DWDM Upgrade

The Department of the Air Force, 633d Contracting Squadron, Joint Base Langley-Eustis (JBLE), Virginia intends to incorporate open market requirements into a GSA (General Services Administration) Request for Quote (RFQ) 1781403 that was recently posted on GSA-2GIT. GSA-2GIT was used as it is a mandatory use vehicle for DAF network infrastructure hardware and services requirements IAW AFMAN 17-1203.

RFQ 1781403 was issued with an approved Limited Sources Justification and Approval (J&A), limiting sources for this requirement to brand name Cisco equipment. The RFQ requirement is to upgrade and modernize the JBLE Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) system and involves the replacement of 7 existing Cisco Xponder cards, 35 fiber optic switches, licenses to manage the switches from an existing Cisco DNA Center Appliance, and associated components required for the installation of these materials. The GSA-2GIT schedule holders who responded to the RFQ provided open-market pricing for the Cisco Xponder cards, licensing, and associated components required for installation, indicating that this portion of the requirement could not be priced under their respective GSA schedules.

The Contracting Officer has determined that it is essential that Xponder cards, licensing for switches, and components required for installation of the materials be included in the resultant GSA-awarded delivery order as they are fundamental to the overall requirement. Furthermore, the licensing is specific to the fiber optic switches which are obtained through the current schedules and authorized Cisco distributors, and as a result is unreasonable to be expected to be able to be procured through a separate solicitation.

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation, (FAR) 8.402(f), for administrative convenience, an ordering activity Contracting Officer may add items or services not on the Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) to an FSS individual delivery order as long applicable regulations pertaining to the purchase of the items have been followed. The Contracting Officer is providing this notice to comply with the FAR Part 5 posting requirements for including open market items or services on a GSA delivery order.

This is a notice of intent and not a request for quote or proposal. No solicitation is available except for the currently closed GSA RFQ on GSA-2GIT as stated above. Interested parties may submit a capability statement and pricing information for the Cisco Xponder cards, licenses to manage switches and associated components required for installation of all stated materials no later than 2:00PM ET, 22 Sep 2025. However, as stated above the Contracting Officer intends to add the Xponder cards, licenses and associated components as open market items to the resulting GSA delivery order. A determination by the Government to further compete the requirement based on the responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.