Miles Jamison 
- The planned firm-fixed-price BPA is set aside for small businesses
- Work includes AI, biometrics, blockchain and mobile apps
- Ellumen is the incumbent for CBP’s DSAI requirement
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has forecast a recompete worth up to $50 million for application development services supporting the agency’s operational and support offices.
CBP’s Office of Information and Technology published the Digital Solutions and Application Innovation, or DSAI, requirement in the Department of Homeland Security’s acquisition planning forecast system on Friday, listing Ellumen as the incumbent.
CBP’s planned application development contract could support technologies ranging from AI and data analytics to biometrics. DHS Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar will deliver the opening keynote at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 10. He will be joined by government and industry leaders, including CBP’s Jay Alalasundaram, Anthony Crane, Baibhav Devkota, Casey Durst, Ruynard Singleton and Michelle Zebrowski. Register today!
The agency estimates releasing a solicitation Nov. 16, with an award anticipated in the first quarter of fiscal 2027. The forecast lists March 14, 2029, as the contract completion date and Ashburn, Virginia, as the place of performance.
The planned procurement is a competitive, firm-fixed-price blanket purchase agreement intended for small businesses.
What Does the DSAI Contract Cover?
The DSAI effort will involve developing applications to meet CBP’s operational needs, with work potentially spanning mobile and web tools, chatbot capabilities, artificial intelligence and machine learning, data analytics, internet of things device integration, biometric technology and blockchain.
The contractor will also provide technical support to agile development teams, including automated testing and processes for integrating and delivering updates continuously.
What Other Modernization Efforts Is CBP Pursuing?
The DSAI forecast follows CBP’s plans for the Design Intelligence Mission Modernization Hub, or DIMOD, a contract vehicle worth over $100 million that calls for human-centered design, agile development and cloud-native practices to update mission and business systems.
CBP also continues to implement its federal biometric entry-exit mandate by expanding facial biometric identity checks at airports and other ports of entry under the. Since 2018, the agency verified more than 1 billion travelers through facial biometrics and identified more than 2,300 impostors.
