Consumer Financial Protection Bureau looks to boost cyber posture

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is looking to award a set of blanket purchase agreements to meet several cybersecurity needs.

The BPA’s are being competed as full-and-open procurements and there are small business teaming requirements included as well, according to solicitation documents.

A dollar value hasn’t been attached to the BPAs, but they will have a one-year base period and four one-year options.

Some of the tasks under the BPAs include program management, risk management, security architecture and engineering support and cybersecurity operations support.

Questions on the solicitation are due May 5 and proposals are May 15.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau handles large amounts of sensitive financial information and must protect it in accordance with several laws and regulations.

Under the BPAs, the bureau wants contractors who can maintain and operate a comprehensive information system security program.

The contractors also will analyze security data from across the organization to find areas for improvement. Other areas of support include operational monitoring, incident response and remediation.

Bidders will be evaluated on six factors:

• Factor 1: Go/No-Go Criteria (more on that in a minute)
• Factor 2: Technical Approach
• Factor 3: Key Personnel
• Factor 4: Past Performance
• Factor 5: Small Business Participation
• Factor 6: Price Proposal

The solicitation documents describe several parts of the Go/No-Go factor. Those include proposals that just repeat the performance work statement requirements, demonstrating a lack of a clear understanding of that statement.

Proposals seen to have multiple significant weaknesses without significant strengths will be found unacceptable.

Past performance submissions that are more than three years old also can lead to failing the Go/No-Go factors.

Price is the least important factor. The bureau will use a best-value criteria to pick winners.