Sole_Source_Notice_of_Intent_Sources_Sought 842673947_Final.pdf

NOTICE OF INTENT 842673947

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)/Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization (DITCO) intends to negotiate a sole source contract with Akamai Technologies, Inc., a large business, for the Global Content Delivery Service (GCDS) III requirement. A sole source Justification & Approval document is being coordinated and, upon approval, a copy of it will be posted here on SAM.gov to comply with the public display requirements of FAR 6.103-1 and FAR 5.101.

The proposed contract action is for the Global Content Delivery Service (GCDS) III requirement.

GCDS is DISA’s enterprise-class, managed content delivery network (CDN) for accelerating, securing, and monitoring web content, applications, and data transfers. GCDS operates on both NIPRNet and SIPRNet, delivering services through globally distributed edge locations to reduce latency, improve performance, and ensure resilient access to information for Department of Defense (DoD) missions worldwide. The objective of this requirement is to obtain a reliable, responsive, and cost-effective GCDS that leverages commercial best practices and Zero Trust security principles.

DISA delivers information technology (IT) solutions for the DoD and requires processing, storage, communications, identity management, and content delivery services for diverse customer applications across the DISN and other DoD networks. This acquisition provides state-of-the-art global content delivery capacity, including globally distributed network optimizing content delivery speed and security, to meet current and future DoD customer requirements.

GCDS, as a DISN zero trust enterprise-level service, is designed to secure, accelerate, and improve the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of mission-critical applications globally.

By strategically deploying content delivery capabilities at DISA-owned and DISA-approved processing locations, GCDS enables DISA to enhance communication effectiveness through improved information interoperability.

GCDS provides the Government with a secure and reliable system for the rapid global delivery of digital content, including websites, videos, files, and online applications, to military users and systems around the world. GCDS ensures that warfighters, analysts, and other defense personnel can instantly access the information they need, wherever they are, without delays or failures.

GCDS protects this content with high-level cybersecurity tools to ensure that sensitive data stays secure. This service is especially critical for missions that operate across different time zones and geographic regions, where real-time access to web applications and secure data is essential for success. Without GCDS, digital content would take longer to load, be more vulnerable to cyberattacks, and risk becoming unavailable during key operations. GCDS ensures that vital military content is fast, secure, and always available, anywhere in the world it is needed.

This follow-on effort will deliver the current GCDS services and bring parity to the vendor’s commercial offerings. This effort, referred to as Defense Edge, intends to enhance content delivery, identity management, and security services for DISA by unifying existing public and private service offerings into a single, elevated platform.

The incumbent subcontractor Akamai Technologies, Inc., is the only source capable of providing all necessary services.

The statutory authority for other than full and open competition is 10 USC 3204 (a) (1), as implemented by FAR 6.103-1(c)(2), only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Companies who believe they can provide this service must indicate their interest in writing within 15 days of this notification and include a detailed capability statement. No reimbursement for any cost connected with providing capability information will be provided. All responsible sources will be considered in evaluating the determination to issue a sole-source contract. Quotations or proposals received in response to this notice cannot be accepted since this synopsis cannot be considered a request for quote or a request for proposal. A solicitation will NOT be posted to SAM.gov due to the sole source nature of the requirement.

This acquisition is justified under the authority of 10 U.S.C. 3204 (a) (1), “only one responsible source,” because Akamai Technologies, Inc. is the only known source capable of meeting DISA’s requirements without unacceptable delays or increased costs to the Government. Akamai has been deeply integrated into DISA for over a decade, providing highly available, low-latency content delivery and security services across both classified and unclassified networks. As such, transitioning to an alternate provider would require significant system re-architecting, recertification, and re-accreditation, resulting in unacceptable delays, increased costs, and significant disruption to mission-critical services across the DoD enterprise.

This approach aligns with the Secretary of Defense Memorandum titled, “Implementation of Executive Order 14222 – Department of Government Efficiency and Cost Efficiency Initiative,” dated May 27, 2025, DoD Components are now directed to avoid the use of IT integrators and consultants, defined as firms providing IT system design, implementation, or advisory services, unless it is clearly justified that:

- The work cannot be performed by existing DoD personnel or agencies; and

- The required service cannot be procured directly from the service provider.

Following a thorough market research effort in accordance with FAR Part 10, DISA has determined that Akamai Technologies is the only responsible source capable of meeting the DoD's requirements for secure, reliable, and globally distributed content delivery services.

Akamai’s proprietary infrastructure, integrated security features, and operational capabilities have been customized to meet GCDS III requirements, and no other vendor possesses the technical capacity, cleared operations, or proven performance to deliver these services without significant disruption to ongoing DoD missions.

Awarding the contract directly to Akamai eliminates unnecessary reliance on intermediaries, reduces costs, and mitigates the risks associated with transitioning to an unproven alternative.

Akamai’s established global footprint, prior investments in DoD-specific requirements, and ability to provide assured performance and continuity are critical to maintaining the security, speed, and reliability of the GCDS platform.

Given the urgency of maintaining uninterrupted content delivery and credential management, Akamai is the only vendor capable of fulfilling these requirements to the standards demanded by DISA and its mission partners. This sole-source acquisition is deemed essential to sustain the DoD’s global content delivery mission and ensure alignment with DoD efficiency goals.

The North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS) for this requirement is 541519 with the corresponding size standard of $34M.

CONTRACT/PROGRAM BACKGROUND:

Contract Number: HC108421D0002 Contract Vehicle: Open Market Incumbent and their size and CAGE: Peraton Enterprise Solutions LLC (at award Perspecta Enterprise Solutions LLC, Change of Name Agreement on Mod P00007), Large Business, CAGE: 1U305

Subcontractor: Akamai Technologies, Inc., Large Business, CAGE: 1YEZ5 Method of previous acquisition: Full and Open Competition Period of performance: February 9, 2021 – February 8, 2027

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: The contractor must have a final Secret Facility Clearance from the Defense Counterintelligence Security Agency. Personnel performing work under this contract must be U.S. citizens possess an interim or final Secret security clearance when contract performance starts.

Points of Contact:

Sara Vogelgesang sara.a.vogelgesang.civ@mail.mil

Tricia Singler tricia.l.singler.civ@mail.mil

For information on DISA’s requirements, you can find current information on our home page:

www.disa.mil – that includes current forecast and the current acquisition strategies. If there is no information regarding the requirement you may be inquiring about, then there is no additional publicly available information. Please continue to review www.disa.mil.

mailto:sara.a.vogelgesang.civ@mail.mil mailto:tricia.l.singler.civ@mail.mil http://www.disa.mil/