The Department of State’s Bureau of Global Acquisitions (GA) is preparing DiPSS II (Diplomatic Platform Support Services II, Solicitation No. 19AQMM26R0179), the follow-on to one of the largest overseas support contracts in the federal civilian market. Estimated at $8.5 billion, DiPSS II will provide OCONUS mission support for the State Department and other U.S. government agencies operating under chief-of-mission authority. The State Department is currently forecasting RFP release around August 2026, with awards anticipated in Q1 2027.
DiPSS II spans seven capability areas across the full lifecycle of diplomatic facility and mission support, delivered in some of the most demanding environments the U.S. government operates in:
- Program management, construction (including secure facilities such as SCIFs), life support and base camp operations, international freight and logistics, on-site medical and emergency operations, operations and maintenance of critical infrastructure, and physical and electronic security services
The predecessor DiPSS ran a dual-pool structure—a dedicated small business set-aside alongside a Full and Open vehicle—with 22 combined incumbents across both pools. Competition type for DiPSS II has not been formally determined, but that structure signals a dedicated small business track is likely to continue. With the RFP still months out, firms have time to confirm eligibility, build teaming arrangements, and engage the contracting office while acquisition decisions are still being shaped.
OPPORTUNITY SNAPSHOT
- Opportunity: Diplomatic Platform Support Services II (DiPSS II)
- Agency: Department of State, Bureau of Global Acquisitions (GA)
- Estimated Value: $8.5B
- Estimated RFP: August 2026
- Estimated Award: Q1 2027
- NAICS: 541614 – Process, Physical Distribution & Logistics Consulting Services
- Contract Type: Multiple-award IDIQ; task orders competed among awardees
- Number of Awards: Multiple
- Estimated Competition: Full & Open and Total Small Business Set-Aside pools
- Place of Performance: OCONUS; anticipated focus on the Middle East and South-Central Asia, with worldwide scope
- Security: Task order-dependent; scope includes SCIF construction and secure facility work, so cleared personnel and facility clearances will be required for some task orders
WHY DiPSS II MATTERS
DiPSS II continues the State Department’s primary overseas support contracting mechanism providing a vehicle that focuses on facility and mission support at roughly 250 diplomatic posts worldwide. This is not a narrow professional-services vehicle: it spans secure-facility construction including SCIFs, life-support operations in contingency environments, international logistics, on-site medical services, O&M of critical infrastructure, and physical and electronic security. It is tied directly to national security and covers the most demanding environments the U.S. government operates in.
For small businesses, the dual-pool structure is the opportunity. The predecessor ran a dedicated small business set-aside in parallel with the Full and Open vehicle, giving smaller firms direct access to overseas work that would otherwise be dominated by large defense and logistics contractors. There are 11 small business incumbents actively performing today. Given the breadth of the seven capability areas, strategic teaming may be central to how firms compete. Competitive teams typically bring:
Program managers for multi-site, multi-country efforts; overseas construction and secure-facility specialists; life-support and base-camp operators; logistics, freight-forwarding, and customs experts; medical and emergency-response staff; O&M technicians; and physical/electronic security professionals.
WHO SHOULD CONSIDER DiPSS II
DiPSS II is built for firms with demonstrated experience supporting U.S. government overseas operations in demanding or contingency environments. Given the coverage of the seven capability areas, teaming will be critical. Relevant experience includes:
- Program management for multi-site, multi-country government contracts
- Overseas construction, including secure-facility and SCIF construction
- Life support and base-camp operations in remote or high-threat environments
- International freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and supply chain management
- On-site medical services, emergency response, and MEDEVAC coordination
- Operations and maintenance of critical facility infrastructure (power, HVAC, fire suppression), plus physical and electronic security systems
- Experience under Chief of Mission authority or with DOS, DoD, or other federal overseas programs
HOW OST CAN HELP
With the solicitation expected in August and competition type still being shaped, now is the time to confirm eligibility and begin building a capture strategy. OST supports professional services, engineering, and operational support firms pursuing large-scale OCONUS government contracts with:
- Bid/no-bid assessment: Evaluating your capabilities against DiPSS II’s seven capability areas and the competitive landscape across both pools
- Capture planning: Developing win themes and positioning relative to the 22 named incumbents across the two pools
- Teaming strategy: Identifying complementary partners to strengthen coverage across capability areas or fill gaps in OCONUS infrastructure
- Past performance strategy: Documenting relevant overseas, contingency, or diplomatic-facility experience from federal or commercial programs
- Proposal development: Small Business Pool strategy: assessing SB-track eligibility and developing a competitive approach if the dual-pool structure is confirmed, plus full proposal development for IDIQ submission
If you are evaluating whether DiPSS II aligns with your firm’s capabilities or need support preparing for the upcoming solicitation release, we are happy to help you determine if you can access and benefit from this $8.5B solicitation. If this interests you, please book a call with OST Partner and President Bill Schalik via the button below.
