Page: Government Technology and Infrastructure
Revision date: September 17, 2026
Author: Penny Marbel, JPI Worldwide
The Department of Defense is moving toward a standardized network architecture for all 11 combatant commands. The effort is expected to affect approximately 231,000 users across roughly 200 global sites and is targeted for completion by the end of fiscal year 2028.
For defense IT contractors, the opportunity is significant. The schedule is also compressed. Contractors preparing to participate as primes, subcontractors, or specialized teaming partners should begin organizing technical evidence, migration resources, past performance, and execution controls before a formal solicitation is released.
Quotable definition: DoDNet migration is the planned transition of combatant command common-use network services from separate NIPRNet and SIPRNet environments into a standardized, DISA-managed service-provider model, subject to applicable security and mission requirements.
1. What is changing?
The May 2026 Department of Defense Chief Information Officer directive instructed the Defense Information Systems Agency to migrate combatant command common-use unclassified and classified services to the DoDNet architecture by the end of FY2028.
The effort is intended to reduce the operational and technical burden created by separate network environments. Public reporting describes the related market research effort as a CommandNet migration to DoDNet. The terms may appear together in acquisition documents and industry communications.
The planned scope includes:
- All 11 combatant commands.
- Approximately 231,000 users.
- Approximately 200 global sites.
- Both NIPRNet and SIPRNet service environments.
- Network discovery, transition planning, migration execution, and sustainment.
- Identity, credential, and access management.
- Zero-trust security capabilities.
- Infrastructure-as-code and automated deployment methods.
- Migration runbooks and risk-mitigated milestone schedules.
The planned consolidation does not mean that classification boundaries may be disregarded. Contractors must understand the distinction between a standardized service model and the specific technical, security, access, and authorization requirements that apply to each environment.
2. Why is the acquisition approach changing?
DISA previously considered expanding an existing enterprise contract without a new competition. That approach was challenged through the bid protest process. Following corrective action, DISA began new market research to reassess the acquisition strategy and obtain industry feedback.
The change is material for contractors that previously viewed the opportunity as inaccessible. New market research may create openings for:
- A potential prime contractor with enterprise migration capability.
- A systems integrator with strong zero-trust and identity-management experience.
- A network infrastructure contractor with distributed deployment resources.
- A specialized subcontractor supporting site surveys, fiber, configuration, testing, or cutover.
- A technical staffing provider able to support multiple locations and workstreams.
- A logistics and field-services partner able to coordinate equipment and personnel movement.
The acquisition approach remains subject to change. A sources-sought notice or request for information does not constitute a promise of a solicitation, award, contract type, or funding level. Contractors should treat the notice as a requirement signal and prepare evidence that can be used in later capture, teaming, and proposal activities.
The publicly reported DISA market research notice requested information regarding technical approaches, transition plans, cost estimates, and relevant past performance. The SAM.gov opportunity record should remain the controlling source for official notice language and amendments.
3. What does the 220-day procurement cycle mean?
DISA has indicated that the anticipated competitive procurement cycle may be approximately 220 days from solicitation release to contract award.
That period may appear substantial. It is not substantial when measured against the technical scope and the September 30, 2028 target. The winning team may need to complete discovery, planning, staffing, site coordination, engineering, migration, testing, and operational handoff within a limited execution window.
A contractor should therefore prepare before the solicitation is issued.
The 220-day period may include:
- Solicitation review and requirements decomposition.
- Questions, amendments, and proposal development.
- Team formation and responsibility allocation.
- Technical solution development.
- Staffing and labor-category validation.
- Past-performance and experience mapping.
- Cost and price development.
- Security, facility, and clearance planning.
- Proposal submission, evaluation, discussions, and award.
A contractor that waits until solicitation release to identify technical partners may have limited time to conduct meaningful due diligence. Primes should establish a controlled teaming process. First-time subcontractors should prepare concise capability evidence that can be evaluated without extensive reconstruction.
4. What should primes prepare before bidding?
Primes should prepare a migration operating model rather than a list of disconnected capabilities. The government will likely need evidence that a proposed team can manage technical dependencies, schedule risk, user impact, and operational continuity at scale.
