Update on GSA COMET II Contract Vehicle for IT Services

Update on GSA COMET II Contract Vehicle for IT Services

11/16/2023

The second iteration of the CIO Modernization and Enterprise Transformation COMET II contract vehicle for information technology services is heating up. In September about 400 companies and 750 registrants participated in the COMET II Industry Day led by the General Services Administration (GSA). Much interest has been generated as the recompete is anticipated to have a ceiling value exceeding $1 billion.

David Shive, the Chief Information Officer at GSA, highlighted during the event that the upcoming contract will build upon lessons learned from previous years and will encompass a broader scope. Shive emphasized that the requirements for COMET 2 will reflect the agency’s maturity in transitioning systems to the cloud and modernizing IT infrastructure. He also stressed that contractors wishing to participate should be well aware of the principles of zero trust.

For those not familiar, the zero trust IT security model, or zero trust architecture (ZTA), and occasionally referred to as perimeterless security, outlines an approach to the planning, structure, and execution of IT systems. At its core, the zero trust security model operates on the principle of “never trust, always verify.” This implies that, by default, users and devices should not be considered trustworthy, even when connected to a sanctioned network like a corporate LAN or after undergoing previous verification.

In 2019, GSA awarded spots on the first iteration of the COMET contract to 12 companies, which served as a replacement for the CIO Application Maintenance, Enhancements, and Operations vehicle. Additionally, in December 2021, GSA expanded the contract by adding 8 more vendors to support its digital transformation efforts.

GSA and the participating vendors affirm the success of the existing COMET. To date, the agency has granted 21 task orders, surpassing a total value of $950 million, distributed among 11 distinct companies. The most substantial task order, totaling $247 million, was awarded to Booz Allen Hamilton. This significant contract was designated for the development of the cloud infrastructure that currently hosts numerous applications.

Comet 2 Roadmap from GSA PowerPoint

Current Awardees on COMET 1 with task order activity are:

For additional information on COMET task order activity or COMET II, get full access with a 5-day trial to EZGovOpps.