R499--Request for Information DGIB RFI Q&A DGIB

The Department of Veterans Affairs, through the Veterans Benefits Administration, is seeking industry insights to modernize and automate the Digital GI Bill and Education Services platform, a mission-critical system processing over $12 billion in education benefits annually. The goal is to transition the platform from its current vendor-managed AWS GovCloud environment to VA-owned infrastructure while enhancing automation, consolidating legacy systems, and improving the user experience for Veterans, service members, and claims examiners. The current ecosystem relies on two separate processing systems for Chapter 33 and non-Chapter 33 claims, along with outdated tools like TIMS, WEAMS, and eForce, which are slated for replacement by modernized applications including My Education Benefits, Enrollment Manager, Workload Manager, Approval Manager, and the Data Mart Analytics Platform. Automation currently handles about 60% of claims, with automated claims resolved in roughly one day versus over nine days for manual ones, and the VA aims to push this rate higher through refined adjudication logic, expanded eligibility rules, and human-centered improvements for examiners. Industry input is requested on technical and acquisition strategies to enable a seamless, zero-downtime migration to VA-controlled cloud environments while maintaining an active Authority to Operate. The RFI seeks perspectives on optimal contract structures, realistic transition timelines for a complex system with over 700 repositories and 50 databases, proven methods for dual-run architectures, and strategies to mitigate risks during cloud migration and vendor transition. VA is particularly interested in approaches that ensure continuous service delivery, reduce vendor lock-in, align with cloud-first policies, and support future legislative or technological changes. The response must include vendor experience with large-scale federal systems, insights on ATO reauthorization timelines, required government support for transition, and recommendations for definitions of system readiness prior to migration. All submissions are voluntary, non-binding, and must be provided by August 28, 2026, with no pricing or proposed solutions permitted—only general market insight to inform the government’s future acquisition strategy under NAICS code 541512.