FirstSource III Solicitation

7.30.24

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS remains committed to keeping you updated on the status of FirstSource III.  The Phase II evaluation is complete.  DHS anticipates making the ITVAR awards by the end of FY 2024.  Additional information on the Software awards will be provided in the first quarter of FY 2025.

Periodic updates will continue to be posted to SAM.gov to update you on the procurement’s status.  ITVAR offerors will be notified in accordance with the notification requirements at FAR Subpart 15.5.  However, please be mindful that individual communications with offerors with respect to the Software functional category may be limited. 

Thank you

***

4.24.24

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS remains committed to keeping you updated on the status of FirstSource III.  The Phase II evaluation is nearing completion, and the team looks forward to making award in FY 2024. 

Periodic updates will continue to be posted to SAM.gov to update you on the procurement’s status.  However, please be mindful that individual communications with offerors may be limited due to the evaluation process.

Thank you

***

12.8.23

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS remains committed to keeping you updated on the status of FirstSource III.  The Phase II evaluation is in progress.  The Contracting Officer is reaching out to offerors regarding proposal validity to ensure proposals remain valid for the remainder of the evaluation and award preparation.

As the Phase II evaluation continues, periodic updates will continue to be posted to SAM.gov to update you on the procurement’s status.  However, please be mindful that individual communications with offerors may be limited due to the evaluation process.

Thank you

***

11.2.23

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS remains committed to keeping you updated on the status of FirstSource III.  The Phase II evaluation remains in progress, and the team looks forward to making award in FY 2024. 

As the Phase II evaluation continues, periodic updates will continue to be posted to SAM.gov to update you on the procurement’s status.  However, please be mindful that individual communications with offerors may be limited due to the evaluation process.

Thank you

***

6.12.23

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS remains committed to keeping you updated on the status of FirstSource III.  The Phase II evaluation is still in progress. 

As the Phase II evaluation continues, periodic updates will continue to be posted to SAM.gov to update you on the procurement’s status.  However, please be mindful that individual communications with offerors may be limited due to the evaluation process.

Thank you

***

5.9.23

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS remains committed to keeping you updated on the status of FirstSource III.  As of the date of this notice, DHS has received 2 Government Accountability Office (GAO) protests.  The Phase II evaluation is in progress and the protests will be resolved before awards are made.

As the Phase II evaluation continues, periodic updates will continue to be posted to SAM.gov to update you on the procurement’s status.  However, please be mindful that individual communications with offerors may be limited due to the evaluation process.

Thank you

***

3.1.23

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS remains committed to keeping you updated on the status of FirstSource III.  Approximately 300 proposals were received for Phase II.  As of the date of this notice, the proposal intake is complete and the compliance review is nearly complete.  Within the next couple of weeks, the government anticipates contacting individual offerors with clarifications or matters of compliance.  Not all offerors will be contacted during this process.  Only offerors that require clarifications, or who have noncompliant proposals will be contacted.

As the Phase II evaluation continues, periodic updates will continue to be posted to SAM.gov to update you on the procurement’s status.  However, please be mindful that individual communications with offerors may be limited due to the evaluation process.

Thank you

***

1.12.23

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS is issuing Amendment 0015 to the FirstSource III solicitation to make minor changes to a limited number of devices in Attachment 8, ITVAR Pricing Schedule Salient Characteristics, and to provide a brief extension to the proposal response date.  This extension applies to proposals for both FirstSource III Functional Categories, ITVAR and Software.

The opportunity for questions for Phase II remains closed.  The due date for Phase II proposals is extended from January 18, 2023 at 10 am Eastern to Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at 10 am Eastern.

As a reminder, offerors who have not submitted a proposal under Phase I for FirstSource III cannot submit a proposal for consideration for Phase II.

Offerors are reminded that once proposals are due and as the government enters source selection, individual communications with offerors may be limited.  Periodic updates will continue to be posted to SAM.gov to inform offerors of the procurement’s status.

This amendment makes minor changes to the converged infrastructure devices in Attachment 8, ITVAR Salient Characteristics. The changes are noted within the tracked changes copy of Attachment 8, which has also been provided.

The solicitation has been updated as follows:

• To update Section L.7.1 to change the Phase II proposal response date from January 18, 2023, at 10 am Eastern to Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at 10 am Eastern;
• To update Section J, Attachments to indicate the latest Amendment version for Attachment 8;
• To provide an updated Attachment 8, ITVAR Pricing Schedule Salient Characteristics. 

For reference, filenames for the attachments associated with this amendment start with “A15”.

