REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

The USD Defense Pricing and Contracting, Acquisition Policy & Innovation (AP&I) is seeking information from industry, especially small and non-traditional business to assist with development of a Congressional briefing on Software as a Service.

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) NOTICE ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP). NO SOLICITATION IS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.

The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) requested a briefing from the DoD on the current state of acquisition of SaaS products and services in the DoD. The request specially asked the DoD to solicit feedback from small businesses and nontraditional vendors in the software market. This RFI is the primary method being used to solicit that feedback.

GENERAL

The DoD follows the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) which defines Software as a Service (SaaS) as “The capability provided to the consumer is to use the provider’s applications running on a cloud infrastructure. The applications are accessible from various client devices through either a thin client interface, such as a web browser (e.g., web-based email), or a program interface. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage, or even individual application capabilities, with the possible exception of limited user-specific application configuration settings.”

We are seeking your input on the three questions to be addressed in the briefing:

1. Identify the value propositions that SaaS might provide for the Department if fully leveraged.
2. Examine how SaaS is treated in software acquisition policy, including whether there is a standardized definition and, if there is, how that definition is integrated into contracting policy and training.
3. Identify whether there is a bias in policy or other cultural factors in the Department impeding SaaS delivery models or products.

RESPONSE GUIDELINES

Interested parties are requested to respond to this RFI with a word or pdf document. Submission can address one or more of the questions. Any proprietary information should be minimized and CLEARLY MARKED. Oral communications are not available at this time. SAM.gov will be the sole repository for all information related to this RFI.

Vendors who wish to respond to this RFI should send responses via email no later than March 22, 2024, at 4PM CST to Kristen Abbott at kristen.m.abbott2.civ@mail.mil.

The Government will not reimburse companies for any costs associated with the submissions of their responses.

QUESTIONS

Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing by e-mail to Carmelyn Anne L.G. Bryan at carmelynanne.bryan.civ@mail.mil, and Kristen Abbott at kristen.m.abbott2.civ@mail.mil.

Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Answers to questions will be posted to SAM.gov. The Government does not guarantee that questions received after March 18, 2024 at 4PM CST will be answered. The Government will not reimburse companies for any costs associated with the submissions of their responses.

DISCLAIMER

This RFI is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals nor will any award be made as a result of this synopsis.

All information contained in the RFI is in no way binding on the Government. FAR § 52.215-3, “Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes”, is incorporated by reference in this RFI. The Government does not intend to pay for information received in response to this RFI. Responders to this invitation are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. This RFI will be the basis for collecting information on capabilities available. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes. Proprietary information and trade secrets, if any, must be clearly marked on all materials. All information received in this RFI that is marked “Proprietary” will be handled accordingly. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned nor will receipt be confirmed. In accordance with FAR § 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract.

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