HID Credential Management System

Amendment / Modification

• The due date for quotes has been extended from January 21, 2026, at 1:00 PM EST to January 22, 2026, at 1:00 PM EST.

• Item 11 (This item only applies to amendments of solicitations) has been updated to reflect the new due date for offers.

• The deadline for submitting quotes has been extended by one day.

Statement of Objective

This document outlines the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) requirement to renew licenses and services for the HID Global ActivID Credential Management System (CMS). This system supports FERC's needs for Logical Access to its IT environment, specifically for Personal Identity Verification (PIV) cards, which are used to meet Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 standards for Federal Employees and Contractors.

Task 1: Software, Licenses, Installation Service, Maintenance and Support

• Renew licenses for 350 HID ActivID CMS users and 5 HID ActivID ActivClient users.
• Provide software maintenance and support services, including access to security updates, patches, and vendor technical support.
• Provide installation and configuration services for the CMS appliance and products.

Task 2: (Optional) Upgrade and Migrate to a new server

• Identify and plan for replacing legacy FIPS 140-2 cards that will no longer be compliant.

• Assess the need for hardware/virtual server replacement.

• Develop a migration plan including transition to FIPS 140-3 validated modules, integration with Active Directory/Entra ID/Azure AD, and testing of approved algorithm suites.

• Offerors must be authorized HID resellers/partners.

• Offerors must provide implementation, testing, and migration services.

• The solution must be FIPS 140-2 validated at level 3 or higher and compatible with FIPS 140-2 ciphers with TLSv1.3.

• The solution must integrate with FERC's current Personnel Access Control System and IT network.

• The solution must be compatible with USGCB compliant Windows 11 Enterprise workstations and configure Active Directory authentication with Role Based Access Control.

• The CMS must support card issuance, updates, credential maintenance, PIN reset, card recycling, and a self-service portal.

• System design document

• Support for Security team documentation for internal ATO

• Functional SOPs for day 2 operations

• Site Survey Acceptance Documentation

• Requirements document, Migration plan, Testing Plan and Test Cases, Acceptance Testing Procedures (ATP), Pre-Deployment Guide (PDG), Low-Level Design (LLD), System Design Document, As-Built Documentation, Standard Operating Procedures.

• Base: January 27, 2026 – January 26, 2027

• Option Year 1: January 27, 2027 – January 26, 2028

• Option Year 2: January 27, 2028 – January 26, 2029

• Option Year 3: January 27, 2029 – January 26, 2030

• FERC HQ, 888 First Street NE, Washington DC 20426.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a Brand Name Justification form used to document the rationale for specifying a particular brand name product or service in an acquisition, thereby restricting full and open competition. It is used when a specific brand name is deemed necessary to meet the Government's needs.

• Agency/Office Name: OED/CSO
• Brand Name Product: ACTIVID and Smart Cards
• Description: Active Identity is needed for logical access to FERC information systems for temporary badging and elevated permission, improving IT support for service requests.
• Manufacturer: HID Global Activld CMS
• Justification for Brand Name: The form requires selection of a reason for using a brand name, with options including patent rights, inability to modify requirements for competitive products, or uniqueness of the product. In this case, option B ('Because program requirements cannot be modified so that competitive products or services may be used') was selected.
• Explanation: Specific reasons provided include FIPS 140-2 L2 certification, existing FERC engineer training and experience with the system, and the product's interoperability with FERC's current IT infrastructure. The new ACTIVID CMS appliance and PIV Cards are intended to meet Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 requirements.

This document indicates that the upcoming acquisition will likely specify the ACTIVID and Smart Cards (HID Global Activld CMS) due to specific technical and operational requirements. Bidders should note that the justification for restricting competition to this brand name is based on existing infrastructure, training, and compliance standards (FIPS 140-2, HSPD-12). This suggests that proposals offering equivalent solutions may need to demonstrate a clear advantage or meet these specific criteria to be considered.

Presolicitation Notice

This notice announces the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) intent to procure contractor support for a new HID Credential Management System (CMS). The contract will be a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) type, with the best value determined using the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) method. Evaluation will be based on price, delivery, and completeness.

• Contractor support for the HID Credential Management System.

• Specific deliverables include:

  • Annual HID ActivID CMS Per Standard Support and Maintenance (Base and Options 1 & 2)
  • HID ActivID ActivClient Per User License (administrator account) (Base and Options 1 & 2)
  • Annual HID ActivID CMS Per Standard Setup (Optional) (Base)
  • HID ActivID ActivClient Usage Tracking Software (Optional) (Base and Options 1 & 2)
  • HID ActivID Professional Services - Migration (Installation) (Base)
  • HID ActivID Professional Services - Usage Tracking Software (Optional) (Installation) (Base)

• Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price (FFP)

• Evaluation Method: Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA)

• Period of Performance (POP):

  • Base: 01-27-2026 to 01-26-2027
  • Option 1: 01-27-2027 to 01-26-2028
  • Option 2: 01-27-2028 to 01-26-2029

• Total contract duration, including options, shall not exceed five (5) years.

• Questions Due: January 19, 2026, by 1:00 PM EST

• Quotes Due: January 21, 2026, by 1:00 PM EST

• Quotes must be submitted electronically to Trey Hair at trey.hair@ferc.gov.

• Responses received after the due date and time will be considered non-responsive.

• Evaluation criteria: Price, delivery, and completeness.

• All offerors must have a current SAM registration.

• This presolicitation notice does not commit the government to pay any costs incurred in the submission of an offer or to contract for services.

• Contact Person: Trey Hair, Contract Specialist, Phone: (202) 502-6014, Email: trey.hair@ferc.gov.