NASA SEWP contract for ID.me SSO solution exceeds $57.4M, awarded via full and open competition

Contract Overview

Contract Amount: $57,407,451 ($57.4M)

Contractor: V3gate, LLC

Awarding Agency: Social Security Administration

Start Date: 2020-06-05

End Date: 2026-03-20

Contract Duration: 2,114 days

Daily Burn Rate: $27.2K/day

Competition Type: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION AFTER EXCLUSION OF SOURCES

Number of Offers Received: 2

Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE

Sector: IT

Official Description: NASA SEWP TASK ORDER AGAINST NNG15SD27B (V3GATE, LLC) FOR ID.ME IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT (IAM) SINGLE-SIGN ON (SSO) SOLUTION ANNUAL SOFTWARE LICENSES AND SUPPORT.

Place of Performance

Location: COLORADO SPRINGS, EL PASO County, COLORADO, 80921

State: Colorado Government Spending

Plain-Language Summary

Social Security Administration obligated $57.4 million to V3GATE, LLC for work described as: NASA SEWP TASK ORDER AGAINST NNG15SD27B (V3GATE, LLC) FOR ID.ME IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT (IAM) SINGLE-SIGN ON (SSO) SOLUTION ANNUAL SOFTWARE LICENSES AND SUPPORT. Key points: 1. The contract provides essential identity and access management software licenses and support. 2. Awarded under NASA SEWP, a broad agency multiple-award contract vehicle. 3. The duration of the task order spans over 5 years, indicating long-term need. 4. The fixed-price contract type suggests predictable costs for the government. 5. The contract was competed after exclusion of sources, implying a specific justification for the chosen approach. 6. The primary agency is the Social Security Administration, highlighting its critical IT infrastructure needs.

Value Assessment

Rating: good

The contract value of over $57.4 million for annual software licenses and support for an identity and access management solution appears reasonable given the multi-year duration and the critical nature of the service. Benchmarking against similar large-scale enterprise software agreements for SSO solutions is challenging without more specific details on the features and user base. However, the fixed-price nature of the contract provides cost certainty. The contract was awarded under the NASA SEWP vehicle, which is designed to offer competitive pricing through a streamlined procurement process.

Cost Per Unit: N/A

Competition Analysis

Competition Level: full-and-open

This task order was awarded under the NASA SEWP (Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement) program, which is a Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC). While the data indicates 'FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION AFTER EXCLUSION OF SOURCES,' this typically means that the competition was open to all eligible contractors on the SEWP vehicle, but perhaps specific sources were excluded based on pre-defined criteria or a prior decision. The SEWP program itself fosters competition by having multiple awardees, and task orders issued under it are generally competed among these awardees.

Taxpayer Impact: The full and open competition under the SEWP vehicle ensures that taxpayers benefit from a competitive bidding process, driving down prices and ensuring the government receives the best value for its investment in critical IT services.

Public Impact

Federal employees and citizens requiring access to government services will benefit from a secure and streamlined single sign-on experience. The contract delivers essential software licenses and ongoing support for identity and access management. The primary beneficiary is the Social Security Administration, enhancing its digital service delivery and security. Workforce implications include the need for IT professionals to manage and maintain the IAM solution.

Waste & Efficiency Indicators

Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10

Warning Flags

Potential for vendor lock-in if the solution becomes deeply integrated and difficult to replace.
Reliance on a single vendor for critical identity management services poses a security risk if the vendor experiences a breach.
The 'exclusion of sources' clause, even within a full and open competition, warrants scrutiny to ensure no undue restrictions were placed on potential bidders.

Positive Signals

Awarded under a GWAC (NASA SEWP) known for promoting competition and efficiency.
The fixed-price contract type provides budget predictability.
The multi-year duration suggests a stable and ongoing need for this critical service.

Sector Analysis

The contract falls within the Information Technology sector, specifically focusing on software licensing and support for identity and access management (IAM) solutions. The market for IAM software is robust, driven by increasing cybersecurity threats and the need for secure, user-friendly access to digital services. Government spending in this area is substantial, as agencies prioritize modernizing their IT infrastructure and protecting sensitive data. Comparable spending benchmarks would involve looking at other large federal contracts for enterprise-level IAM or SSO solutions, often procured through GWACs like NASA SEWP.

Small Business Impact

The provided data does not indicate if this contract included small business set-asides or subcontracting goals. However, as it was awarded under the NASA SEWP GWAC, there is a general emphasis within the SEWP program to encourage small business participation. The specific task order's structure and value might make it less likely for direct small business awards, but subcontracting opportunities could exist depending on the prime contractor's strategy.

Oversight & Accountability

Oversight for this contract would primarily fall under the Social Security Administration's contracting officers and program managers. As a task order under the NASA SEWP GWAC, there is also oversight from NASA regarding the overall GWAC management. Transparency is facilitated by public contract databases. Inspector General jurisdiction would apply in cases of suspected fraud, waste, or abuse related to the contract.

Related Government Programs

NASA SEWP Contracts
Identity and Access Management Solutions
Single Sign-On Software
Federal Civilian IT Modernization
Social Security Administration IT Services

Risk Flags

Potential for limited competition due to 'exclusion of sources' clause.
Reliance on a single vendor for critical identity management.
Long-term contract duration may require future re-evaluation of technology needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this federal contract paying for?