Solicitation Amendment Documents:

The following documents are included as part of this solicitation amendment:

• SF 30
• The solicitation
• Track changes copy of the solicitation
• Attachment 8, ITVAR Pricing Schedule Salient Characteristics clean copy
• Attachment 8, ITVAR Pricing Schedule Salient Characteristics track changes copy

***

1.6.23

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS is issuing Amendment 0014 to the FirstSource III solicitation to make minor changes to a limited number of devices in Attachment 8, ITVAR Pricing Schedule Salient Characteristics. 

The opportunity for questions for Phase II remains closed.  Phase II proposals are due January 18, 2023 at 10 am Eastern.

As a reminder, offerors who have not submitted a proposal under Phase I for FirstSource III cannot submit a proposal for consideration for Phase II.

Offerors are reminded that once proposals are due and as the government enters source selection, individual communications with offerors may be limited.  Periodic updates will continue to be posted to SAM.gov to inform offerors of the procurement’s status.

This amendment makes changes to address minor inconsistencies noted in a limited number of the devices in Attachment 8, ITVAR Salient Characteristics. The changes are noted within the tracked changes copy of Attachment 8, which is also provided.

The solicitation has been updated as follows:

• To update Section J, Attachments, to indicate the latest Amendment version for Attachment 8.
• To provide an updated Attachment 8, ITVAR Pricing Schedule Salient Characteristics. 

For reference, filenames for the attachments associated with this amendment start with “A14”.

Solicitation Amendment Documents:

The following documents are included as part of this solicitation amendment:

• SF 30
• The solicitation
• Track changes copy of the solicitation
• Attachment 8, ITVAR Pricing Schedule Salient Characteristics clean copy
• Attachment 8, ITVAR Pricing Schedule Salient Characteristics track changes copy

***

12.20.22

Dear Industry Partners,

The FirstSource III team thanks industry again for its questions.  DHS is issuing Amendment 0013 to the FirstSource III solicitation to provide its response.  As with all prior amendments, this amendment applies to both the ITVAR and Software Functional Categories.

As a reminder, offerors who have not submitted a proposal under Phase I for FirstSource III cannot submit a proposal for consideration for Phase II.

As of this amendment, the opportunity for questions for Phase II is closed.  Phase II proposals are due January 18, 2023 at 10 am Eastern.

Offerors are reminded that once proposals are due and as the government enters source selection, individual communications with offerors may be limited.  Periodic updates will continue to be posted to SAM.gov to inform offerors of the procurement’s status.

Due to the high volume of identical duplicate questions received, and to provide a more concise response, any duplicates have been removed from the Q&A document so each question only appears one time.

This amendment updates elements of the solicitation related to Phase II in response to industry’s questions (both contracting and technical) and updates the following solicitation attachments related to Phase II:  Attachment 2, Software Pricing Schedule, and Attachment 8, ITVAR Salient Characteristics.

The solicitation has been updated as follows:

• To update Section J, Attachments to indicate the latest Amendment version for each attachment.
• To update Attachment 2  in response to industry’s comments to address formatting issues.
• To update Attachment 8 in response to industry’s questions. 

For reference, filenames for the attachments associated with this amendment start with “A13”.

A track changes copy of the solicitation and Attachment 8 are provided for reference. 

Solicitation Amendment Documents:

The following documents are included as part of this solicitation amendment:

• SF 30
• The solicitation
• Track changes copy of the solicitation
• Attachment 2, Software Pricing Schedule
• Attachment 8, ITVAR Pricing Schedule Salient Characteristics clean copy
• Attachment 8, ITVAR Pricing Schedule Salient Characteristics track changes copy
• Amendment 13, Q&A

***

12.1.22

Dear Industry Partners,

The FirstSource III team thanks industry for its questions and its patience while we prepared this response.  DHS is issuing Amendment 0012 to the FirstSource III solicitation.  This amendment answers industry’s technical questions and establishes a new Phase II proposal response date of January 18, 2023, at 10 am Eastern.  As with all prior amendments, this amendment applies to both the ITVAR and Software Functional Categories.

This amendment also includes a Q&A period.  Questions are due December 12, 2022, at 1pm Eastern.

As a reminder, offerors who have not submitted a proposal under Phase I for FirstSource III cannot submit a proposal for consideration for Phase II.

This amendment updates elements of the solicitation related to Phase II in response to industry’s questions (both contracting and technical) and updates multiple solicitation attachments related to Phase II:  Attachments 1, 2, 8, and 9.

