Defense Intel Agency Eyes TurboTax-Type Software to Run Acquisitions

The Defense Intelligence Agency would like to find simple, TurboTax-like software to provide “cradle to grave acquisition support.”

The Virginia Contracting Activity, which runs DIA procurements, said it wanted a knowledge-based system modeled on TurboTax to help manage acquisitions, according to a notice posted Thursday to the Federal Business Opportunities contracting website.

Eventually the software should support the entire intelligence community -- including the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office and the FBI -- “to consolidate our limited and dwindling resources with the added benefit of improving support to all our supported customers,” DIA said.

The acquisition system should include functionality similar to what software provides to individuals filing their taxes, DIA explained; it should take a user from start to finish with all necessary forms. TurboTax taps into the knowledge of human tax experts as well as a tax code database to help individuals or businesses prepare and file tax returns.

DIA, in a chart attached to its request for information, indicated that it would use a database of federal and defense acquisition regulations in its software, which also includes requirements and validation modules. The information generated by the Turbo Acquisition software, DIA said, should be exportable and compatible with MS Office.

The agency does not break out its acquisition budget. President Obama requested a budget of $48.2 billion for the National Intelligence Program in 2014.

DIA said it does not want to use proprietary software for its Turbo Acquisition tool and wants simple, ten-page proposals from vendors by Jul 16.

(Image via Maksim Kabakou/Shutterstock.com)