DOD ESI Request for Information
Information Technology Category:
Cybersecurity and Zero Trust Software Solutions and
Services
Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, on behalf
of the Department of Defense Enterprise Software
Initiative (DoD ESI), is soliciting information from
potential OEM sources. DOD ESI intends to award a
DOD ESI Information Technology (IT) Category for
Cybersecurity and Zero Trust software solutions and
services. Awards will be made through a four-step
process:
Step #1: Issue Request For Information (RFI) from
Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) software
solution publishers that meet commercial best
standards and practices, meet DOD standards and
specifications.
Step #2: Negotiate DOD ESI Master License Terms
and Conditions (T&Cs) with selected OEMs that
signal best value to the DOD.
Step #3: Issue multiple-award competitive Request
For Quote (RFQ) for approximately 20 OEMs that
represent commercial best practices and standards,
DOD standards and specifications and where the
DOD has requirements for the OEM’s products.
Step #4: Award DOD ESI Category Agreements.
(The method of award is to be determined)
Attachments:
1. DOD ESI Market Research Template
2. DOD ESI Master License Agreement
3a. Cybersecurity Matrix of Functional Categories
and DOD Spend and Install Base
3b. Zero Trust Matrix of Functional Categories and
DOD Spend and Install Base
RFI Intent:
The intent of this RFI is to have industry
Cybersecurity and Zero Trust software solution OEM
companies:
(a)Self-screen for whether or not a DOD ESI
Agreement is mutually advantageous to your
company and the DOD. You must negotiate and sign
a DOD ESI Master License Agreement, similar to the
example provided as Attachment 2, as a prerequisite
to an award of a DOD ESI Agreement. It is expected
that the best value determination will be based on
favorable EULA T&Cs, DoD install base data, past
and future sales and requirements of the DOD.
Provide detailed information as required to answer
the questions in the DOD ESI Market Research
Template (Attachment 1).
(b)For Cybersecurity: (Attachment 3a) Self-
categorize and sub-categorize your software
solutions for Cybersecurity software solutions.
Provide three year historical DOD spend data and
DOD install base for your company’s software
solutions, and three year forecast DOD spend data.
Map the capabilities of your companies’ software
solution products to the eleven National Institute of
Technology and Standards (NIST) Special Publication
(SP) 800 – 137 Eleven Security Automation Domains
that support continuous monitoring.
(c)For Zero Trust: (Attachment 3b) Self-
categorize and sub-categorize your software
solutions for Zero Trust software solutions. Provide
three year historical DOD spend data and DOD install
base for your company’s software solutions, and
three years forecast DOD spend data.
Responses must include:
a)Completed Attachment 1, DOD ESI Market
Research Template
b)Your company’s End User License Agreement
and associated documents
c)Completed Attachment 3 (a or b as
appropriate)
NOTE: If you currently have a DOD ESI agreement,
please do not respond to this RFI.
Questions and Response Submittal:
Questions and responses to this RFI shall be
submitted via e-mail to: dennis.fellin@navy.mil &
cynthia.chen@navy.mil. Please put in the Subject
line: “Cybersecurity & Zero Trust RFI Questions” or
“Cybersecurity & Zero Trust RFI Response” as
appropriate.
Important Dates:
The closing date for this RFI is: 08 July, 2021 @
11:00PM EST
The deadline for submission of questions is 18 June,
2021 @ 11:00PM EST
Industry Discussions:
DOD ESI representatives may choose to meet with
potential OEMs and hold one-on-one discussions.
Such discussions would only be intended to obtain
further clarification of potential capability to
meet the requirements, including any development
and certification risks.
DOD ESI Governance:
Governance of DOD ESI is provided by the DOD ESI
Working Group. The RFI summary market
research presentations and supporting detailed RFI
information are used to brief the DOD ESI Working
Group. Authority to proceed from the DOD ESI
Working group is required at prescribed briefing
milestones throughout the four-step DOD ESI
process described in this RFI. Briefings to the DOD
ESI Working Group are conducted by designated
government Software Product managers on behalf of
the companies and/or resellers, as applicable.
Company confidential information is guarded
accordingly. The deliberations of the DOD ESI
Working Group are Acquisition Sensitive, For Official
Use Only, and guarded accordingly.
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 RFI.
All information contained in the RFI is preliminary as
well as subject to modification and is in no way
binding on the Government. FAR clause 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.