The solicitation has been updated as follows:

• To update Section L.3 to establish a date to submit questions.  Questions are due December 12, 2022 at 1 pm Eastern.
• To update Section L.7.1 with the updated Phase II due date to January 18, 2023 at 10 am Eastern.
• To clarify Section B.4, Pricing and add a new Section B.5, Post Award Equipment and Labor Pricing.
• To change Section B.5 Leasing to Section B.6 since a new section B.5 was added.
• To update Section J, Attachments to indicate the latest Amendment version for each attachment.
• To clarify Section L.5 that for Phase II, only the Amendments starting with Amendment 4 need to be submitted and clarifies the text formatting for Attachment 9.
• To update Section L.6.2.2, Signed Cover Letter to require offerors with changes that may have impacted their Reps and Certs to ensure SAM.gov is updated by the date of Phase II proposal submission, and to confirm the update and briefly indicate the nature of the change in the cover letter.
• To change Section L.7.2.5.1, Factor 3, Demonstrated Prior Experience to allow for prior experience within 6 years of the date of solicitation issuance.
• To change Section L.7.2.5.2, Factor 4, Past Performance to allow for past performance within 6 years of the date of solicitation issuance.
• To update Section L.7.2.5.3, Factor 5, Price to add clarifying language about proposing new or updated SKUs.
• To update Section L.8 with the new proposal due date and projected award timeframe.
• To update Section M.3.2 Factors 3 and 4 to reflect the definition of recent as 6 years.

Attachment 1:  Has been updated to address the formatting issues noted in Amendment 9 and two small form factor devices have been added in accordance with updates to Attachment 8.

Attachment 2:  Has updated SKUs, Software titles and quantities in response to industry’s questions.  The specific change is noted in the response to the question.  Also, two software titles have been deleted.

Attachment 8:  Has been updated throughout to reflect updated DHS specifications and to ensure consistency across the specifications.  Most notably, the references to the Government Wide Strategic Solutions (GSS) specifications have been removed, and two small form factor devices have been added.  Please see both the track changes and clean copies.

Attachment 9:  Has been reformatted to provide a more straightforward approach to mapping the DHS requirements to the proposed requirements.  The instructions have also been updated to conform with the solicitation updates. 

For reference, filenames for the attachments associated with this amendment start with “A12”.

A track changes copy of the solicitation and Attachment 8 are provided for reference. 

Solicitation Amendment Documents:

The following documents are included as part of this solicitation amendment:

• SF 30
• The solicitation
• Track changes copy of the solicitation
• Attachment 1, ITVAR Pricing Schedule
• Attachment 2, Software Pricing Schedule
• Attachment 8, ITVAR Pricing Schedule Salient Characteristics clean copy
• Attachment 8, ITVAR Pricing Schedule Salient Characteristics track changes copy
• Attachment 9, Pricing Schedule Crosswalk
• Amendment 12, Q&A Technical Questions

***

11.18.22

Dear Industry Partners,

As stated in our November 15, 2022 notice, we said we would notify you if there were any changes to our timeline to release the next FirstSource III amendment. 

Accordingly, this is to notify you that the amendment to answer the technical questions will not be issued on or before November 21, 2022.  Therefore, Phase II proposals are not due November 21, 2022.  A new due date will be established when that amendment is issued, which is expected to be by the end of November 2022.  The due date in SAM will be updated when the new due date is established. 

Past Performance Questionnaires will continue to be accepted.  Also, as a reminder, offerors who have not submitted a proposal under Phase I for FirstSource III cannot submit a proposal for consideration for Phase II.

DHS is issuing Amendment 0011 to the FirstSource III solicitation.  This amendment extends the Phase II proposal response date from November 21, 2022 at 10 am Eastern to a date to be established in the next amendment.  As with all prior amendments, this amendment applies to both the ITVAR and Software Functional Categories.

For reference, file names for the attachments associated with this amendment start with “A11”.

A track changes copy of the solicitation is provided for reference. 

Solicitation Amendment Documents:

The following documents are included as part of this solicitation amendment:

• SF 30
• The solicitation
• Track changes copy of the solicitation

Please continue to monitor SAM.gov for updates.

Thank you

***

11.15.22

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS remains committed to keeping you updated on the status of FirstSource III.  Therefore, please be advised that the FirstSource III team is still answering the technical questions received during the Q&A period.  It is anticipated an amendment to answer the technical questions will be issued prior to the current Phase II due date of November 21, 2022.  The upcoming amendment will also include updates to the relevant solicitation documents as a result of the answers to the contracting and technical questions.  The amendment, when issued, will also provide another extension to the proposal due date and may include another question and answer period.  All due dates will be structured to be mindful of the holiday season ahead.

If there are any further changes to the timeline, an update will be posted on SAM.gov.

