DOD ESI BPAs: What CETA Is and Why It Is Important

By Derek Giarratana, Supplier Manager

Many of you are familiar with DOD ESI BPAs, but you’re probably not as familiar with the CETA designation and what it means.

Only one vendor has received the CETA designation thus far. Recently, the Navy PEO-EIS designated the Tanium DOD ESI BPA, held by immixGroup, as the first DOD Core Enterprise Technology Agreement (CETA). The CETA designation means that this purchasing vehicle is mandatory for all DOD customers who want to procure Tanium products and services.

DOD Enterprise Software Initiative

Before we dive into CETA and what it means for DOD procurement, let’s briefly talk about the DOD ESI program, managed by the PMW 290 Project Office.

The Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI) was created to establish and manage enterprise COTS IT agreements, assets and policies across the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community to streamline procurement practices. Since it was created, it has changed the game for DOD IT procurement, making it easier than ever to acquire IT solutions while significantly reducing costs.

DOD ESI Blanket Purchase Agreements

Currently, there are 78 OEMs available under a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) awarded through the DOD ESI program that covers hardware, software and services — with more to be awarded in the future. immixGroup holds BPAs that cover 9 OEMs, including Tanium.

Core Enterprise Technology Agreements

The CETA designation provides the best possible value and savings while eliminating redundancies and increasing efficiencies for DOD agencies. More specifically, benefits include:

• Improved terms and conditions, offering more flexible licensing, reducing DOD’s liability
• Significant volume and price discounts: all orders start at 1.5M endpoints regardless of size, achieving potential cost avoidance of ~$7.5M/year
• Honors all previously negotiated ‘entry’ prices from earlier contracts if lower than those on the BPA
• Built-in flexibility, allowing for adjustments based on both quantity and product mix

CETA  was formed from the DOD Directive 8470.01E and is an ESI-based agreement for COTS IT products and solutions that are designated “best in class” and align with the Department’s current or planned strategic direction. This purchasing vehicle is mandatory for all DOD agencies and will utilize decentralized component-level funding for procurement efforts.

If you would like to know more about DOD ESI BPAs and how you can become involved, please contact derek_giarratana@immixgroup.com to learn more.

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