Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department-Wide Cloud (Cumulus)

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial products and services for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), Cumulus program. It serves as the only solicitation, and a separate written solicitation will not be issued. The acquisition is for Data Storage and Computing (Cumulus) requirements.

• The solicitation references Attachment 1 for the price schedule, including Cumulus requirement line items and estimated quantities.

• Attachment 2 details the Statement of Work (SOW), outlining the Cumulus requirement scope.

• Anticipated solution delivery under Cumulus includes Department-wide missions and locations, based on order-level requirements.

• The estimated performance period includes a Base Ordering Period of 12 months (Award) and four Optional Ordering Periods of 12 months each (Option Exercise).

• The contract type is anticipated to be a single award Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract.

• Offers must be submitted by the specified deadline and include all required information as detailed in FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors.

• Key submission requirements include a signed cover letter, technical proposal (Volume I), and price proposal (Volume II).

• Evaluation will be based on a best-value source selection approach, considering Technical Capability (Factor 1), Relevant Past Performance (Factor 2), and Price (Factor 3). Technical Capability and Past Performance are combined and are more important than price.

• The Government intends to award without discussions but reserves the right to hold discussions if necessary.

• This acquisition is not set-aside for small business concerns.

• The solicitation incorporates provisions and clauses by reference, accessible at www.acquisition.gov.

• Offerors are encouraged to submit multiple offers presenting alternative terms and conditions.

• The solicitation number is TBD.

• The point of contact for this solicitation is Gregory Blaszko, Contracting Officer.

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

This Statement of Work (SOW) outlines the requirements for Department-wide Cloud Service Provider (CSP) solutions to support the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Cumulus Program. The goal is to establish an integrated, interoperable, and secure multi-cloud ecosystem that enables rapid application development, enhances functionality and security, and supports diverse consumers.

• Supports an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract award for enterprise government and commercial CSP "Anything as a Service" (XaaS) cloud services, professional services, and training.

• Focuses on modernizing and innovating DHS systems through cloud-based solutions, emphasizing microservices, API-driven frameworks, mobile extensibility, container strategies, and standardized environments.

• Services include Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), Functions as a Service (FaaS), Database as a Service (DBaaS), and Container as a Service (CaaS).

• Excludes non-CSP third-party resellers, Managed Service Providers (MSPs), or contractor Lead System Integrators (LSIs) for services like system development or architecture.

• CSPs must provide robust support for mission-critical workloads, enabling rapid deployment and ensuring high performance, resilience, and compliance.

• Minimum availability level of 99.9% for services.

• Scalability requirements include horizontal and vertical scaling for virtual instances and storage.

• Compliance with NIST SP 800-145 (Definition of Cloud Computing) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

• The IDIQ contract includes a five-year ordering period (one 12-month base period and four 12-month optional periods).

• Place of performance will be established at the task order level, primarily at the CSP's facility, with limited Government facility access.

• Ownership: Full ownership of all root accounts, linked accounts, and payer/master organization accounts containing DHS data.

• Billing & Reporting: Unrestricted access to raw CSP usage and spend data, including Cost and Usage (CUR) Reports. Monthly usage reports are required.

• Technical Support: Direct technical support access, architectural reviews, and proactive services for cloud operations optimization.

• Program Management: Overarching program management support, including monthly Program Management Reviews (PMRs) and participation in joint working groups.

• Security: Compliance with IT security terms and conditions, including access to unclassified and Sensitive But Unclassified Information, and adherence to background investigation requirements.

• Marketplace: Ability to procure in-scope marketplace solutions, with specific procedures for review and approval.

• Training: Enterprise training for DHS customers on building and delivering capabilities on the CSP's platform.

• Section 508 Compliance: All products, platforms, and services must conform to applicable Section 508 standards.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is Attachment 4, a "Past Performance Questionnaire" for the "Public Safety Telecommunicator and Alarm Monitoring Support Services" opportunity. Its purpose is to gather information from references regarding a contractor's past performance quality. This input will help the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) evaluate contractors for requirements that may include commercial Cloud Service Provider (CSP) services, professional services, marketplace solutions, and training, broadly categorized as Anything as a Service (XaaS).

