HHS Awards $45.3M to Skyward Dynamics for Chronic Conditions Warehouse and VRDC Support

Contract Overview

Contract Amount: $45,350,641 ($45.4M)

Contractor: Skyward Dynamics Information Technology, LLC

Awarding Agency: Department of Health and Human Services

Start Date: 2024-12-19

End Date: 2026-04-29

Contract Duration: 496 days

Daily Burn Rate: $91.4K/day

Competition Type: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Number of Offers Received: 6

Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE

Sector: IT

Official Description: THE RESEARCH DATA DEVELOPMENT GROUP (RDDG) WITHIN THE OFFICE OF ENTERPRISE DATA AND ANALYTICS (OEDA) SUPPORTS THE AGENCY'S MISSION BY OPERATING AND MAINTAINING THE CHRONIC CONDITIONS WAREHOUSE (CCW) AND VIRTUAL RESEARCH DATA CENTER (VRDC). THE CCW WA

Place of Performance

Location: WINDSOR MILL, BALTIMORE County, MARYLAND, 21244

State: Maryland Government Spending

Plain-Language Summary

Department of Health and Human Services obligated $45.4 million to SKYWARD DYNAMICS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, LLC for work described as: THE RESEARCH DATA DEVELOPMENT GROUP (RDDG) WITHIN THE OFFICE OF ENTERPRISE DATA AND ANALYTICS (OEDA) SUPPORTS THE AGENCY'S MISSION BY OPERATING AND MAINTAINING THE CHRONIC CONDITIONS WAREHOUSE (CCW) AND VIRTUAL RESEARCH DATA CENTER (VRDC). THE CCW WA Key points: 1. Contract supports critical data infrastructure for health research. 2. Skyward Dynamics is the sole awardee. 3. Risk of vendor lock-in and limited competition. 4. Spending is within the administrative management consulting sector.

Value Assessment

Rating: good

The award amount of $45.3M over approximately 2 years appears reasonable for specialized data management and IT support services. Benchmarking against similar contracts for data warehousing and virtual data center operations would provide further context.

Cost Per Unit: N/A

Competition Analysis

Competition Level: full-and-open

The contract was awarded under full and open competition, suggesting a competitive process. However, it is a delivery order, and the specific competition details for this order are not provided, which could impact price discovery.

Taxpayer Impact: Taxpayer funds are being used to support essential health data infrastructure, aiming for improved research and potentially better health outcomes.

Public Impact

Supports the operation and maintenance of vital health data resources. Enables research on chronic conditions, potentially leading to better public health strategies. Ensures the availability and integrity of sensitive virtual research data.

Waste & Efficiency Indicators

Waste Risk Score: 75 / 10

Warning Flags

Limited visibility into the specific competition for this delivery order.
Potential for increased costs if competition for future work is restricted.

Positive Signals

Supports critical government function.
Firm Fixed Price contract provides cost certainty.
Long-term contract duration allows for stable operations.

Sector Analysis

This contract falls under Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services, specifically supporting IT infrastructure for data warehousing and virtual data centers. Spending in this category is common across federal agencies for IT modernization and data management initiatives.

Small Business Impact

The data indicates this contract was not awarded to a small business. Further analysis would be needed to determine if small business participation was sought or achieved through subcontracting.

Oversight & Accountability

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is responsible for overseeing this contract. Standard oversight mechanisms for IT service contracts should be in place to ensure performance and value.

Related Government Programs

Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
Department of Health and Human Services Contracting
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Programs

Risk Flags

Sole awardee for a critical IT function.
Potential for vendor lock-in.
Lack of transparency on competition for this specific delivery order.
No indication of small business subcontracting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this federal contract paying for?

Department of Health and Human Services awarded $45.4 million to SKYWARD DYNAMICS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, LLC. THE RESEARCH DATA DEVELOPMENT GROUP (RDDG) WITHIN THE OFFICE OF ENTERPRISE DATA AND ANALYTICS (OEDA) SUPPORTS THE AGENCY'S MISSION BY OPERATING AND MAINTAINING THE CHRONIC CONDITIONS WAREHOUSE (CCW) AND VIRTUAL RESEARCH DATA CENTER (VRDC). THE CCW WA

Who is the contractor on this award?

The obligated recipient is SKYWARD DYNAMICS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, LLC.

Which agency awarded this contract?

Awarding agency: Department of Health and Human Services (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services).

What is the total obligated amount?

The obligated amount is $45.4 million.

What is the period of performance?

Start: 2024-12-19. End: 2026-04-29.

What is the specific value proposition of the Chronic Conditions Warehouse and Virtual Research Data Center to the agency's mission?

The CCW and VRDC are crucial for supporting the agency's mission by providing a secure and accessible platform for researchers to analyze vast amounts of data related to chronic conditions. This enables evidence-based policy development, program evaluation, and the identification of trends and interventions to improve public health outcomes and manage healthcare costs.

What are the primary risks associated with relying on a single vendor for the operation and maintenance of this critical data infrastructure?

The primary risks include vendor lock-in, where the agency becomes overly dependent on Skyward Dynamics, potentially leading to higher costs in the future. There's also a risk of reduced innovation if the vendor does not proactively update technologies. Furthermore, a single point of failure could arise if the vendor experiences operational issues, impacting data access and research continuity.

How effectively does this contract contribute to the agency's long-term data strategy and research goals?

This contract directly contributes to the agency's data strategy by ensuring the operational integrity of key data assets. By maintaining the CCW and VRDC, it enables ongoing and future research initiatives focused on chronic conditions. The stability provided by the contract's duration and fixed-price nature supports predictable progress towards research goals, assuming the vendor delivers as expected.

Industry Classification

NAICS: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services › Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services › Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services

Product/Service Code: IT AND TELECOM - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS › IT AND TELECOM - APLLICATIONS

Competition & Pricing

Extent Competed: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Solicitation Procedures: SUBJECT TO MULTIPLE AWARD FAIR OPPORTUNITY

Offers Received: 6

Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE (J)

Evaluated Preference: NONE

Contractor Details

Address: 2000 TOWER OAKS BLVD STE 230, ROCKVILLE, MD, 20852

Business Categories: Asian Pacific American Owned Business, Category Business, Limited Liability Corporation, Minority Owned Business, SBA Certified 8 a Joint Venture, Self-Certified Small Disadvantaged Business, Small Business, Sole Proprietorship, Special Designations, U.S.-Owned Business

Financial Breakdown

Contract Ceiling: $140,196,178

Exercised Options: $45,350,641

Current Obligation: $45,350,641

Actual Outlays: $36,076,504

Contract Characteristics

Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS/SERVICES

Parent Contract

Parent Award PIID: 47QRAA24D009Z

IDV Type: FSS

Timeline