Thank you

***

11.1.22

Dear Industry Partners,

The FirstSource III team thanks industry for its questions.  We received a robust response.  DHS is issuing Amendment 0010 to the FirstSource III solicitation.  This amendment answers industry’s contracting related questions and establishes a new Phase II proposal response date of November 21, 2022 at 10 am Eastern.  The team is still addressing the technical questions, but is pleased to provide responses to the contracting related questions.  Another amendment will be issued to answer the technical questions and update the relevant solicitation documents.  If necessary, at that time, another extension to the proposal due date will be provided.  As with all prior amendments, this amendment applies to both the ITVAR and Software Functional Categories.

For reference, filenames for the attachments associated with this amendment start with “A10”.

A track changes copy of the solicitation is provided for reference. 

Solicitation Amendment Documents:

The following documents are included as part of this solicitation amendment:

• SF 30
• The solicitation
• Amendment 10 Q&A Contracting Questions
• Track changes copy of the solicitation

***

10.11.22

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS is issuing Amendment 0009 to the FirstSource III solicitation.  This amendment establishes a new Phase II proposal response date of November 7, 2022 at 10 am Eastern.  Offerors who have already submitted Phase II proposals may submit a new Phase II proposal in accordance with this amendment and past performance questionnaires will be accepted until that date.  As with all prior amendments, this amendment applies to both the ITVAR and Software Functional Categories.

As a reminder, offerors who have not submitted a proposal under Phase I for FirstSource III cannot submit a proposal for consideration for Phase II.

This amendment also includes a Q&A period.  Questions are due Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at 1pm Eastern.

This amendment updates Factor 5, Price and multiple solicitation attachments with information related to the Price factor:  Attachments 1, 2, 6, 8 and 9.  The NAICS Code for Software has also been updated as a result of a SBA final rule dated 9/29/22.  This final rule changed the 6 digit code of the Software Publishers industry from 511210 to 513210 and the footnote has changed from 20 to 15.  As a result of this NAICS code change, the NAICS code for Software has been updated in the solicitation.  This final rule did not change the definition of the industry, only the 6 digit code.  You may view the final rule here:  NAICS 2022 final rule 

The rule change did not impact the ITVAR NAICS code, 541519, footnote 18.

The solicitation has been updated as follows:

• To change DUNS to the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) throughout
• To update the Software NAICS Code from 511210 footnote 20 to 513210 footnote 15 throughout
• To update Section L.3 to establish a date to submit questions of October 19, 2022 at 1pm Eastern and to change the e-mail address for submission
• To establish the Phase II due date of November 7, 2022 at 10 am Eastern
• To clarify Section B.4 that the items to be priced are a sample
• To clarify Section L.5 that Attachment 9 has no page limit and to provide instructions on submitting Attachment 9
• To update Section L.6.2.2, Signed Cover Letter to replace DUNS with UEI
• To update Section L.7.2.5.3, Factor 5, Price to add factor instruction language from Section B and to clarify that there is no page limit for Attachment 9
• To update Section L.8 with the proposal due date.

Attachment 1:  The instructions tab has been updated to be consistent with updates to the solicitation.

Attachment 2:  The instructions tab has been updated to be consistent with updates to the solicitation and items within the pricing table have been updated.  Offerors are encouraged to identify any additional updates.

Attachment 6:  Row 9 has been updated to reflect amendment 9 and row 25 has been updated to reflect the requirement of 1 Attachment 9 form for each item without a page limit.

Attachment 8:  Has been updated throughout.

Attachment 9:  Has been reformatted to allow more room for responses.  The instructions have also been updated to conform with the solicitation updates. 

For reference, filenames for the attachments associated with this amendment start with “A9”.

A track changes copy of the solicitation is provided for reference. 

Solicitation Amendment Documents:

The following documents are included as part of this solicitation amendment:

• SF 30
• The solicitation
• Track changes copy of the solicitation
• Attachment 1, ITVAR Pricing Schedule
• Attachment 2, Software Pricing Schedule
• Attachment 6, Compliance Checklist
• Attachment 8, ITVAR Pricing Schedule Salient Characteristics
• Attachment 9, Pricing Schedule Crosswalk

***

9.30.22

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS is issuing Amendment 0008 to the FirstSource III solicitation.  This amendment extends the Phase II proposal response date from October 3, 2022 at 10 am Eastern to a date to be established in the next amendment.  Offerors who have already submitted proposals may submit a new proposal in accordance with this and any subsequent amendments when the new due date is established.

The date due has not been changed in SAM.gov because the system doesn’t allow for a blank field.  The due date in SAM will be updated when the new due date is established.  Proposals are no longer due on October 3, 2022 at 10 am Eastern.  Past Performance Questionnaires will continue to be accepted.

