The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is in search of business enter on scientific and technical help providers that explicitly embrace biometrics, identity entry and administration, and associated authentication applied sciences, signaling continued federal investment in identity system.
The Request for Information is framed as a market analysis train slightly than a solicitation, but it surely outlines the technical scope DHS S&T expects to help throughout its analysis, improvement, take a look at, and analysis portfolio.
Among the disciplines highlighted in the RFI are biometrics and identity entry and administration, alongside information science, cybersecurity, AI, machine studying, modeling and simulation, and software program improvement.
DHS describes these areas as a part of a full-spectrum scientific and technical functionality wanted to help mission-driven RDT&E efforts throughout the division.
According to the RFI, scientific and technical help might contain offering technical information, evaluation, and suggestions to authorities consultants, in addition to aiding with system-level evaluation and system integration.
In the context of biometrics and identity systems, this help is tied to broader efforts to know threats and vulnerabilities, consider applied sciences, and make sure that analysis outcomes might be operationalized in ways in which advance DHS missions.
While the RFI doesn’t describe particular biometric modalities or applications, it locations biometrics and identity entry administration squarely throughout the core technical domains for which contractors should show experience.
The discover situates this requirement throughout the S&T Office of Mission and Capability Support, which oversees the directorate’s analysis and improvement applications.
DHS notes that the present activity order offering comparable help has an $80 million ceiling and runs by way of May 19 and follows earlier activity orders overlaying the earlier three fiscal years. The potential follow-on effort is related to NAICS code 541611 and could also be competed below the GSA OASIS+ contract automobile.
DHS seeks responses from each small companies and the broader business. Vendors are requested to element their expertise managing R&D portfolios and offering scientific and technical experience throughout all DHS mission domains, together with their means to workers and maintain specialised experience at scale.
The RFI particularly asks respondents to handle their functionality to help R&D features, fiscal and funds oversight, acquisition and procurement actions, communications and outreach, and coverage and course of enchancment, all of which may intersect with the event and deployment of biometric and authentication applied sciences.
The company additionally invitations corporations to clarify how they’d tackle any functionality gaps, together with by way of partnerships or focused hiring, in the event that they lack expertise in sure technical areas recognized in the RFI.
Submissions are restricted to 4 pages, excluding a canopy letter, and should be unclassified. DHS cautions that AI-generated responses is not going to be thought-about able to fulfilling the federal government’s necessities.
Responses are due by midday Eastern Time on January 21 and should be submitted electronically to the DHS Office of Procurement Operations.
DHS reserves the fitting to carry one-on-one conferences with chosen respondents as a part of its market analysis, notably with distributors that present complete responses addressing the total scope of scientific, technical, biometric, and identity-related help outlined in the RFI.
Article Topics
biometrics | DHS | DHS S&T | identity access management (IAM) | RFI | U.S. Government