Beyond Border Security: FY21 Trade-Related Opportunities at CBP

By Jessica Parks, Analyst

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), under the Department of Homeland Security, is widely known as the organization that secures our nation’s borders, but they also regulate goods entering and leaving the country through the Office of Trade (OT).

CBP receives almost 30% of the DHS IT budget, and while it’s always looking to enhance the border infrastructure, there are a few major trade-focused technology programs that have been moving forward with big plans of their own. Read on to learn what those programs are and what they’re looking for.

Advanced Trade Analytics Platform (ATAP)

Managed by the Trade Transformation Office, ATAP indeed stands out as one of the major transformative IT projects within the Office of Trade. ATAP, which has requested an additional $12.5M of FY21 funding for procurement, contractor support and deployment, seeks to greatly enhance visibility by bringing trade data together into a single source.

Of course, analytics capabilities are the star here, with an emphasis on predictive analytics. However, expect to also see requests for case management, tools for secure information sharing and data visualization as well. CBP is looking to begin development in FY21, so it’s not too late to reach out with innovative tools and ideas to help them get started.

Automated Commercial Environment (ACE)

A core mission-critical system, ACE helps the OT manage all aspects of trade operations, from collecting and analyzing trade-related data to processing fees and supporting enforcement activities. For FY21, ACE is looking at modernizing its legacy Collections system by moving it into a cloud environment, as well as bolstering the system’s disaster recovery capabilities. ACE has resulted in cost savings for CBP, so any cloud-based or cyber solutions you offer should come with a message of how you can help them continue to save money and streamline operations.

Revenue Modernization (RevMod)

While the management for RevMod falls under CBP’s Office of Finance, RevMod links directly with OT functions, including future planned integration with the ACE Collections platform. Through RevMod, CBP hopes to modernize how it manages fees collected at entry points. Ongoing efforts here include data capture, digitizing paper forms, and updating the technology used to actually collect fees. Again, you’ll want to focus on how your solution can save time, as well as what kinds of data it can process and what patterns or discrepancies it can identify.

While many major technology projects at CBP have to do with monitoring and securing U.S. borders, remember too that trade monitoring and interception is another major part of their mission. Opportunities here are focused around how to get more out of their data, but also how to make operations more efficient. When targeting these programs, you’ll want to make sure you can point to how your solution will help them get the maximum bang for their buck.

Challenged with getting through the FedRAMP authorization process? Learn how you can navigate the process faster and with less hassle. Download our Roadmap to FedRAMP eBook now.

Connect with our Market Intelligence team to help identify opportunities in your target government accounts and grow your business.