VPN Ethernet transport services to support Illinois Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS 3.0) connectivity at the Marion VA Health Care Center. Marion, Illinois

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK (VPN) ETHERNET SERVICE for Marion VA Health Care System

CONTRACT TYPE

The Government anticipates awarding a single-award Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract as a result of this solicitation. Orders for VPN Ethernet transport services in support of LEADS 3.0 connectivity will be placed under this IDIQ during the ordering periods identified in the Period of Performance section.

I. INTRODUCTION

This Performance Work Statement (PWS) outlines the requirements for procuring a dedicated transport circuit and associated services needed to access the Illinois Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS 3.0) through the currently installed Police Desktop computer at the Marion VA Health Care System.

Transport of the direct secure line to the State Police shall use the Illinois Century (ICN), but the choice of transport carrier is flexible. Transport contractors must be approved by the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) and LEADS as an acceptable provider for Illinois Century Network (ICN) Point‑of‑Presence connectivity and must separately be approved by the Illinois State Police LEADS Administration as meeting Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) security and background screening requirements.

II. SCOPE

The Contractor shall provide all labor, materials, equipment, transport services, and coordination necessary to establish and maintain a LEADS 3.0 connection via the Illinois Century Network (ICN) using a Metro‑E, EVPL, Layer‑2, or similar private Ethernet transport circuit from the Marion VA Health Care System to an ICN point of presence (POP) as required by the State of Illinois.

The Contractor shall upgrade as needed or retain currently installed equipment to provide the fiber transport circuit and all other items or software required to complete the circuit for functional LEADS service. This service shall be logically segmented from the VA production network and shall support LEADS access only, in accordance with CJIS and VA security requirements.

The Contractor shall provide services and support at the locations identified in this Performance Work Statement. The Government reserves the right to add, remove, or modify locations and facilities as mission requirements evolve across the current and future operational footprint. The Contractor shall accommodate these changes within the scope of the contract without disruption to services. Any adjustments to pricing, schedule, or resources resulting from such changes shall be addressed through the appropriate contractual modification process in accordance with the applicable Changes clause.

III. SPECIFICATIONS

A. Transport and Network Architecture

1. The service shall be a private Ethernet transport circuit (e.g., Metro‑E, EVPL, Layer‑2 point‑to‑point) from the Marion VA Health Care System (A‑location: 2401 West Main St., Marion, IL 62959) to the point-of presence (POP) as required for LEADS connectivity.
2. No traditional internet service provider (ISP) circuit shall be used to reach LEADS; Illinois Century Network (ICN) is the only entity that provides LEADS access.​
3. The minimum required bandwidth is 10–20 Mbps; higher speeds (e.g., 100 Mbps or 1 Gbps) are acceptable.
4. The transport circuit shall terminate at the building demarc in Building 37, Room 131 (SE corner), or as otherwise directed by VA/transport provider, and shall extend to the Main Distribution Frame (MDF) housing the DoIT/ICN router.​
5. Logical segmentation is required; LEADS traffic shall traverse the dedicated ICN/DoIT router and LEADS workstation VLAN and shall not be exposed to the public internet or traverse Network Address Translation (NAT).

B. Internal Cabling and Pathways

1. The Contractor shall provide and install any new fiber or copper cabling needed between the telecom demarc and the MDF/IDF rack where the DoIT router and VA network equipment reside, if the existing handoff is not already present.
2. ​Fiber type (e.g., OS2, OM4/OM5), interface speed (e.g., 1G LX, 10G LR), and connector type (e.g., LC, SC, APC/UPC) shall be as required by the transport provider and ICN router port specifications.
3. ​All new cabling and penetrations shall comply with applicable building codes, including proper firestopping of penetrations.
4. ​The Contractor shall provide certification test results (e.g., OTDR or equivalent) for any new fiber or copper runs.

C. Rack Infrastructure and Power

1. Equipment supporting LEADS connectivity (transport CPE, ICN router, patch panels, etc.) shall be located in the Police Dispatch office (Building 42, Room A102) and in the MDF as directed by VA.
2. The Contractor shall coordinate with the COR to utilize existing rack space and UPS‑backed power; if additional rack hardware is required, it shall be proposed to and approved by VA.
3. ​Physical access to areas containing LEADS‑related equipment shall be badge‑controlled, in accordance with CJIS and VA physical security requirements.

D. Endpoint Connectivity

1. The LEADS desktop workstation will typically connect over dedicated Cat6 copper   cabling from the Police Dispatch office to the MDF/IDF supporting the LEADS VLAN.

