HHS awards $16.16M BPA Call to Palantir for Enterprise Licenses

Contract Overview

Contract Amount: $16,160,662 ($16.2M)

Contractor: Palantir Technologies Inc.

Awarding Agency: Department of Health and Human Services

Start Date: 2022-04-21

End Date: 2025-09-20

Contract Duration: 1,248 days

Daily Burn Rate: $12.9K/day

Competition Type: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Number of Offers Received: 1

Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE

Sector: IT

Official Description: HHS SHARE BPA - BPA HOLDER'S ENTERPRISE LICENSES TASK ORDER

Place of Performance

Location: WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA County, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 20001

State: District of Columbia Government Spending

Plain-Language Summary

Department of Health and Human Services obligated $16.2 million to PALANTIR TECHNOLOGIES INC. for work described as: HHS SHARE BPA - BPA HOLDER'S ENTERPRISE LICENSES TASK ORDER Key points: 1. Palantir Technologies Inc. secured a significant contract for enterprise software licenses. 2. The award was made under a full and open competition BPA call. 3. The contract duration extends to September 2025. 4. This spending falls under the Software Publishers NAICS code.

Value Assessment

Rating: good

The total award amount is $16.16 million. Benchmarking against similar enterprise software license agreements for large government entities suggests this pricing is competitive, especially considering the specialized nature of the software.

Cost Per Unit: N/A

Competition Analysis

Competition Level: full-and-open

The contract was awarded through a full and open competition under a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) call. This method allows for broad market participation and generally leads to better price discovery and value for the government.

Taxpayer Impact: Taxpayers benefit from a competitive bidding process that aims to secure the best possible price for essential software licenses.

Public Impact

Ensures access to critical software for HHS operations. Supports data analytics and management capabilities within the agency. Potential for enhanced public health initiatives through improved data infrastructure.

Waste & Efficiency Indicators

Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10

Warning Flags

Potential vendor lock-in with specialized software.
Reliance on a single vendor for enterprise-wide licenses.

Positive Signals

Full and open competition ensures market fairness.
BPA structure allows for efficient task order issuance.
Long-term contract provides stability for software provision.

Sector Analysis

This contract falls within the Information Technology sector, specifically software licensing. Spending benchmarks for enterprise software licenses within federal agencies vary widely based on scope and vendor, but $16.16 million over approximately two years is a substantial investment.

Small Business Impact

The data indicates this contract was not awarded to a small business. Further analysis would be needed to determine if small businesses had opportunities to participate as subcontractors.

Oversight & Accountability

The award was made by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration. Standard government oversight processes apply to ensure contract compliance and performance.

Related Government Programs

Software Publishers
Department of Health and Human Services Contracting
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration Programs

Risk Flags

Potential for high cost of specialized software.
Dependence on a single vendor for critical enterprise functions.
Limited visibility into specific software functionalities and their direct impact.
Contract duration extends into a future administration, potentially impacting continuity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this federal contract paying for?

Department of Health and Human Services awarded $16.2 million to PALANTIR TECHNOLOGIES INC.. HHS SHARE BPA - BPA HOLDER'S ENTERPRISE LICENSES TASK ORDER

Who is the contractor on this award?

The obligated recipient is PALANTIR TECHNOLOGIES INC..

Which agency awarded this contract?

Awarding agency: Department of Health and Human Services (Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration).

What is the total obligated amount?

The obligated amount is $16.2 million.

What is the period of performance?

Start: 2022-04-21. End: 2025-09-20.

What specific enterprise software capabilities does Palantir provide under this BPA call, and how do they align with HHS's strategic objectives?

The task order focuses on 'Enterprise Licenses' provided by Palantir Technologies Inc. While specific capabilities are not detailed in the provided data, Palantir is known for its advanced data integration, analytics, and AI platforms. These likely support HHS's mission in areas such as public health data analysis, disease surveillance, and operational efficiency. Alignment with strategic objectives would depend on HHS's specific IT roadmaps and data modernization goals.

What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) for this contract, and how will HHS measure Palantir's performance and the value derived from these enterprise licenses?

Key performance indicators are not explicitly detailed in the provided data. However, typical KPIs for enterprise software licenses include system uptime, availability, response times for support, successful deployment of new features, and user adoption rates. HHS would likely track these metrics through regular performance reviews, user feedback surveys, and system monitoring reports to ensure Palantir delivers the contracted value and meets performance expectations.

Given Palantir's reputation for complex and sometimes controversial software, what measures are in place to ensure ethical data handling and privacy compliance within HHS?

Ensuring ethical data handling and privacy compliance is paramount. HHS would have incorporated strict data governance clauses, privacy impact assessments, and security requirements into the BPA and task order. Palantir must adhere to federal regulations like HIPAA and FISMA, and HHS would conduct regular audits and reviews to verify compliance, ensuring sensitive data is protected and used appropriately according to established policies.

Industry Classification

NAICS: Information › Software Publishers › Software Publishers

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

Competition & Pricing

Extent Competed: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Solicitation Procedures: SUBJECT TO MULTIPLE AWARD FAIR OPPORTUNITY

Solicitation ID: RFQ 291617

Offers Received: 1

Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE (J)

Evaluated Preference: NONE

Contractor Details

Address: 518 17TH ST STE 1015, DENVER, CO, 80202

Business Categories: Category Business, Corporate Entity Not Tax Exempt, Not Designated a Small Business, Special Designations, U.S.-Owned Business

Financial Breakdown

Contract Ceiling: $16,160,662

Exercised Options: $16,160,662

Current Obligation: $16,160,662

Actual Outlays: $15,805,342

Contract Characteristics

Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS/SERVICES

Parent Contract

Parent Award PIID: 75P00122A00010

IDV Type: BPA

Timeline