The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on Thursday awarded a whopping contract worth as much as $3.3 billion allowing for 15 companies to compete for privatized screening services at the nation’s airports.
The potential 10-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract under the Screening Partnership Program (SPP) was made to: Aegis Defense Services, LLC; Akal Security Inc.; PAE’s A-T Solutions business; Aviation Security Management, LLC; BOS Security Inc.; Centerra Group, LLC; Contemporary Services Corporation; Covenant Aviation Security, LLC; FirstLine Transportation Security, Inc; Jackson Hole Airport Board; Securitas-Trinity Security Services; Technica, LLC; Trinity Technology Group, Inc.; and VMD System Integrators, Inc.
TSA, in its original solicitation for the new contract, said it would only provide future airport task order solicitations to companies that are on the ID/IQ contract. TSA previously said that task orders for screening services at San Francisco International and Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County airports would be awarded at the same time the ID/IQ contract was announced, but those task orders have not been issued.
The SPP program allows airports to opt-out of using federal screeners in favor of their own or private screeners. Services include comprehensive screening of passengers and baggage at participating airports. Currently, there are 22 airports in the program.
The ID/IQ contract is a new vehicle for TSA to compete work under the SPP program.