​2.         The Contractor shall provide and install a dedicated, segmented network drop for the LEADS workstation, including testing and certification results for each new drop.

​3.         The Contractor shall support 802.1X or other strong device/user authentication methods as required by VA security and CJIS.

E. Performance and Availability

1. The transport service shall provide a minimum of 10–20 Mbps dedicated bandwidth for LEADS traffic; higher capacity is acceptable and may be proposed.
2. A minimum service level of 99.9% availability is recommended and shall be described in the Contractor’s proposal, including support hours and incident response commitments.
3. ​Redundant transport paths and automatic failover are not required by ICN/LEADS but may be proposed as options, clearly priced separately.

IV. ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND STATE COORDINATION

A. Illinois Century Network (ICN) and LEADS

1.         ICN is the mandatory network provider for LEADS access; ICN/DoIT provides routing and addressing for LEADS connectivity via a DoIT‑managed router inside the VA facility.

2.         VA Police are currently utilizing LEADS and must notify ISP LEADS Administration of any transport vendor changes and complete any required State/LEADS vendor forms.

B. VA and Contractor Responsibilities (RACI)

1.         VA (or VA‑authorized contractor) is responsible for procurement of the transport circuit from an approved telecom provider and for all internal pathway work and cabling inside the facility.

​2.         The transport vendor owns and manages the transport customer‑premises equipment (CPE); DoIT owns and manages the ICN router; VA owns and manages internal cabling and local security devices (e.g., VA firewalls).

3.VA monitors local workstation and security logs; DoIT monitors ICN/LEADS router and backbone; incident response within the VA boundary follows VA 6500, while LEADS/CJI incidents follow CJIS and ISP LEADS procedures.

4.VA Police are accountable for CJIS compliance on the VA side; ISP LEADS Administration is accountable and responsible for the State LEADS component.

C. CJIS and State Integration

1. CJIS Security Policy compliance is mandatory for all vendors and personnel involved in LEADS connectivity, including required background checks for any technician with access to LEADS‑connected systems or the DoIT router environment.​
2. LEADS endpoint hardening must comply with CJIS principles; VA may apply DISA/NIST baselines to satisfy these controls.​
3. Multi‑factor authentication (MFA) is required for LEADS application access and user authentication.​

V. INFORMATION SECURITY

All VA information security, privacy, and training requirements already contained in this PWS remain in full force and apply to all activities conducted under this contract, including LEADS‑related connectivity, transport, and endpoint configuration.

In addition, the Contractor shall:

1. Ensure that any personnel with access to LEADS‑connected infrastructure or the DoIT router are CJIS‑screened and meet all applicable CJIS Security Policy requirements.​
2. Ensure that no end‑of‑life or end‑of‑support network devices or components are used in the LEADS path.​
3. Cooperate with VA and ISP LEADS Administration in incident response, logging, and investigations related to LEADS or criminal justice information, consistent with VA 6500 and CJIS procedures.​

VI. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS / TECHNICAL CLARIFICATIONS

The requirements of this SOW incorporate the Government’s responses to vendor questions and technical clarifications issued under Solicitation 36C25526Q0202, including but not limited to:

1. The requirement to connect to the Illinois Century Network (ICN) as the Z‑location for LEADS VPN Ethernet service.​
2. The minimum required bandwidth of 10–20 Mbps for LEADS connectivity.​
3. The priority of the ICN connection over selection of any specific internet service provider; LEADS Administration does not approve consumer ISPs but ICN/DoIT must support the selected transport vendor and handoff.

In the event of any inconsistency between informal Q&A text and this SOW, this SOW and any formal amendment issued by the Contracting Officer shall govern.

VII. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The place of performance for this requirement is the Marion VA Health Care System, 2401 West Main St., Marion, Illinois 62959, including associated telecommunications spaces (e.g., Building 37 Room 131, MDF/IDF rooms, and Police Dispatch in Building 42 Room A102), as required to support LEADS 3.0 connectivity.

Vendors are advised that VA reorganization may necessitate adding additional locations to this contract in the future. Any such additions will be completed by bilateral modification.

VIII. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

It is the Government’s intent to five (5) ordering periods, as follows:

• Ordering Period One: 06/01/2026 through 05/31/2027
• Ordering Period Two: 06/01/2027 through 05/31/2028
• Ordering Period Three: 06/01/2028 through 05/31/2029
• Ordering Period Four: 06/01/2029 through 05/31/2030
• Ordering Period Five: 06/01/2030 through 05/31/2031

The Government reserves the right to exercise ordering periods in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract.