Notice of Intent to Award to Carahsoft - Red Hat Software

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico has published a Notice of Intent to Award a sole source purchase order to Carahsoft Technology Corp for Red Hat software renewal. This special notice, posted on February 25, 2026, is not a request for quote or proposal but rather an announcement of the Air Force's intent to proceed with a mandatory source award. The procurement falls under PSC Code 7379 and NAICS Code 541519, with a small business size standard of 150 employees. The notice establishes a 15-day period from the announcement date during which interested parties may submit questions or concerns regarding the award decision. Carahsoft Technology Corp has been designated as the Department of Defense Enterprise Software Initiative (DoD ESI) mandatory source for Red Hat products, which forms the basis for the sole source justification.

The objective of this notice is to inform the contracting community that AFRL requires Red Hat software assemblies that are vital to the organization's ongoing mission operations, and that these requirements will be fulfilled through Carahsoft as the designated mandatory source vendor. The Notice of Intent to Award will remain open until March 12, 2026, allowing for a 15-day protest period before final award. Since this is a mandatory source procurement under the DoD ESI program, the standard competitive bidding process does not apply, and only Carahsoft is eligible to receive this award. Contractors or interested parties with questions or concerns should contact Rosa Davis at AFRL/RJZY via email at Rosa.davis.2@spaceforce.mil or by phone at 505-853-3359. This sole source award is justified based on Carahsoft's exclusive designation as the DoD ESI mandatory source for Red Hat software products and the critical nature of the software to AFRL's mission requirements.