLOW highlighted cells. Rates must not exceed two decimal places; any input exceeding this will be flagged RED and must be corrected. All labor categories must be priced.
• T&M LOE Tab: This tab is for auto-population and requires no offeror input.
• Evaluated Price Summary Tab: This tab will auto-populate with total evaluated prices and should not be edited.

This pricing sheet is critical for offerors to accurately calculate and submit their proposed costs. Adhering strictly to the instructions, particularly regarding the T&M Labor Rate Table and avoiding pricing assumptions that deviate from the solicitation, is essential for a compliant and potentially acceptable quote. Failure to complete the pricing sheet correctly may render the quote unacceptable.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document announces the government's intent to award a sole source contract to zCore Group, LLC., a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). The contract is for iFAMS Hosting Management Services and Helpdesk Support. The statutory authority for this sole source acquisition is 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(5), implemented by FAR Overhaul VA Deviation 6.103-5, and specifically leverages 38 U.S.C. 8127(c) (Veterans First Contracting Program).

Services include Hosting Management and Helpdesk Support for iFAMS.

• Solicitation Number: 36C10B26R0023

• Contracting Office: Department of Veterans Affairs, Technology Acquisition Center, Eatontown, NJ 07724

• Product Service Code: DA01

• NAICS Code: 541519

• Response Date/Time: April 1, 2026, 11:00 AM Eastern Time, New York, USA.

• Note: Any responses received outside of the intended SDVOSB Sole Source Contractor (zCore Group, LLC.) will not be considered.

• Set-Aside: SDVOSBC (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Concern)

• Sole Source: The award is intended for zCore Group, LLC., a SDVOSB with CAGE Code: 98P13.

• Attachments Referenced:

  • 36C10B26R0023 (Main document)
  • Attachment 0001 - Price Attachment iFAMS Hosting-Helpdesk
  • Attachment A - SLA (Service Level Agreement)

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document, "Attachment A - SLA.docx," outlines the Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Service Fee Reductions for the Service Desk and Data Center services. It details the minimum required performance metrics the contractor must meet for the Government.

Service Desk Service Level Metrics:

• Tier 2A Requirements: Focuses on timeliness of response and resolution for Tier 2 tickets, including metrics for Ticket Resolution Response Time, Ticket Response/Acknowledgement Time, Resolution Timeliness, Ticket Escalation Rate, Root Cause Analysis Completion Rate, User Satisfaction Score, Knowledge Article Creation Rate, and Change Request Implementation Rate.
• Tier 3 Requirements: Similar to Tier 2A, measuring timeliness and quality of response and resolution for Tier 3 tickets, including Ticket Resolution Response Time, Ticket Response/Acknowledgement Time, Resolution Timeliness, Resolution Quality, Root Cause Analysis Completion Rate, User Satisfaction Score, Knowledge Article Creation Rate, and Change Request Implementation Rate.

Data Center Service Level Requirements:

• System Availability: Defines performance targets for Production, Test, and Development environments (e.g., 99.80% for Overall Environment Availability).
• Application Platform Response Time: Sets targets for iFAMS transaction response times (e.g., Login Page within 2000ms).
• Administrative Functions: Includes performance targets for tasks like job scheduler setup, user ID/authorization changes, password resets, asset manifest accuracy, and outage notifications.
• Batch Processing: Specifies performance for Scheduled and Demand Production Batch jobs.
• Software Refresh: Outlines response times for implementing service packs, updates, and major release updates.
• Backup and Restoration Management: Details backup schedules, storage, retention periods, and restoration performance targets.
• Security Patch Installation: Defines response times for deploying security patches and antivirus/IDS signatures.
• Concurrent User Performance: Aims to maintain throughput for a specified number of concurrent users.
• Capacity Utilization: Sets targets for CPU, Memory, and Storage utilization.
• Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery: Defines Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of 12 hours and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 2 hours for 100% production capacity.

This attachment is critical for bidders as it defines the performance expectations and measurable outcomes for key service areas. Understanding these SLAs is essential for developing a compliant and competitive technical approach, pricing, and for assessing the operational requirements of the contract.