TSA Resource Optimization Assessment Event (AE)

Purpose‍

HSWERX, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Technology Transfer & Commercialization Branch (T2C), will host an Assessment Event (AE) on behalf of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Innovation Task Force (ITF). The purpose of the AE is for industry, academia, laboratories, and non-traditionals to provide TSA ITF with solutions for resource optimization.

Objective ‍

TSA is seeking a solution that will (1) allow its workforce to access TSA approved applications from their personal devices, non-Government Furnished Equipment (GFE), and (2) collect, organize, and display the complexities of the TSA daily operations from a TSA management perspective. Work demand would be overlaid with staff and equipment resources. More mature phases will include predictive capabilities and will generate optimal recommendations from the platform. Systemic and local work rules can be easily customized, and “Plan of Day (PoD)” will notify the user when service failures exist in the plan. This solution would enable higher ranked officials to flag Transportation Security Equipment (TSE) which is operational, non-operational, and estimated down time. The system will use business rules to serve as an "Alerts & Warnings" mechanism to flag forecasted operational inefficiencies to applicable higher ranked officials.

Why You Should Participate‍

TSA seeks to enter into non-FAR or FAR-based agreements with Industry, Academic, and National Lab partners whose solutions are favorably evaluated by TSA Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). As such, the AE is considered competitive, and solutions will be evaluated independently of one another primarily for technical merit. This serves dually as notification of the intent to research the feasibility of an agreement under and as notice of pre-solicitation activities IAW FAR 5.204.

Event Timeline

September 14, 2023 to October 13, 2023 Submissions to the Assessment Event (AE)

Interested respondents who could potentially provide solutions that meet the needs of TSA are encouraged to submit their capability for DHS review. To submit your technology for potential Phase 3 attendance, please review the assessment criteria and follow the submission instructions that are near the bottom of this webpage.

October 4, 2023 Q&A Session

Interested offerors may participate in a virtual Q&A session to better understand DHS’s specific technology objectives. The session took place on October 4. See below for session transcript.

October 16, 2023 to October 27, 2023 Downselect

‍DHS will downselect those respondents/submissions they feel have the highest potential to satisfy their technology needs. Favorably evaluated submissions will receive an invitation to attend the AE on or around October 30, 2023.

November 28, 2023 to November 30, 2023 Assessment Event (AE)

During the AE, selected participants will be allotted a one-on-one session with the TSA evaluation panel to pitch, demonstrate, and/or discuss their solutions. The forum will include a Q&A portion and discussions may continue outside of the event. Solution brief presentation guidelines will be outlined in the event invitation and solutions will be assessed according to the criteria in the link provided below. If the TSA evaluation panel favorably evaluates a solution brief, negotiations for Phase 4 may immediately begin.

This event will be held in person near Washington, DC, but will have a virtual component via Microsoft Teams if an organization cannot attend in person.

Path Forward

‍Successfully negotiated awards may fall under any combination of these categories:

• Business to business research and development agreement as a sub-award through the HSWERX Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) under 15 U.S.C. 3715
• OTA for research or prototype projects  
• Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (15 U.S.C. 3710a)
• Prizes competitions (15 U.S.C. 3719)
• FAR-based procurement contract  

NOTE:  Awardees may need to be compliant with NIST SP 800-171, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in Non-Federal Systems and Organizations.

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