FDA plans single award for $400M IT services contract
By
Nick Wakeman
FDA has released the draft solicitation for a $400 million IT services contract to modernize and support its compliance and enforcement activities.
The Food & Drug Administration has released the draft solicitation for a $400 million contract for the IT systems that support the inspection and monitoring of food and drugs manufactured in the U.S. as well as products imported into the country.
Known as Imports and Systems Inspection Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement, the systems support FDA regulatory and law enforcement efforts through its Office of Regulatory Affairs.
ORA runs almost all of FDA’s field operations. They inspect regulated products and manufacturers. They do sample analysis of regulated products. And they review imported products. The work is carried out through 20 district offices, more than 150 resident posts and border stations, 13 laboratories and international offices.
IT systems are needed to keep these locations and facilities operating. There are operations support as well as management and data collection and information sharing systems.
The new contract will be made as a single award worth up to $400 million over seven years.
Leidos is the incumbent contractor for the "SIRCE" work and picked up the contract when it acquired the former Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Solutions business nearly three years ago.
The new contract will continue modernization efforts already underway, according to solicitation documents. The contractor also is responsible for keeping the legacy systems operating.
Some of the development efforts under the new contract include improving software quality, replacing legacy systems, reducing the number of stove-piped single-purpose systems and reducing costs by replacing problematic systems.
FDA also wants to improve the user experience such as improved mobility and use of multiple devices.
Leidos did not return a request for comment on whether they will compete for the follow-on contract. But given its size and the fact that the company has multiple job openings related to SIRCE, you have to assume they are gearing up to keep the work.
Comments on the draft are due May 18. Deltek data indicates that an award will be made in September.