DHS on SBInet RFP: "Transformational," "audaciously ambitious"
DHS issues its long-awaited SBInet RFP accompanying the release with language some industry insiders consider a bit over-drawn
DHS has accompanied the release of an RFP for the department’s SBInet border security procurement with what must be considered the most purple language to accompany any government RFP. “This procurement today is transformational,” DHS deputy secretary Michael Jackson said at a homeland security industry conference. “It’s an audaciously ambitious undertaking.” SBInet program director Kevin Stevens drew comparisons between the Secure Border Initiative and other ambitious national undertakings. Comparing the Secure Border Initiative to national efforts during the Second World War and the first manned mission to the moon, Stevens proclaimed the border security plan as an achievable and imperative goal.
The RFP was originally scheduled for a 31 March release, but was delayed because of an internal review. The SBInet procurement program addresses land borders, and DHS will award a contract by September. Bids for the program are due 30 May to submit proposals. Jackson said there was “substantial” funding in the fiscal year 2007 proposed budget to launch the program (the budget includes $100 million for new border technology, from which the SBInet procurement will be drawn).
The contract includes three base years and three option years. According to the RFP’s section on “evaluation factors for award,” DHS expects the integrator to “advance DHS toward achieving its goal of border control by the forth [sic.] year of contract performance.” Border control, defined by DHS in the solicitation, includes four steps: detecting cross-border entries, identifying the nature of the entries, classifying the threat of the entries and responding to the entries.
The contract will be awarded to a prime integrator, which will have to put together a team of large and small businesses to secure the contract. Companies identified in an advisory as competitive for the contract were Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Ericsson; Boeing has been mentioned as well, although it has yet to confirm that it would be bidding for the contract as a prime integrator.
