The National Institutes of Health’s Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC) has announced plans to take corrective action to resolve the remaining open bid protests involving the Chief Information Officers – Solutions and Partners 4 (CIO-SP4) Governmentwide acquisition contract (GWAC). This action follows the Government Accountability Office (GAO) decision to sustain 119 protest challenges to the solicitation, including arguments that NITAAC erred in how it scored bidders in Phase 1.

In addition, the current CIO-SP3 contract has been extended until April 29, 2024, providing a longer window for transition and ensuring continuity of services.

This is the third time NITAAC has agreed to take corrective action on its IT-Services contract vehicle, which has been embroiled in controversy and protests since the agency first issued the final solicitation in May 2021. NITAAC has twice agreed to corrective action to have the GAO dismiss protests.

The GAO identified several areas of concern in the procurement process, particularly regarding the self-scoring process in Phase 1. These concerns have led to a series of recommendations for NITAAC, including the validation of all self-scores, a new cutline analysis, and a fresh determination of which proposals advance through Phase 1.

Bidders recently received emails from NITAAC explaining the following corrective actions:

1. Hard validate all self-scores, which refers to a validation process that complies with the terms of the solicitation and reflects all required evaluations and adjustments.
2. Reassess the arguments raised by Sky Solutions in Part III of GAO’s decision and make any required adjustments to its self-score in the agency’s validation of proposals.
3. Make new cutline analyses for each socio-economic category that are based on the hard validated self-scores for all offerors within those groups; and
4. Make a new determination of which proposals advance past Phase 1 of the competition based on the results of these new evaluations and analyses.

NITAAC rescinded all successful and unsuccessful offeror notices sent from March 20, 2023, through June 22, 2023. The agency will be sending out new Phase 1 successful and unsuccessful notices, according to the email.

We understand that these developments may raise questions and concerns about your current and future proposals. At OST Global Solutions, our team of experts is closely monitoring the situation and is ready to provide strategic advice tailored to your specific needs. We are committed to helping you navigate these changes and maximize your chances of securing a spot on this potential $50 billion vehicle.

Despite the challenges, NITAAC remains optimistic about the CIO-SP4 contract, highlighting its potential as a go-to resource for agencies seeking cutting-edge technologies such as blockchain, cybersecurity, agile software development, and cloud-based IT solutions.

As we move forward, we encourage you to reach out to us with any questions or concerns you may have regarding these developments. Our team is ready to assist you in understanding the implications of these changes and strategizing your next steps.

Thank you for your continued trust in OST Global Solutions. We look forward to helping you succeed in this evolving landscape.

OST Global Solutions is a professional business development consulting firm. We have extensive experience in winning large, strategic bids like CIO-SP4. We can provide capture and proposal teams to develop a complete, winning proposal. Or we can provide consultants on a case-by-case basis to fill gaps on your business development team. Our services consist of capture management, cost volume development, price-to-win analysis, team identification/negotiation, proposal management, proposal writing, editing, graphics, and desktop publishing.

Contact us to discuss your bids, so we can help you develop your next winning proposal.

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