A11_RFI_GAFS-M_6.2.26.pdf

Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)

Request for Information (RFI) DFAS General Accounting & Finance System Modernization

2 June 2026

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A. Background

Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) seeks to gather information about industry capabilities to complete a code refactor/conversion from a Unisys mainframe platform running COBOL 74 to a modern technology (Java, Python, HTML) in the Defense Information System Agency (DISA) environment.

This project entails the migration of application software and the platform-dependent system calls/functions, efficient and high-performance information storage and retrieval, user and application query reporting functionality, role-based access controls for user profiles, user front end screens (terminal or graphical), batch job scheduling and job monitoring software, file transfer and printing capabilities.

The current system accumulates the most accurate financial summary of an organization’s yearly authorization, budget, and expenditures to date. The system is the final accumulator of financial transactions from all subsidiary systems. Records maintained by the system include funding authority;

commitments; direct and reimbursable obligations; and balances of available funds, expired funds, and closed funds. System input is performed through on-line entry or through periodic batch processing of interface data with subsidiary systems. In addition, the system is the DFAS standard base level accounting system for appropriated funds. It includes the accounting records for funding authority, commitments, obligations, and balances of available funds. Financial status reports are produced on a monthly basis.

Other management reports are produced for commands and installations. Budget execution data is tracked in the system at the document/contract level. The system reflects the current balance remaining for the particular commitment/obligation stage. The system has less than 5 interface partners, and processes approximately 300 - 500 monthly interface files.

DFAS is looking for vendors who have successful experience in the areas of large mainframe code refactor/conversion and can provide customer reference checks. This RFI is part of our acquisition planning to identify available vendors with demonstrated solution capabilities in the commercial marketplace and obtain their feedback.

B. Objectives

The target solution will be a Government Owned/Government Operated comprehensive system. The targeted solution needs to be written in a sustainable common object oriented codebase (i.e. Java, Python, HTML), providing a modern web-based application with reporting capabilities. As needed, the targeted solution should also include the introduction of a relational database. Target database will accommodate National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), retrieve archival data, solution will cleanse, convert and migrate all system and account data, current and historical. The targeted solution must maintain internal controls and compliance for configuration management, controls for production code migrations, and separate instances with affiliated access controls for development, test, and production environments. The targeted solution needs to be able to handle classified transactions at IL-7 level.

C. Target State Requirements

1. Internal Controls – The system uses Risk Management Framework (RMF) and Federal Information System Controls Audit Manual (FISCAM) to enforce internal controls. The resulting system must be equal to or better than the original accounting system as it pertains to internal controls compliance.

2. Usability – The resulting system will also need to maintain the same level of usability for users and not require advanced training for daily operations and routine maintenance. The system must be 508 tested and compliant.

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3. Performance – The system needs to perform with similar processing times as the original accounting system. Current performance is between 2-10 seconds per inquiry (terminal screen), 98% of the time, for online update and output transactions. Specifically, user screens are 2 seconds response on average and any end-to-end response (updating other modules and reporting back) is 5 seconds.

4. Uptime and stability – The system needs to sustain similar “Uptimes” as the original accounting system which is 99.5% average each year.

5. Interfacing – The system must be able to process interface files and online transactions with the same results as the original accounting system, to include batch processing. Presently, the largest batch files (thousands of records) are processed within 5 minutes.

6. Environment – The system will need to be developed/converted in an on-premise or IL-5 environment. The final system will need to reside in a DISA hosted environment or in an IL-7 DoW accredited cloud environment.

7. Quality and Integrity – The system must be able to calculate transactions, summations, and account balancing to the same level of accuracy as the original accounting system. There is not a current metric for this, but a parallel test would confirm if the new system is miscalculating.

Rectification by the vendor would need to be immediately addressed.

8. Security – The system must be able to withstand vulnerability assessments to include penetration testing and continue to operate as the original accounting system, preferably in a fully integrated DevSecOps environment. The system must be scanned for STIGs using HP Fortify or other commercially available scanning tools with no CAT I or II vulnerabilities.

9. Sustainability – The system must be deployed and fully turned over to the government for sustainment and future development following implementation if not sooner.

10. AI/ML/LLM Training - The Government strictly prohibits the ingestion, retention, or utilization of any Government-provided data, legacy source code, business logic, data schemas, or generated target code/artifacts for the purpose of training, fine-tuning, or otherwise improving any vendor, proprietary, or commercial Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), or Large Language Model (LLM) systems.

D. RFI Questions

DFAS is seeking detailed industry comments and advice on the following items. Please provide detailed responses.

1. What experience do you have with completing code refactor projects from a Unisys OS2200 mainframe running COBOL 74?

2. Describe your approach to planning and executing a code refactor/conversion from a Unisys OS2200 mainframe to a modernized and sustainable coding language.

3. Describe how you intend to automatically discover, catalog, and map dependencies within the legacy Unisys environment, including undocumented business rules and batch processes.

4. Describe your methodology for identifying and retiring obsolete code rather than migrating it to the new architecture.

5. Describe what steps will be taken to assess the readiness of applications and workloads for migration.

6. Provide a timeline with details for refactoring/converting the system.

7. How do you ensure that the application and workload function correctly after the migration?

8. Provide past experience on similar projects.

9. How do you ensure data security and compliance during the refactor process?

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10. Describe your security plan for upgrades, patches, vulnerability assessments, and addressing/correcting vulnerabilities to include timelines on addressing (i.e. 30 days CAT I, 60 days CAT II, 90 days CAT III).

