The General Services Administration expects to issue a draft Request for Quotes (RFQ) for its new Cloud Computing Ascend Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) as soon as this summer.
The agency is finalizing the Performance Work Statement (PWS) for the first of three pools that will be issued for bids, according to a May 2, 2023 update from Laura Stanton, assistant commissioner. for the Office of Information Technology Category (ITC) in GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service (FAS).
The Ascend BPA aims to support both vertical (e.g., IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) and horizontal capabilities and provide more effective system integration and managed support services to deliver flexible, diverse, and secure cloud solutions. Ascend will also establish minimum cybersecurity baselines, emphasizing cybersecurity supply chain risk management (C-SCRM), compliance with cybersecurity legislation (Cyber Executive Order 14028), and guidelines from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Ascend would create three separate pools of vendors to deliver three primary services:
- Pool 1 would include infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) and platform-as-a-service (PaaS), for both unclassified and classified sub-pools
- Pool 2 would cover software-as-a-service (SaaS)
- Pool 3 would focus on cloud IT professional services.
The agency is finalizing the PWS for Pool 1, according to the agency’s latest update. Additional sub-pools will be defined based upon Government requirements.
Bidders considering the Ascend opportunity should review the draft PWS and be prepared to show GSA “an ability to implement secure cloud service solutions utilizing zero trust architecture cybersecurity baselines that leverage Development, Security, and Operations (DevSecOps) and Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) agile processes that achieve results through continuous capability enhancements, minimal downtime, prompt response to emerging needs, demonstrated reliability and availability, and optimized performance with minimized resource utilization.”
GSA urged interested bidders to continue to follow the IT Cloud and Software Interact page for Ascend updates, announcements, timelines and event information.
OST Global Solutions is a professional business development consulting firm. We have experience supporting large, strategic bids like Ascend. We can provide capture and proposal teams to develop a complete, winning Ascend proposal, or we can provide consultants on a case-by-case basis to fill gaps on your business development team. Our services related to the Ascend proposal consist of capture management, proposal management, proposal writing, graphics support, editing, desktop publishing, and cost volume development.
Contact us to discuss your Ascend bid, so we can discuss how to develop a winning proposal.
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