General Dynamics IT challenges DISA's Enclave expansion

General Dynamics IT is protesting a move by the Defense Information Systems Agency to expand the scope of Leidos’ $11 billion Enclave contract.

DISA has added the migration of combatant command IT systems to the Defense Department Network. The original Enclave contract focused on moving the Pentagon's 22 administrative and support agencies to DODNet.

GDIT is arguing that DISA should have competed the new work which the company would have pursued, adding that it can perform the work.

GDIT also questions the reasoning and the process described in the justification document DISA released in June.

DISA failed to conduct a new pricing determination and instead relied on its evaluation in 2022, when Leidos first won the contract. GDIT also complains that the agency failed to describe its steps to remove barriers for future competitions.

Both sections are marked as “not applicable” in the justification document.

DISA also did not use a sources sought notice as it conducted market research ahead of the expansion of Enclave.

In the market research section of the justification document, DISA says a notice was not issued and that the head of the contracting activity approved the waiver.

GDIT is also questioning the urgency of the expansion of scope of the Enclave contract.

DISA’s document cites Leidos’ work in migrating over 40,000 users to DODNet in four years. The company has the “crucial requisite institutional knowledge” of the DODNet architecture that it needs to migrate the combatant commands, DISA says in the justification document.

GDIT filed its protest on July 10. The Government Accountability Office will make its ruling by Oct. 19.

Enclave has been a sticking point between Leidos and GDIT ever since DISA awarded the contract in 2022. GDIT filed a protest challenging how DISA evaluated proposals as well as ambiguities around staffing requirements and the reasonableness of Leidos’ migration timeline.

GAO denied that protest.