Notice ID 36C10B21Q0448
Contract Award Number: NNG15SD87B 36C10B21F0310
Contractor Awarded Name: METGREEN SOLUTIONS, INC
“Description
Delivery Order 36C10B21F0310, under National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) NNG15SD87B, is being awarded to MetGreen Solutions, Inc., … for ForeScout eyeExtend Enhancement Modules license renewal. Period of performance shall be from date of award until March 30, 2022 with three optional tasks for additional licenses. Total amount obligated under the base period is $1,716,000.00. Total award value is $4,290,000.00…”
“3. Description of Supplies or Services: VA, Office of Information and Technology, Development, Security, Operations (DevSecOps), Infrastructure Operations (IO), Infrastructure Cybersecurity Management requires renewal of two ForeScout eyeExtend Enhancement Modules with accompanying software maintenance support with three additional modules included as optional tasks. The ForeScout eyeExtend Enhancement Modules support 348 existing ForeScout CounterAct devices currently deployed and in production across the VA enterprise network. ForeScout eyeExtend Modules expand ForeScout platform capabilities by sharing contextual device data with third-party systems and by automating policy enforcement across those disparate systems. The ForeScout eyeExtend Enhancement Modules bridge previously siloed security solutions to accelerate system-wide response and more rapidly mitigate risk. The ForeScout eyeExtend software maintenance support consists of 24/7 telephone and email support, hardware updates, patches and defect support, including maintenance coverage to repair or replace system equipment components that restore full operation and accessibility within 48 hours. Renewal of the ForeScout eyeExtend Enhancement Modules and software maintenance support will provide the tools necessary to fill a capability gap to provide security monitoring of all system logs and network connectivity, to provide event and log correlation, event alerting and information security threat intelligence, and reporting of all non-government furnished equipment. ForeScout products cannot receive new software patches and essential vulnerability updates without maintenance support, which poses significant operation and security risks to enterprise systems.
The Period of Performance shall be from date of award through March 30, 2022…”
“4. Statutory Authority: The statutory authority permitting this exception to fair opportunity is 41 U.S.C. 4106(c) (2) as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 16.505(b)(2)(i)(B), entitled ‘Only one awardee is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services ordered are unique or highly specialized.’…”
“5. Rationale Supporting Use of Authority Cited Above: Based on extensive market research, as described in section 8 of this justification, it was determined that competition is viable among resellers of the ForeScout eyeExtend Enhancement Modules and software maintenance support. Only the brand name ForeScout eyeExtend Modules and software maintenance support can meet VA’s requirements. VA previously deployed the ForeScout CounterAct devices, ForeScout eyeExtend Enhancement Modules and software maintenance through an Interagency Agreement with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). ForeScout CounterAct devices were the only manufacturer that passed all DHS critical testing factors for device discovery, and VA spent more than two years installing these 348 devices in facilities across the VA enterprise. The ForeScout CounterAct device is the authoritative source for device discovery in VA and they are still in use in facilities throughout VA. No other manufacturer has the ability to integrate with the existing proprietary ForeScout CounterAct devices. Due to these proprietary constraints, utilizing any other solution would require the complete replacement of the ForeScout infrastructure in place. Specifically, VA technical experts estimate it would cost a minimum of approximately $23M and 36-48 months to install and configure replacement hardware across the VA enterprise. VA would then also need to procure the alternative vendor digital enhancement subscription to provide the capabilities that the ForeScout eyeExtend Enhancement Modules currently provide. These estimates are based on previous acquisition history and the duplicative costs would not be recovered through competition. Additionally, replacing the current solution would create a capability gap throughout the VA enterprise while the requirements for the new solution were implemented.
Furthermore, due to the proprietary nature of the ForeScout eyeExtend Enhancement Modules, only ForeScout or it’s resellers can provide the required software maintenance support. Any other source would require access to the ForeScout proprietary code and software design in order to meet these requirements. In order for another entity to provide the required functionality and required software maintenance support of the ForeScout eyeExtend Modules, VA would have to initiate a procurement for an entirely new software solution and replace existing software platforms, infrastructure, and maintenance schedules. This action would result in additional costs which would not be recouped through competition. Therefore, only ForeScout or its resellers are capable of providing required licensing maintenance…”
