FAA Looking to Launch New Vehicle for Innovative IT Services

The Federal Aviation Administration is preparing to launch a competitive multiple award contract vehicle for an array of cutting-edge IT-related solutions to advance its Information and Technology Services, or AIT Organization. 

According to a recently launched request for information, the agency is conducting market research to assess the availability of potential resources that could be obtained through its anticipated Information Technology Innovative Procurement for Strategic Sourcing—or ITIPSS—acquisition vehicle. 

“ITIPSS will be FAA’s leading-edge contract to acquire a full range of IT capabilities, solutions, and emerging technologies,” officials wrote in the solicitation. “A wide range of state-of-the-art technical, administrative, management, and professional IT-related service solutions shall be provided under ITIPSS task order(s).”

FAA’s AIT organization encompasses roughly 600 personnel who provide IT-related support to the agency’s more than 45,000 employees across a range of locations. Through ITIPSS, the agency is looking for businesses that can offer multifaceted capabilities that are broken up across two objectives. The first objective focuses on human resource- and transition management-related services that could ultimately boost the recruitment, retention and fulfillment of the FAA workforce. And through the second objective, FAA aims to identify contractors that can provide numerous multidisciplinary solutions to support many efforts spanning its IT organization. The agency is looking for contractors that can simultaneously meet both objectives.

The eventual ITIPSS task orders “will not be limited to a single subject matter solution area,” the agency said, but should cover versatile technical, administrative, management and cybersecurity solutions. Some of the capabilities the agency explicitly invites include hardware and software development and support, asset management solutions, XaaS or ‘Anything as a Service’ tools, as well as “futuristic technology concepts” in quantum computing, artificial intelligence and autonomous technology. 

Though the agency has yet to determine the acquisition strategy for the procurement, the request states it might be rolled out as a 10-year indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract with multiple awards. FAA adds that the work under the IDIQ could potentially include transitioning more than 100 related contracts that already exist.  

“ITIPSS is considered a high-value, mission-critical acquisition,” officials wrote. “The results of this RFI will be used as one of the determining factors in deciding on the agency’s acquisition strategy for the procurement.”

Interested vendors are asked to submit information about the related capabilities they have to offer by Feb. 7. The agency also anticipates launching a draft screening information request later this year and said it might eventually host an ITIPSS industry day.