• The questionnaire requests information about the contractor's past performance on a specific contract, including:
  • Contract number or project title
  • Period of performance
  • Total project value
  • Annual number of hours
  • A brief description of the project scope
• It then asks for detailed comments on the contractor's performance in several areas, including:
  • Staffing and service consistency
  • Record-keeping and documentation accuracy
  • Professionalism of the workforce
  • Problem identification and resolution
  • Responsiveness to issues
  • Quality control and project management
  • Transition capabilities
  • Supervision effectiveness
  • Subcontracting plan adherence (if applicable)
  • Overall hiring recommendation
  • A summary rating of "Highly Acceptable," "Acceptable," or "Unacceptable."
• Contact information for the respondent is also required.

Bidders who are asked to provide references for this questionnaire should ensure their references understand the scope of XaaS services DHS is considering. The detailed questions aim to assess critical performance aspects relevant to the potential contract. The responses will directly impact the evaluation of a bidder's past performance, a key factor in contract awards.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document, "2. OCIO Cumulus - DRAFT_Solicitation A1.xlsx", contains two sheets detailing pricing and service estimates for the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Department-Wide Cloud Services (Cumulus) program. It is intended to guide Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) in submitting their proposed catalog discounts.

Sheet: Proposed Discount

• CLINs: Lists five CLINs (X001-X005) representing different cloud service categories: XaaS Cloud Services, Marketplace Services, Enterprise Support, Enterprise Training, and Professional Services.
• Estimated Model Total Quantity: All CLINs have an estimated quantity of 100.0 EA.
• Model Unit Price: Set at $1.0 for all CLINs.
• Proposed Catalog Discount: Vendors are instructed to provide their discount percentage in cell E8. The draft shows 0.0% for all CLINs.
• Discount Application: Discounts are to be applied to any/all CSP catalog services, including in-scope marketplace solutions, across all locations covered by the solicitation.

Sheet: Estimated Service Build-Up

• Details the estimated services and quantities that the proposed catalog discount should consider.
• Lists the same five service categories as the 'Proposed Discount' sheet with estimated quantities of 100.0 EA each.
• References specific SOW sections for each service category (e.g., SOW Section 5.2 and 5.3 for XaaS Cloud Services).
• States that these estimates cover a five-year ordering period (base and options) and are based on historical usage, known conversions, and anticipated future needs.
• Clarifies that the unit price is set at $1.0 for evaluation purposes, and actual usage may vary.

This attachment is crucial for potential bidders as it outlines the specific service categories and estimated quantities for which they need to propose a catalog discount. Bidders must ensure their proposed discount is fully applicable to all listed services and consider the provided service build-up estimates when preparing their pricing. The document specifies that vendors should only provide their response in the highlighted cell E8 of the 'Proposed Discount' sheet.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is Attachment 3, a "Past Performance Form," intended for contractors to provide details about previous projects. It is designed to help the government assess a bidder's past performance relevant to the current solicitation.

• Contractor Information: Name, Solicitation Number being responded to.
• Government Agency/Firm: Name and address of the entity for which the effort was performed.
• Contract Details: Contract number, award date, total project price, period of performance, hours per year, number of employees.
• Security Clearance: Required level, if applicable.
• Points of Contact: Technical and Contracting/Purchasing POCs.
• Location of Work: Geographic details.
• CPARS Status: Indication of whether a "finalized" Contractor Performance Assessment Report is available in SAM.gov.
• Description of Contract Work: Detailed comparison of the past project's scope, magnitude, and complexity to the current solicitation, including any unique requirements, problems encountered, and resolutions.
• Subcontracting Plan: Information on whether a subcontracting plan was required and details of subcontractor efforts.

Contractors must complete this form accurately to provide evidence of their past performance. The detailed description of previous work (Item 14) is crucial for demonstrating how their experience aligns with the requirements of the current solicitation and for addressing any potential performance issues or customer concerns.