Social Security Administration awarded $57.4 million to V3GATE, LLC. NASA SEWP TASK ORDER AGAINST NNG15SD27B (V3GATE, LLC) FOR ID.ME IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT (IAM) SINGLE-SIGN ON (SSO) SOLUTION ANNUAL SOFTWARE LICENSES AND SUPPORT.

Who is the contractor on this award?

The obligated recipient is V3GATE, LLC.

Which agency awarded this contract?

Awarding agency: Social Security Administration (Social Security Administration).

What is the total obligated amount?

The obligated amount is $57.4 million.

What is the period of performance?

Start: 2020-06-05. End: 2026-03-20.

What is the specific nature of the 'exclusion of sources' mentioned in the contract type, and how did it impact the competitive landscape?

The contract type 'FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION AFTER EXCLUSION OF SOURCES' suggests that while the competition was open to all eligible vendors on the NASA SEWP contract vehicle, certain specific sources may have been excluded from consideration. This exclusion could be based on various factors, such as prior performance issues, specific technical requirements that only a subset of vendors could meet, or a strategic decision to focus on a particular segment of the market. Without further details from the solicitation or award documents, it's difficult to pinpoint the exact reasons for exclusion. However, such clauses can sometimes limit the breadth of competition, potentially impacting price discovery and the range of innovative solutions considered. It is crucial to ensure that any such exclusions are well-documented, justified, and serve a clear government interest to maintain fair and effective competition.

How does the annual cost of this ID.me SSO solution compare to similar enterprise-level IAM solutions in the federal market?

Directly comparing the annual cost of this ID.me SSO solution to similar enterprise-level IAM solutions in the federal market is challenging without detailed knowledge of the specific features, user volume, and service level agreements (SLAs) included. The contract value of approximately $11.5 million per year ($57.4M / ~5 years) for software licenses and support is substantial, reflecting the criticality and scale of identity management for an agency like the Social Security Administration. However, enterprise IAM solutions can range significantly in price. Factors influencing cost include the number of users, the complexity of identity lifecycle management, multi-factor authentication capabilities, privileged access management features, and the level of support required. To perform a robust comparison, one would need to benchmark against contracts for similar solutions from vendors like Okta, Microsoft Azure AD Premium, or Ping Identity, considering their respective pricing models and the scope of services provided under each contract.

What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) or service level agreements (SLAs) associated with this contract to ensure effective service delivery?

The provided data does not explicitly detail the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for this specific task order. However, for an Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Single Sign-On (SSO) solution, critical performance metrics would typically include system uptime and availability (e.g., 99.9% or higher), authentication success rates, response times for login and access requests, and the speed of provisioning/de-provisioning user accounts. Security-related SLAs, such as the time to patch vulnerabilities or respond to security incidents, would also be paramount. The contract's effectiveness would be measured by its ability to securely and reliably grant authorized users access to necessary systems while preventing unauthorized access, thereby supporting the Social Security Administration's mission and protecting sensitive data.

What is V3GATE, LLC's track record with federal contracts, particularly for large-scale IT solutions like IAM/SSO?

V3GATE, LLC has a track record of performing federal contracts, as evidenced by this task order. To assess their performance specifically for large-scale IT solutions like IAM/SSO, a deeper dive into their contract history would be necessary. This would involve reviewing past performance evaluations (e.g., Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System - CPARS), other task orders awarded to them under vehicles like NASA SEWP, and the types of services they have delivered. While this specific contract is substantial, understanding their experience with similar complex IT projects, their ability to manage large software deployments, and their history of meeting deadlines and technical requirements would provide a clearer picture of their capabilities and reliability in this domain.

How does the total spending on this contract compare to the Social Security Administration's overall IT budget or spending on similar services?

The total spending of $57.4 million over approximately five years represents a significant investment in identity and access management for the Social Security Administration (SSA). To contextualize this, one would need to compare it against the SSA's total annual IT budget and its spending on other critical IT infrastructure and services. For instance, if the SSA's total IT budget is in the hundreds of millions or billions, this contract might represent a moderate portion dedicated to IAM. Conversely, if the budget is smaller, this contract could be a major expenditure. Benchmarking against other agencies' spending on similar IAM/SSO solutions, adjusted for agency size and complexity, would also provide valuable perspective on whether this represents a typical or outlier investment for such a critical function.

Industry Classification

NAICS: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services › Computer Systems Design and Related Services › Other Computer Related Services

Product/Service Code: IT AND TELECOM - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS › ADP AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Competition & Pricing

Extent Competed: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION AFTER EXCLUSION OF SOURCES

Solicitation Procedures: SUBJECT TO MULTIPLE AWARD FAIR OPPORTUNITY

Solicitation ID: 28321320Q00000145

Offers Received: 2

Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE (J)

Evaluated Preference: NONE

Contractor Details

Address: 555 MIDDLE CREEK PKWY STE 120, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, 80921

Business Categories: Category Business, Hispanic American Owned Business, Limited Liability Corporation, Minority Owned Business, Partnership or Limited Liability Partnership, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business, Small Business, Special Designations, U.S.-Owned Business, Veteran Owned Business

Financial Breakdown

Contract Ceiling: $59,803,951

Exercised Options: $57,407,451

Current Obligation: $57,407,451

Actual Outlays: $49,360,182

Contract Characteristics

Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS/SERVICES

Parent Contract

Parent Award PIID: NNG15SD27B

IDV Type: GWAC

Timeline