DHS releases RFP for multibillion-dollar Eagle project

The Homeland Security Department has released its request for proposals for the Eagle project, a program to purchase IT support services that is expected to garner billions of dollars of task orders over the next seven years.

Eagle and its partner procurement for hardware, FirstSource, form DHS' latest effort to centralize IT procurement across the department's 22 agencies. DHS now buys IT support services under dozens of contracts it inherited from its component agencies.

The RFP released Thursday calls for prime contractors to establish teams to carry out specific task orders issued under the contract. During an industry day in early August, DHS officials said they expect Eagle contracts to progressively supplant work done under existing department pacts.

The Eagle procurement could account for more than three-quarters of the department's IT purchases of about $6 billion annually.

Eagle is open to both large businesses and small businesses. In RFP documents issued yesterday, DHS officials said they plan to hold a preproposal conference on Oct. 13 at the Commerce Department Auditorium in downtown Washington.

In responses to questions from prospective bidders, DHS said that it would base its expected decision to choose several Eagle vendors on evaluations of prime contractors alone, rather than on teams. "Evaluation of teams at this time is premature," DHS said.

The procurement documents call for Eagle contractors to provide services in five areas:

• Infrastructure engineering design, development, implementation and integration


• Operations and maintenance


• Independent test, validation, verification and evaluation


• Software development


• Management support services.