Previous Incumbent Protests NASA’s $2.9 Billion IT Support Contract

Earlier this month, NASA announced its $2.9 billion replacement enterprise IT contract would get a new vendor along with its new name. Now, the previous contract holder is asking the Government Accountability Office for a review.

The space agency awarded the NASA End-user Services and Technology, or NEST, contract to Leidos in early February, which will help “establish a long-term outsourcing arrangement with the commercial sector to provide and manage most of NASA's personal computing hardware, agency standard software, mobile IT services, peripherals and accessories, associated end-user services and supporting infrastructure,” according to an agency announcement.

The NEST contract replaces the expiring Agency Consolidated End-user Services, or ACES, contract, which was awarded in 2010 to HP Enterprise Services.

Last year, HPE’s public sector business merged with Vencore and KeyPoint Government Solutions to form a new company, Perspecta. With the replacement contract—and vendor—announced, Perspecta subsidiary Enterprise Services LLC submitted a protest to GAO on Feb. 19 contesting the award.

A GAO attorney who asked to speak on background told Nextgov Enterprise Services is challenging the entirety of the award decision. “Every part of the evaluation is challenged,” they said. “Enterprise argues that if the evaluation had been done properly, they, not Leidos, would have been selected.”

The attorney said Leidos is expected to join the case in defense of the award but has yet to do so.

GAO has until May 30 to issue a decision on the matter.

Washington Technology first reported the bid protest.

Editor's note: This story was updated to include additional protest details.