For reference, filenames for the attachments associated with this amendment start with “A8”.

A track changes copy of the solicitation is provided for reference. 

Solicitation Amendment Documents:

The following documents are included as part of this solicitation amendment:

• SF 30
• The solicitation
• Track changes copy of the solicitation

***

9.13.22

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS is issuing Amendment 0007 to the FirstSource III solicitation.  This amendment extends the Phase II proposal response date from September 14, 2022 at 10 am Eastern to October 3, 2022 at 10 am Eastern. 

Offerors are advised that the statement below in Section L.7.2.5.2, Factor 4, Past Performance on page 118 offers the government flexibility with respect to the past performance factor and can be used in cases when all questionnaires are not received.

"The Government reserves the right to use other publicly available reports, and/or data from such systems as the Contractor Performance And Rating System (CPARS)."

For reference, filenames for the attachments associated with this amendment start with “A7”.

A track changes copy of the solicitation is provided for reference. 

Solicitation Amendment Documents:

The following documents are included as part of this solicitation amendment:

• SF 30
• The solicitation
• Track changes copy of the solicitation

In additon, the contact e-mail address in this SAM notice have been updated to conform with the solicitation.  

***

8.22.22

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS is issuing Amendment 0006 to the FirstSource III solicitation.  This amendment extends the Phase II proposal response date from September 7, 2022 at 10 am Eastern to September 14, 2022 at 10 am Eastern and corrects a typographical error in Section L.6.3. 

For reference, filenames for the attachments associated with this amendment start with “A6”.

A track changes copy of the solicitation is provided for reference. 

Solicitation Amendment Documents:

The following documents are included as part of this solicitation amendment:

• SF 30
• The solicitation
• Track changes copy of the solicitation

***

8.11.22

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS is issuing Amendment 0005 to the FirstSource III solicitation.  This amendment extends the Phase II proposal response date from August 24, 2022 at 10 am Eastern to September 7, 2022 at 10 am Eastern. 

For reference, filenames for the attachments associated with this amendment start with “A5”.

A track changes copy of the solicitation is provided for reference. 

Solicitation Amendment Documents:

The following documents are included as part of this solicitation amendment:

• SF 30
• The solicitation
• Track changes copy of the solicitation

Thank you

***

8.3.22

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS is issuing Amendment 0004 to the FirstSource III solicitation.  These changes impact Phase II of the solicitation only.  The Phase I evaluation process is complete and the advisory down select notices have been distributed.  Offerors who have not submitted a proposal under Phase I for FirstSource III cannot submit a proposal for consideration for Phase II.  Any proposals received for Phase II that were not evaluated for Phase I will not be evaluated for Phase II.

Most significantly, this amendment changes the language at Sections L.4 and L.6.2.2, Signed Cover Letter, to extend the proposal validity for Phase II proposals from 120 days to 180 days.  It also changes Section L.7.2.5.2 Factor 4 - Past Performance (Volume II) instructions.  As a result of the changes to Section L.7.2.5.2, offerors shall provide Past Performance Questionnaires only. The statement regarding available CPARS information has been removed.  The amendment also changes the e-mail address for submission of the Past Performance Questionnaires to the FirstSource III ITVAR and Software e-mail boxes and provides a naming convention for the Past Performance Questionnaires.  An updated Attachment 7, Past Performance Questionnaire with the updated e-mail addresses is provided.  If a reference submitted a Past Performance Questionnaire prior to this amendment, please have them resubmit the questionnaire.  Questionnaires submitted prior to Amendment 4 will not be considered.

This amendment also provides an updated Attachment 6, Compliance Checklist.  Offerors are advised to ensure they complete and submit the Phase II tab of the revised checklist.  The due date and time for the Phase II proposal responses is also updated in the solicitation.  That date is August, 24, 2022 at 10 am Eastern.  Again, please be advised that any proposals received for Phase II that were not evaluated for Phase I will not be evaluated for Phase II.

For reference, filenames for the attachments associated with this amendment start with “A4”.

Solicitation Amendment Changes:

Changes have been made to the following sections of the solicitation:

• Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Notice
• Section H, Section H.9.1 to update website reference to SAM.gov
• Section L, Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors or Respondents
  • Subsections L.4, L.5, L.6 , L.7, L.8 as indicated above
• Attachment 6, Compliance Checklist
• Attachment 7, Past Performance Questionnaire

A track changes copy of the solicitation is provided for reference.  Please carefully review the SF 30 and updated solicitation for a full accounting of all changes.

