NASA GSFC Solicitation: SEWP V Market Research Meetings Summary

Synopsis – Aug 28, 2012

General Information

Solicitation Number: SEWP5_Market_Research
Posted Date: Aug 28, 2012
FedBizOpps Posted Date: Aug 28, 2012
Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No
Original Response Date: N/A
Current Response Date: N/A
Classification Code: 70 — General purpose information technology equipment
NAICS Code: 541519
Set-Aside Code:

Contracting Office Address

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 210.S, Greenbelt, MD 20771

Description

During the month of August 2012, the NASA SEWP Program Office conducted a series of one-on-one interviews with randomly selected Industry personnel as part of the SEWP V market research phase. The cover letter sent to each attendee is located in Appendix 1. As noted, the purpose of the meetings was to hear about general industry trends and issues. Companies were limited to one slide about their company with the rest of the presentation centered on general, non-company specific issues.

During the discussions, the Government made some general remarks that are summarized below.

– NASA is currently working on the SEWP V Draft RFP and anticipates publishing the Draft RFP in FY13. The Draft will be available on an in interactive website making it easy to review previously submitted questions (scrubbed of any identifiers) and submit new ones. The Draft will be revised during the comment period with the goal of having a close to finished product at the end of the comment period.

– Industry is strongly encouraged to pay attention to the Draft RFP and provide appropriate feedback. In the past, proposals had to be discarded and a new RFP re-published because no-one informed the Government that there was a mandatory specification that was, at the time, still not available. The Government takes the Draft process seriously as a means to ensure that Industry will be able to provide adequate and accurate proposals to the Final RFP.

– There is no set plan for the number of contracts to be awarded as that will be a decision made by the Selecting Authority. The Program Office can state with fair certainty that there will be more than 8 and less than 500 awards. The current SEWP IV vehicle has 38 awardees.

– SEWP is an evolutionary vehicle. If you compared the SEWP I RFQ to the SEWP IV RFP, while there are differences in technology and other areas, they are still remarkably similar. So, while there will be differences between SEWP V and SEWP IV, those differences will not be overwhelming or revolutionary. For example, SEWP is a Product-solution based contract vehicle and that fundamental underpinning will not change.

– When making a determination on if and/or how to bid on a SEWP RFP, pay attention to how SEWP operates and what is being asked for in the RFP.

– Supply chain issues are very important to the SEWP Program Office. SEWP is involved in an international standards committee (Open Group’s Open Trusted Technology Forum (OTTF)). It is therefore anticipated that the Draft RFP will include supply chain management concepts and the Government is very interested in obtaining as much feedback as possible on how we plan to handle this issue.

Appendix 1

Cover Letter for One-on-One Participants

NASA is requesting vendors limit their participants to three people for the interviews. The Government will respond, to the greatest extent possible, to written comments and questions submitted in advance of the interviews; however, vendors are encouraged to use the one-on-one interview time to showcase technology and/or IT acquisition topics as listed below. Each interview (including responses to questions and comments) will be limited to 45 minutes, and vendors should plan accordingly. Please submit your written comments, along with SEWP V specific questions electronically to sewp5@sewp.nasa.gov at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled interview. Only comments and questions submitted at least 48 hours in advance will be addressed at the interviews. Please note that the one-on-one sessions have no bearing on any upcoming proposal and evaluation process and therefore company capability statements should be limited to no more than one page. The purpose of these meetings is for Industry to provide Government with insight into one or more of the following areas:

– New Technology Products and Anticipated IT Trends

– Cloud Computing including Acquisition Issues and FEDRAMP Certification

– Small Business Capabilities including Reseller and Manufacturer Roles for Small Business in IT Product Acquisition

– Supply Chain Management including Mitigating Risks for Counterfeit and Tainted Products

– Other topics related either to upcoming technology or IT Acquisition concerns

Point of Contact

Name: NATESA R ROBINSON
Title: CONTRACTING OFFICER
Phone: 301-286-1340
Fax: 301-286-1670
Email: natesa.r.robinson@nasa.gov