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MDA Qualifies 1,014 Firms for $151 Billion SHIELD Contract Vehicle

The agency stresses the awards are a prequalification step, not a Golden Dome procurement, positioning SHIELD as a fast lane for future competitions across the department.

Overview

  • The first phase selected 1,014 qualifying offerors from 2,463 proposals for the Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense IDIQ, which carries a ceiling of $151 billion.
  • No funds are obligated on the base awards, with money to be competed and awarded later at the task or delivery order level through a vehicle that can be used by other DoD entities.
  • The potential performance period runs through December 2035, with additional staggered awards expected after MDA completes discussions with vendors.
  • MDA describes SHIELD as a broad technical lane spanning 19-plus areas, emphasizing AI/ML, digital engineering, open systems architectures, model-based systems engineering, and agile processes.
  • Amid industry interest in Golden Dome and recent Space Force prototype efforts, MDA clarified that SHIELD may host future Golden Dome orders but is neither exclusive to nor a preview of Golden Dome requirements.