Pushed Right: $50M+ DHS USCIS Data Strategy Support Services (DSSS) RFP

Updated November 21, 2023

Some good news out of DHS this week is that the RFP for this heavily anticipated requirement will NOT crush your holiday plans. The release of the solicitation for the next iteration of this now 5-year contract to support the USCIS OCDO’s core mission, which includes the advancement of the USCIS Data Strategy, is now set to be released in early to mid-January 2024. USCIS had planned to compete the requirement this Fall, but that did not happen. Much of the rest remains the same. More details on this requirement are below. 

Updated July 24, 2023

Did you think you might get a rest in October? Not so fast as DHS just announced that the RFP for the next iteration of this now 5-year contract to support the USCIS OCDO’s core mission, which includes the advancement of the USCIS Data Strategy, is now set to be released just weeks into the new fiscal year. The solicitation is expected out as early as mid-October of 2023, three months earlier than originally communicated.  No rest for the weary. 

Added July 12, 2023

There were 10 bidders the last time this was competed, so unsurprisingly, the move by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to tack on a few extra years and tens of millions of dollars in potential contract value to this early 2024 contract recompete, is only increasing the level of interest from established Homeland Security and USCIS focused GovCon players, especially amongst intelligent automation providers and the small business community. 

A focus for the next iteration of this now 5-year USCIS Data Strategy Support Services (DSSS) contract is to support the OCDO’s core mission, which includes the advancement of the USCIS Data Strategy, by providing a broad set of skills, ranging from data management with data governance and sharing, data standards, and data quality, to business intelligence with agency-side reporting, and advanced analytics with data scientist research and automation support. The latest word out of DHS is that a solicitation is expected to be released as an 8(a) small business set-aside action on GSA OASIS. 

Of note is that the predecessor contract, which was awarded to Anika Systems in late FY22 was 8(a) competed on OASIS SB Pool 1. The value of this 18-month contract was $19M – award details and spend to date can be found here. Early this year USCIS released its FY 2023-2026 plan, which included an ongoing emphasis on accurate and consistent data, to include improved ease of data sharing among key government partners.  

Anika, an SBA certified 8(a), HUB Zone and EDWOSB firm with services and solutions spanning Data and Analytics, Intelligent Automation, IT Modernization, Application Development and Cloud Engineering, remains a mainstay on the OrangeSlices list of the most viewed partner options at USCIS, but that will not stop other companies from taking a long look at how they can get in the mix on this high-profile and strategic contract.  

Key Points of Contact (Current and Past) 

• Michael Gorman, DHS USCIS – michael.j.gorman2@uscis.dhs.gov 
• John Mcbride, DHS USCIS – john.j.mcbride@uscis.dhs.gov
• Scott Achin, DHS USCIS – scott.a.achin@uscis.dhs.gov 
• Alex Mostovyk Contracts, DHS USCIS 
• Eric Moss, Contracts, DHS USCIS 
• Elizabeth Puchek, Chief Data Officer, DHS USCIS  
• Damian Kostiuk, Deputy Chief Data Officer, DHS USCIS 
• James Scallan, Data Sharing & Governance Branch – DHS USCIS OCDO 
• Robin E. McWhorter, Division Chief, Data Management DHS USCIS OCDO 
• Andrew West, Technical Program Manager – Data Management Division, Anika Systems 

Related Data  

• USCIS Taps Anika Systems for Data Strategy Support Contract, 2022, Homeland Security Today 
• USCIS chief data officer prioritizing data quality in fiscal 2022 
• A dozen 2024 DHS USCIS RFP/RFQs expected to draw a crowd 
• It’s Time to Elev8 GovCon – 2024 Edition! Recognizing those Government Contracting companies who are Doing It the Right Way
• MindPetal Agrees to Acquire Arlington-Based Intelligent Automation Firm VerticalApps
• Contract Award: $24M DHS USCIS CRE Strategic Enterprise Portfolio Management and Operational Requirements Support
• Contract Awards: DHS USCIS Enterprise Platform for Integrated Citizen Development (EPIC)
• TSA adds recent DHS USCIS OCIO lead as Executive Advisor to the CIO
• Contract Award: $282M DHS USCIS Application Support Center (ASC)
• DHS details plans for Fast Agile Lifecycle for Continuous Verification, Operations, and NextGen (FALCON) and FALCON SB contracts
• Contract Award: $407M DHS USCIS Application Support Centers (ASC) Ops and Facilities Services
• DOJ recruits former FDA and DHS USCIS IT leader to guide this Application Division Branch

Need a Partner? DHS USCIS Focused Consulting Firms drawing the most attention:   Updated November 21, 2023

To support any companies looking for partners, included below is a list of the large and small business IT partners we have noted as drawing the most views by Government and industry leaders on the OrangeSlices AI consultant directory since the beginning of 2023 and that bring direct past performance and/or related relationships in support of USCIS. 

• ITC Federal **
• Brillient **
• Akira
• REI Systems **
• Highlight **
• CVP **
• Steampunk **
• Alpha Omega **
• ADG Tech Consulting
• Leidos
• VerticalApps
• INADEV **
• Anika Systems
• Zen Strategics **
• MetaPhase Consulting **
• ICF **
• Softrams **
• DecisionPoint

** An Elev8 GovCon Honoree, noted for a corporate culture that demonstrates excellence, making the company a beacon for talent, for partners, and for clients.     

We cannot and will not speculate here as to the reasons for the increased interest, but whether it is a company evaluating them as a potential partner; a federal acquisition leader doing their due diligence; or a consultant weighing their next job move, this group of companies has been receiving increased interest.   

Looking to identify some of the top small and large partners supporting DHS USCIS? Click Here You can filter the list by several key indicators, to include socio-economic status, NAICS, Contract vehicle, etc.    

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