Perspecta challenges $668M CDM cyber award to ManTech

ManTech International was chosen for a $668.7 million task order for cybersecurity services to federal agencies under a large Homeland Security Department program.

But one of the companies they bested for the work didn’t like losing.

Perspecta has filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office arguing that GSA and DHS were wrong to rule that the company's proposal was unacceptable.

The task order is part of DHS' Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation effort was made under the GSA Alliant contract. This order was for Group E of the Dynamic and Evolving Federal Enterprise Network Defense program, also known as CDM DEFEND.

GSA has made other large awards under the CDM DEFEND umbrella over the past year, including Booz Allen Hamilton and CACI International.

Agencies being served under Group E include the Education and Housing and Urban Development departments. Also included are the Environmental Protection Agency, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, National Science Foundation and Small Business Administration.

CACI’s award was for Group A and they are supporting DHS. Booz Allen won Group B and is supporting the departments of Agriculture, Energy, Interior, Transportation and Veterans Affairs departments; Office of Personnel Management; and the Executive Office of the President, including the Office of Management and Budget.

ManTech's award is for one base year with five one-year options.

CDM DEFEND program is replacing the CDM monitoring-as-a-service blanket purchase agreements that are set to expire in August. With the protest, at least some of that work will need to be extended.

A decision is due from GAO by Oct. 10.

Still pending under the CDM DEFEND program are awards for Groups C and D.

The overall CDM DEFEND program has 13 primes that are vying for these large task orders. CDM DEFEND has a $3.5 billion ceiling and the three task orders issued so far including ManTech's cover less than half of that ceiling.