Pentagon opens $10B JEDI cloud competition, sticking with single-award strategy

The Defense Department today released a much-anticipated request for proposals for the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure initiative, as officials decided to stick with a single-award approach for the enterprise cloud services contract worth upwards of $10 billion. 

In a letter posted alongside the solicitation, DOD Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy wrote he has "thoroughly reviewed this RFP and acquisition strategy" and he is "confident the JEDI Cloud RFP reflects the department's unique and critical needs and employs the best standards of competitive pricing, innovation and security."

DOD had originally planned to release the RFP in May. But with many in industry opposed to the single-award strategy, the release was delayed until now.

Deasy, who joined the department in early May, was chosen to lead the department's cloud efforts last month, including JEDI. He said he would review the RFP and acquisition strategy before the department released the RFP.

In his letter, he addressed the controversy surrounding the single award.

"With the diversity of DOD's mission, DOD will always have a multiple cloud environment, but we need to do better in applying an enterprise approach to that environment," he wrote. "To successfully accomplish this, we are looking for an industry partner who will learn with us and help us find the best ways to bring foundational commercial capabilities to our warfighters."

The award will have a base period of two years, followed by a three-year option period, another three-year option and a final two-year option, according to the RFP.

The RFP states the maximum contract limit is $10 billion. Pentagon acquisition chief Ellen Lord signed off on a determination allowing DOD to award such a large indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract to a single company.

Industry has until Aug. 16 to ask questions about the RFP. Companies have until Sept. 17 to submit their proposals. The RFP shows the contract's base period starting in April 2019.