11. Describe your testing procedures for ensuring that the application and workload function correctly after the code refactor/conversion.

12. Provide the size and labor category composition, to include certification requirements, of the team that would be involved in the refactor project. (Minimum Certification: Security+)

13. Provide an estimate of the labor hours and labor category composition required to migrate the lines of code detailed in Attachment A.

14. What is your complete pricing structure for a code refactor?

15. What post migration support services do you offer?

16. Provide any additional recommendations and suggestions that have not been called out above.

17. Provide any lessons learned from previous conversions.

18. Explicitly describe your technical boundaries, administrative controls, and data governance policies that ensure absolute isolation of Government data from any AI/ML training pipelines. If AI-assisted tools (e.g., code converters, generative AI copilots) are utilized during the process, how will these tools operate in a closed, zero-retention environment?

E. Additional Questions *for Small Businesses only

This part of our market research helps us to make appropriate acquisition decisions and to gain knowledge of potential qualified small businesses, e.g., General Small Businesses, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses, Veteran Owned Small Businesses, 8(a), HUBZone and others interested and capable of performing the work. Please note that we are only interested in communicating with vendors who provide their own IT Support Services.

Small businesses are encouraged to provide responses to this RFI. Such responses will be used to assist DFAS in determining whether any small business vendors can provide the services outlined in this RFI request. Also, DFAS seeks to learn the potential levels of competition available in the industry, as well as helping to establish a basis for developing any subsequent potential subcontract plan goal percentages.

Small business firms capable of performing the tasks described in this RFI are encouraged to respond.

Any resultant contract or task order for supplies (other than procurement from a non-manufacturer of such supplies), will require the concern to perform work representing at least 50 percent of the cost of manufacturing the supplies, excluding the cost of materials.

For supply items such as software, at least 50 percent of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel must be expended by a concern proposing as a prime contractor. See FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting, for the complete clause and prescription.

Responses to this RFI will help shape the government's strategy for this acquisition, as well as any subsequent formalized solicitation.

1. Does your small business provide mainframe conversion services? If so, please describe.

2. Which NAICS codes apply to Mainframe Conversion Services?

3. Would you elect to submit to one or more of the following sub-categories; 8a, Service-Disabled

Veteran Owned Business and/or HUBZone?

4. If submitting a response as an 8a and/or HUBZone, is your firm Small Business Administration

(SBA) certified in either or both of these sub-categories?

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5. What is/are your 8a and/or HUBZone certification exit date(s)?

F. Additional Information Requested

Within your RFI response, include at least three (3) recent and relevant contracts performed within the last 3-5 years, to include the contract number, dollar value, period of performance, and scope. Provide any contract vehicles available to the Government for procurement of these types of services - e.g., General Service Administration (GSA), Federal Supply Schedules (FSS), or any other Government agency contract vehicle. Please include recommendations of common industry performance standards.

G. Cost Estimate (ROM)

Respondents shall provide a non-binding Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) estimate for planning and budgeting purposes only. The ROM will not be considered a proposal, quote, or commitment by the respondent.

H. Responses

RFI submissions shall address all items listed in sections B) Objectives and C) Requirements. Responses to RFI questions shall not exceed 5 pages. Responses shall be e-mailed with PDF or MS Word attachments and must include a cover sheet with the institution name, primary point(s) of contact (name, address, phone number, and e-mail), CAGE code, UEI, and Small Business status.

DFAS requests a response by June 17, 2026, at 12 PM ET. Send responses to the attention of Patrina James at patrina.l.james.civ@mail.mil. DFAS may establish dialogue with vendors to gain a better understanding of their service offerings. In turn, responding vendors may engage in dialogue with DFAS to gain better understanding of the environment.

Note: Please provide responses which answer the questions in the above sections. Unsolicited sales-oriented presentations are undesired. Gantt charts included for project plans and any other PowerPoint style graphics should be pasted as inline images into the MS Word or PDF document. Landscape mode will suffice for wide layout charts.

Disclaimer

This RFI is issued solely for market research and planning purposes only. This notice is not a Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quotation (RFQ), Invitation for Bids (IFB), or other solicitation, and does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise acquire any products or services.

In accordance with FAR 15.101(c)(2), responses to this RFI will not be considered to be offers, and will not be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Unsolicited offers will not be accepted, and the Government will not reimburse respondents for any costs incurred in preparing or submitting a response to this RFI. Proprietary information shall be clearly identified and will be protected from unauthorized disclosure. RFI responses will not be returned, and inquiries regarding future RFI requirements or composition will not be considered.

mailto:patrina.l.james.civ@mail.mil

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Attachment A – System Information Breakdown

The current platform includes:

• Approx. 879,354 lines of COBOL 74 code for user (terminal) screens, batch programs, Executive Control Language, sub-programs and copy PROCs.

• User front end is mainframe: ClearPath Software Series for VMware with virtual terminals.

• Online file download/upload and printing capabilities

• User access provisioning and User system activity reports through DISA (DFAS Systems can get reports)

• Unisys Shared File System of 12 databases files and additional system programs.

• Several Unisys system utilities for file system maintenance and performance monitoring

• Number of Interface Partners: approximately 5

• Number of monthly Interface files: 300-500

• Number of Users: 50