Northrop wins $2.6B pact for IT at new DHS headquarters
By
Nick Wakeman
Northrop Grumman will build the IT infrastructure as the Homeland Security Department builds its new campus in Washington, D.C., during the next 10 years.
Northrop Grumman Corp. has captured a $2.6 billion contract to develop the IT infrastructure for the Homeland Security Department's new campus, which will be built in Washington.
The General Services Administration will build the campus for DHS on the grounds of the former St. Elizabeths Hospital in southeast Washington.
“The contract award helps ensure that the IT infrastructure needs of the campus will be developed in parallel with the massive construction project, the most complex in GSA’s history and the largest federal construction project in the Washington metropolitan area since the building of the Pentagon,” GSA said in a statement Thursday night.
DHS plans to consolidate its 22 agencies onto the campus during the next 10 years. More than 14,000 DHS employees will work on the campus once it is completed.
“The IT, telecommunications, physical security and building management systems requirements of the consolidated DHS campus are unique and complex, especially given DHS’ critical mission to protect our nation’s security,” said Julia Hudson, GSA National Capital Region administrator.
The infrastructure will incorporate passive optical network technology that will reduce power consumption by as much as 80 percent, which will help the campus meet GSA’s sustainability goals, the agency said.
The infrastructure also should let components of DHS more easily share information, according to GSA’s statement.
A major requirement for DHS was that the winning bidder show how future technologies would be implemented, how security would be supported, and how the winning bidder would have the flexibility to adapt to each phase of the 10-year construction project, GSA said.
Northrop Grumman also must meet several small-business requirements, such as sending 40 percent of subcontracting dollars to small businesses. Also, 20 percent will go to subcontractors that meet Historically Underutilized Business Zone; small, disadvantaged; women-owned; service-disabled veteran-owned; and veteran-owned small-business definitions.
Northrop Grumman is ranked No. 2 on the 2010 Washington Technology Top 100 list of the largest government contractors.