Solicitation Amendment Documents:

The following documents are included as part of this solicitation amendment:

• SF 30
• The solicitation
• Track changes copy of the solicitation
• Attachment 6, Compliance Checklist
• Attachment 7, Past Performance Questionnaire

Multiple amendments have been issued to this solicitation.  Please review all amendments and attachments and ensure you are using the most up to date versions for your proposal submission.

Thank you

***

7.21.22

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS remains committed to keeping you updated on the status of FirstSource III.  Therefore, we are pleased to announce that the Phase I advisory down select notices will be distributed on or about August 3, 2022.  As stated previously, offerors will receive individual notifications with the advisory down select decision from the Contracting Officer. 

If your proposal point of contact has changed, please e-mail the new point of contact’s name and e-mail address to the appropriate e-mail address(es):

FSIIIProposalsITVAR@hq.dhs.gov

FSIIIProposalsSW@hq.dhs.gov

Please only submit point of contact change information.  This is to ensure the timely receipt of the advisory down select decision. No other information will be accepted.

As FirstSource III moves into Phase II of the procurement, periodic updates will continue to be posted to SAM.gov to inform offerors of the procurement’s status.  However, please be mindful that individual communications with offerors may be limited due to the evaluation process.

Thank you

***

5.10.22

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS remains committed to keeping you updated on the status of FirstSource III.  The volume of proposals continues to drive the timeline, so DHS would like to take the opportunity to provide another update.  The Phase I evaluation is nearing completion and we are working to issue the advisory down select notices as soon as possible.  Another industry update will be posted prior to the issuance of the advisory down select notices that will include high level milestones.

As stated previously, offerors will receive individual notifications with the advisory down select decision from the Contracting Officer at the conclusion of Phase I.  Until that time, individual communications with offerors may be limited due to the Phase I evaluation.  Periodic updates will continue to be posted to SAM.gov to inform offerors as to the procurement’s status.

Thank you

***

2.14.22

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS remains committed to keeping you updated on the status of FirstSource III.  The volume of proposals continues to drive the timeline, so DHS would like to take the opportunity to provide another update.  The Phase I evaluation is nearing completion. Another industry update will be posted prior the issuance of the advisory down select notices.

As stated previously, offerors will receive individual notifications with the advisory down select decision from the Contracting Officer at the conclusion of Phase I.  Until that time, individual communications with offerors may be limited due to the Phase I evaluation.  Periodic updates will continue to be posted to SAM.gov to inform offerors as to the procurement’s status.

Thank you

***

12.15.21

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS remains committed to keeping you updated on the status of FirstSource III.  The volume of proposals continues to drive the timeline, so DHS would like to take the opportunity to provide another update, particularly as the holiday season rapidly approaches.  The Phase I evaluation is still in progress and the advisory down select notices will not be issued before January 2022.

As stated previously, offerors will receive individual notifications with the advisory down select decision from the Contracting Officer at the conclusion of Phase I.  Until that time, individual communications with offerors may be limited due to the Phase I evaluation.  Periodic updates will continue to be posted to SAM.gov to inform offerors as to the procurement’s status.

Thank you and happy holidays.

***

11.4.21

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS remains committed to keeping you updated on the status of FirstSource III.  The September 14, 2021 update stated that DHS had received an overwhelming response to the solicitation.  To confirm the quantity, DHS received 637 proposals from 325 offerors. 

The volume of proposals continues to drive the timeline, so DHS would like to take the opportunity to provide another update, particularly with the holiday season ahead. 

The compliance review in accordance with Section L.5.1 of the solicitation has been completed for all proposals and the Phase I evaluation is nearly complete.  As stated previously, offerors will receive individual notifications with the advisory down select decision from the Contracting Officer at the conclusion of Phase I.  Until that time, individual communications with offerors may be limited due to the Phase I evaluation.  Periodic updates will continue to be posted to SAM.gov to inform offerors as to the procurement’s status.

For your reference, please see the updated milestones:

• Advisory Down-select notifications:   December 2021
• Phase II proposals due:  January 2022
• Phase II Compliance review:  February 2022
• Award:  August 2022

***

9.14.21

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS remains committed to keeping you updated on the status of FirstSource III.  DHS received an overwhelming response to the FirstSource III solicitation, resulting in a higher than expected number of proposals.  The higher volume, while appreciated, has impacted the timeline, so DHS would like to take the opportunity to update our industry partners on the current status of FirstSource III and provide updated high-level milestones. 

