GSA releases draft performance work statement for Ascend blanket purchase agreement

The General Services Administration has released a draft performance work statement for its proposed Ascend Blank Purchase Agreement, marking another step in the agency’s plans to simplify cloud purchasing processes. 

The agreement is meant to address several aspects of cloud services, including labor services, platform as a service, infrastructure as a service, and software as a service. It’s also part of a larger effort to help federal agencies transition from legacy IT to cloud-based systems in an easier way.

As FedScoop previously reported, the Ascend program is meant to establish cybersecurity and other baselines for cloud technology services. 

“A bona fide need exists for a governmentwide BPA specifically focused on cloud services and cloud related IT professional services based on the complexity of the compliance, cybersecurity, and governance requirements and the continued adoption and usage of cloud services and cloud related IT professional services by eligible users,”  the document states. 

The original published date is listed as Dec. 19. The response date is Jan. 30.