GSA Seeks Blockchain Solutions

Blockchain technology is coming to the federal government.

The General Services Administration is accepting quotes from IT and other tech companies regarding how blockchain and automated machine learning technologies could be used to improve the agency’s Multiple Award Schedules FASt Lane program.

The FASt Lane program is part of a broader GSA initiative that speeds up the time companies add products to the Schedule series, but GSA’s request for quotations suggests automated machine learning could reduce the amount of time humans spend reviewing documents and proposals.

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“GSA seeks to intelligently automate the current MAS FASt Lane contract proposal review processes by utilizing distributed ledger technology, automated machine learning, and/or artificial intelligence based technologies,” the RFQ states. “Additionally, GSA also seeks to implement electronic data interchange technology. The mission is to reduce the amount of human interaction required to review new proposal documents, improve offeror experience during the new offer proposal process, and reduce the review time for new proposal reviews to award.”

GSA seeks industry responses by July 10, and the agency notes it has approximately $150,000 in funding to support a contract. The RFQ lists more than one dozen specific necessities GSA demands from potential contractors.

Among them: include a design concept of proposed solution, such as mockup or customer journey; be cryptocurrency agnostic and not monetize mining; operate within an open source, open platform and open data to maximize interoperability within GSA systems; integrate disparate IT systems; employ FedRAMP moderate authorized cloud platform and scalability and interoperability across MAS program.