A major development in federal procurement has arrived. Tech7, a defense and national security technology integrator, has been awarded a massive $489 million General Services Administration (GSA) contract. This award, issued as a Phase III Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding agreement, is a direct channel for expanding a critical tech evaluation system across the government. This Phase III mechanism is a crucial step for maturing innovative solutions and making them available for broader federal procurement use, signaling a significant shift in how agencies will acquire technology.
Enhancing Federal Procurement for Key Agencies
This specific Phase III SBIR award, announced Tuesday, supports the departments of Commerce, Defense, and Homeland Security. The contract funds the continued development of the TRACE system, designed by Colorado Springs-headquartered Trace7. The TRACE platform is engineered to help agencies identify, procure, and evaluate technologies, thereby modernizing and simplifying the entire federal procurement lifecycle. This represents a leap forward in efficient and intelligent federal procurement.
Dubbed TRACE 2.0, the new project will focus on advancing the system’s artificial intelligence and machine learning functionalities. These enhancements are designed to enable deeper integration between core government systems and commercial third-party technologies. Tech7 will also implement a DevSecOps methodology, baking security into every update and allowing for continuous improvements based on user input. This contract highlights the ongoing modernization and innovation within federal procurement processes, aiming to make acquiring new technology faster, smarter, and more secure for every agency.
