VA moves forward with $12B acquisition
By
Nick Wakeman
The huge IT opportunity moves to the next round of competition as VA informs bidders who made the cut and who didn't.
EDITOR's NOTE: This article has been updated to correct the value of the contract.
The winnowing has begun on the Veterans Affairs’ huge IT modernization contract.
The agency has begun informing bidders on who has made the cut and who hasn’t, the agency said.
The Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology contract is a five-year, $12 billion program to meet a wide range of VA’s IT modernization goals. The agency expects to award 15 contracts, including four for service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses and three for veteran-owned small businesses.
“T4 is a major tool in the transformation of VA into a 21st Century organization,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki in a statement. “These contracts will enable VA to acquire services for information technology programs that will help ensure timely delivery of health care and benefits to our Veterans.”
Companies that didn’t make the cut to round two of the competition have the option of receiving a debriefing. Other companies also may receive requests for more information to help in the selection process, VA said.
The agency didn’t release the number of contractors who failed to move on to the next round or the number still in the competition.
The market research firm Input estimated an award will be made in March.
The contract will be used to purchase a variety of services, including program management support, systems and software engineering, test and evaluation, enterprise network services, cybersecurity, training and IT facilities.