Update: Please note the NIMH STARS Office has a separate (already contracted) requirement to support the software development effort and the purpose of this RFI is to support industry engagement specifically related to Vendor integrations required as part of the SOAR contract. Please see the attachments for ongoing updates and any responses to questions received. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), this is a Request for Information (RFI). This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this RFI is to obtain knowledge and information for project planning purposes for the Scientific, Operations, and Administrative Resources (SOAR) contract. The upcoming SOAR requirement includes a digital process automation component and will necessitate that Vendors are able to successfully integrate with the NIH-developed web services. The web services will govern the lifecycle of requests against the SOAR contract, from the NIH requesting New Task Orders (TOs) through TO closure. In addition, travel requests, requests to address Contractor concerns, request to revise TOs, requests to exercise pre-negotiated options, and invoicing will be included in the planned integrations between NIH and future SOAR Vendors. The documentation for the NIH-developed web services is provided as part of this request for information (RFI) to ensure two (2) primary goals: Facilitate early (pre-Request for Proposal [RFP]) engagement with industry, in accordance with FAR 15.201(e); and Provide the specifications and set expectations with industry to support NIH’s commitment to fair competition, in accordance with FAR 5.401. The NIH office that administers the current STOPS contract (and future SOAR contract) is developing the automation application through agile development methodologies. The information posted is anticipated to change, and revisions may be posted at the conclusion of each two-week sprint cycle. The time between revisions could be longer or shorter, depending on the ongoing development effort and feedback from industry. Please continue to check back for updates. Respondents are encouraged to submit feedback and questions specifically pertaining to the automation activities related to the SOAR contract and in response to this RFI to
[email protected]. Any responses should have the subject line “RFI HHS-NIH-NIMH-NIDA-RFI-20-001 - NIH Automation for New SOAR Contract” and include the respondents’ technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone, and e‐mail addresses. The NIH will determine whether to respond to questions and may consolidate responses to similar questions. Any answers will be posted for visibility to the public on beta.sam.gov. Disclaimer and Important Notes. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed. Information provided will be used to assess tradeoffs and alternatives available for the potential requirement and may lead to the development of a solicitation. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. Any solicitation resulting from the analysis of information obtained will be announced to the public in via beta.sam.gov in accordance with the FAR Part 5. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Confidentiality. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).