The compliance review in accordance with Section L.5.1 of the solicitation has been completed for all proposals and the Phase I evaluation is in progress.  Offerors will receive individual notifications with the advisory down select decision from the Contracting Officer at the conclusion of Phase I.  Until that time, individual communications with offerors may be limited due to the Phase I evaluation.  Periodic updates will continue to be posted to SAM.gov to inform offerors as to the procurement’s status.

For your reference, the updated milestones are below and have been revised to reflect the additional proposal volume.

• Advisory Down-select notifications:      October 2021
• Phase II proposals due:                        November 2021
• Phase II Compliance review:                November 2021               
• Award:                                                  Late February 2022

***

5.25.21

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS is issuing Amendment 0003 to the FirstSource III solicitation.  This amendment clarifies Section L.2, Woman-Owned Small Business Certification with respect to Joint Ventures.  This amendment also makes administrative changes and extends the Phase I proposal response date from June 2, 2021 at 10 am Eastern to June 9, 2021 at 10 am Eastern. 

For reference, filenames for the attachments associated with this amendment start with “A3”.

Solicitation Amendment Changes:

Changes have been made to the following sections of the solicitation:

• Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Notice
• Section G, Contract Administration Data
  • Subsections G.2.1, G.2.2, and G.2.3
• Section L, Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors or Respondents
  • Subsections L.2, L.6, and L.8
• Section M, Evaluation Factors for Award
  • Subsection M.2

A track changes copy of the solicitation is provided for reference. 

Solicitation Amendment Documents:

The following documents are included as part of this solicitation amendment:

• SF 30
• The solicitation
• Track changes copy of the solicitation

***

5.21.21

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS is issuing Amendment 0002 to the FirstSource III solicitation.  This amendment clarifies the Joint Venture language for Factor 3, Demonstrated Prior Experience, and provides an updated Attachment 6, Compliance Checklist, to correct an error.  The Phase I proposal response date remains the same.

For reference, the filenames for the attachments associated with this amendment start with “A2”.

Solicitation Amendment Changes:

Changes have been made to the following sections of the solicitation:

• Section L, Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors or Respondents
  • Subsection L.7

A track changes copy of the solicitation is provided for reference. 

Solicitation Amendment Documents:

The following documents are included as part of this solicitation amendment:

• SF 30
• The solicitation
• Attachment 6 - Compliance Checklist (Phases I and II) spreadsheet has 2 tabs

A track changes copy of the solicitation is also provided.

***

5.18.21

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS is issuing Amendment 0001 to the FirstSource III solicitation.  The Department would like to thank industry for providing its feedback in response to the solicitation. 

This amendment answers industry questions and provides an amended solicitation.  Also included are updated attachments and one new attachment which are listed below.  For reference, filenames for the attachments associated with this amendment start with “A1”.

Phase I proposals are due June 2, 2021 at 10:00am Eastern.  Offerors shall submit their proposals to the correct e-mail box in accordance with the instructions at L.6.

FSIIIProposalsITVAR@hq.dhs.gov for ITVAR Functional Category proposals

FSIIIProposalsSW@hq.dhs.gov for Software Functional Category proposals

The Question and Answer period has closed for Phase I.  Questions will not be accepted or answered by the Government at this time. 

Any proposals submitted prior to this solicitation amendment will be disregarded.  Offerors who may have already submitted proposals are strongly encouraged to resubmit their proposals in accordance with this solicitation amendment.

Solicitation Amendment Changes:

Changes have been made to the following sections of the solicitation:

• Synopsis/Solicitation Cover
• Section I, Clauses Incorporated in Full Text
• Section J, Attachments
• Section L, Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors or Respondents
  • Subsections L.4, L.5, L.6, L.7, and L.8
• Section M, Evaluation Factors for Award
  • Subsections M.2 and M.3

A track changes copy of the solicitation is provided for reference. 

Solicitation Amendment Documents:

The following documents are included as part of this solicitation amendment:

• SF 30
• The solicitation
• Attachment 1- ITVAR Pricing Schedule
• Attachment 2- Software Pricing Schedule
• Attachment 6 - Compliance Checklist (Phases I and II) spreadsheet has 2 tabs
• Attachment 8- ITVAR Pricing Schedule Salient Characteristics & Labor Category Descriptions
• Attachment 9- Pricing Schedule Crosswalk
• Q&A Part 1 Contracting Questions
• Q&A Part 2 Technical Questions
• Q&A FirstSource II Awardees
• Track changes copy of the solicitation

Milestones:

Below are the near term upcoming milestone dates.  Please see the solicitation for complete details:

• Solicitation Amendment 1 issued:  May 18, 2021
• Phase I proposals due:  June 2, 2021 at 10:00 am
• Advisory Down-select notifications:  mid-July 2021
• Phase II proposals due:  early August 2021

***

5.11.21

Dear Industry Partners,

We appreciate the continued interest in FirstSource III.  Phase I proposals are not due on May 12, 2021 due to the pending solicitation amendment.  The amendment expected to be released on or about May 18, 2021 will establish a new due date for the Phase I proposal and will also update the propoal due date field in beta.sam.  Please continue to monitor this solicitation on beta.sam for further updates.  Thank you.

