Accenture faces challenge to $2B Energy win
By
Nick Wakeman
ActioNet, the incumbent contractor on a $2 billion Energy Department contract, is challenging the agency's decision to award the contract to Accenture.
With $2 billion at stake, you wouldn’t expect an incumbent contractor to go away quietly after losing a competition.
ActioNet Inc. has filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office challenging the Energy Department’s decision to award the $2 billion CBOSS contract to Accenture.
CBOSS or CIO Business Operations Support Services contract is a blanket purchase agreement for IT services including cybersecurity, shared services, policy, maintenance, systems architecture and engineering.
ActioNet was the incumbent having performed the work since 2012 under a sole source contract, according to Deltek data.
The Energy Department is breaking up ActionNet’s contract into three parts. CBOSS, a policy and strategy support contract known as PSGSS/TISS and a technology support contract, known as TISS.
PSGSS was won by Evoke Research and Consulting LLC and is worth $65 million. TISS is still in the pre-solicitation stage, according to Deltek.
At $2 billion, CBOSS, of course, is the crown jewel. Six companies bid on the BPA, including ActioNet and Accenture.
The government wants to use the contract to accelerate its modernization efforts.
ActioNet filed its protest on Dec. 10. A decision from GAO is expected by March 20.