***

5.4.2021

Dear Industry Partners,

Thank you for your feedback on the FirstSource III solicitation and participation in the preproposal conference.  As a result of the volume of questions submitted, DHS will need additional time to ensure you receive a meaningful response and an amended solicitation.  The amendment with questions and answers is expected to be released on or about May 18, 2021.  As a result, the other high level milestones in Section L.8, Anticipated Schedule, will be adjusted accordingly.  This includes the Phase I proposal response date.  Any changes or additional information will be posted to this notice on beta.sam.  Thank you.

***

4.28.2021

Dear Industry Partners,

The link to access the FirstSource III Preproposal Conference recording is below.  The conference slides are also provided in the attachments section of this notice.

https://dhsocpo.adobeconnect.com/pbpva9rh05jd/ 

Thank you for your continued interest in FirstSource III

***

Dear Industry Partners,

DHS is pleased to issue the solicitation for FirstSource III.  This solicitation will result in a series of multiple award, department wide Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contracts.  FirstSource III is a 100% small business set-aside with five (5) separate set-aside tracks to include the four (4) small business socio-economic contracting programs:  (1) 8(a); (2) Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone); (3) Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB); and (4) Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB). Track 5 will be set-aside for all small businesses.  FirstSource III also has two Functional Categories, Information Technology Value Added Reseller (ITVAR) using NAICS code 541519, footnote 18 and Software, using NAICS code 511210, footnote 20.

This single solicitation will result in two source selections, one for ITVAR and one for Software.  Multiple awards will be made in each Functional Category in each of the small business and small business socioeconomic tracks.  Offerors may submit more than one proposal.  Please see section L.4.1 of the solicitation for complete information on submitting more than one proposal.

Preproposal Conference

A virtual preproposal conference is scheduled for Monday, April 26th at 2:30pm.  Details on how to register for the conference are provided below.

Solicitation Documents:

The following documents are included as part of this solicitation:

• SF 1449
• The solicitation
• Attachment 1- ITVAR Pricing Schedule
• Attachment 2- Software Pricing Schedule
• Attachment 3- Transactional Data Report (TDR) Template
• Attachment 4- EPEAT Report Template
• Attachment 5- No Bid Report Template
• Attachment 6 - Compliance Checklist (Phases I and II) spreadsheet has 2 tabs
• Attachment 7- Past Performance Questionnaire
• Attachment 8- ITVAR Pricing Schedule Salient Characteristics & Labor Category Descriptions

A copy of the draft ordering guide is also attached for your reference.

Milestones:

Below are the anticipated milestone dates.  Please see the solicitation for complete details:

• Solicitation released:  April 20, 2021
• Preproposal Conference:  April 26, 2021 at 2:30 pm
• Vendor Questions Due April 27, 2021 at 3:00 pm
• Phase I proposals due:  May 12, 2021 at 10:00 am
• Advisory Down-select notifications: mid- June 2021
• Phase II proposals due: late June 2021
• Award: September 2021

Preproposal Conference Registration Instructions:

Registration is required for each attendee.  Industry partners are limited to no more than two (2) individuals per company.

If you are interested in attending the Preproposal Conference, please register at the below link no later than April 22, 2021, 11:59 pm EST.  Reservations through any other means will not be accepted or allowed. Please register as soon as possible.  A follow up email will be sent after the registration closing date to confirm your registration status as confirmed or waitlisted.

https://cvent.me/rqWXdE

Please see below for additional Preproposal Conference details:

Date: April 26, 2021

Time: 2:30pm – 4:00pm

Location:  virtual (link to be provided with confirmation)

Submission of Questions:

The government will accept and answer a limited number of questions during the virtual preproposal conference, however, please note that these will not constitute the government’s formal response.  The government’s formal response to questions will only occur through an amendment to this solicitation.  The government will only provide a formal response to questions submitted in accordance with the instructions provided in the solicitation.  Please follow the communications and questions process as stated in Section L.3 of the solicitation when submitting questions in response to the solicitation.

Additional Information:

The Government will NOT provide responses that include internal agency information. Please be mindful of this when preparing questions and topics for discussion.

As always, we thank you for your interest and we look forward to your participation.