A bid-readiness review should address at least the following areas.
Technical architecture
The team should document its approach to:
- Network discovery and dependency mapping.
- Segmentation and boundary management.
- Identity, credential, and access management.
- Zero-trust implementation.
- Configuration management.
- Infrastructure as code.
- Monitoring, logging, and operational visibility.
- Testing, validation, and rollback.
- Legacy-system integration.
- Sustainment after cutover.
Migration execution
The proposed approach should explain how the team will:
- Establish a repeatable site-migration method.
- Sequence work across multiple locations.
- Validate readiness before each cutover.
- Manage user, application, and service dependencies.
- Maintain change control.
- Record configuration baselines.
- Escalate unresolved technical issues.
- Conduct post-migration verification.
- Transfer knowledge to the responsible operations organization.
Schedule control
The team should show how it will build a realistic schedule that accounts for:
- Site surveys and data collection.
- Equipment availability.
- Personnel access and travel requirements.
- Network and application dependencies.
- Testing windows.
- Approval gates.
- Rework and remediation.
- Parallel workstreams.
- Operational constraints.
A schedule that shows only installation dates is incomplete. A credible schedule must show discovery, decision points, acceptance criteria, and contingency paths.
5. What should first-time subcontractors demonstrate?
First-time subcontractors should not attempt to compete with a prime on every capability. A stronger approach is to define a specific contribution that reduces execution risk.
Useful evidence may include:
- Fiber and structured cabling installation.
- Routing, switching, and wireless infrastructure.
- Network operations support.
- Site surveys and technical assessments.
- Configuration and commissioning.
- Test planning and verification.
- Field troubleshooting.
- Technical documentation and runbook development.
- Secure access implementation.
- Staffing for distributed deployment teams.
- Equipment staging and deployment logistics.
- CONUS and OCONUS field support.
Subcontractors should map each claimed capability to a deliverable, labor category, certification, past-performance example, or measurable result where disclosure is permitted.
A capability statement should also identify limitations. For example, a subcontractor should state whether it provides design authority, installation support, testing support, or sustainment personnel. Precision reduces ambiguity during teaming discussions and proposal execution.
6. How can contractors reduce operational friction?
Network migration programs generate friction when responsibilities are unclear. Primes should seek subcontractors that can integrate into established processes without creating separate administrative systems for every task.
Operationally useful subcontractors generally provide:
- Clear points of contact.
- Defined work packages.
- Consistent technical documentation.
- Reliable status reporting.
- Controlled change management.
- Personnel who can work within prime-contractor procedures.
- Early identification of schedule or access constraints.
- Practical field support after design approval.
- Coordination between technical, logistics, and program teams.
JPI Worldwide supports prime contractors and government customers with network engineering, infrastructure deployment, cybersecurity integration, technical staffing, logistics, and field services. Its capabilities include fiber and structured network infrastructure, routing and switching, wireless connectivity, secure access, monitoring, installation, testing, troubleshooting, and sustained technical operations.
The JPI Worldwide capabilities page provides additional information about network engineering, cybersecurity, technical staffing, logistics, and systems integration. The government support page describes how JPI participates in government programs and larger contractor teams.
7. What should contractors do now?
A contractor preparing for DoDNet-related work should complete the following actions:
- Review the public requirement. Separate stated requirements from assumptions and identify areas requiring official clarification.
- Build a capability matrix. Map technical requirements to internal resources, partners, evidence, and gaps.
- Identify teaming needs. Determine whether the program requires field installation, identity management, cybersecurity, staffing, logistics, or sustainment partners.
- Prepare migration evidence. Organize examples of discovery, transition, testing, cutover, remediation, and operational handoff.
- Validate personnel availability. Confirm labor categories, geographic flexibility, credentials, technical qualifications, and mobilization timelines.
- Develop a risk register. Address access, equipment, dependencies, schedule compression, configuration control, and operational continuity.
- Protect sensitive information. Do not place classified information, CUI, credentials, security details, or controlled technical data in public inquiries or unsecured capability materials.
- Monitor official updates. Requirements, acquisition strategy, schedule, and contract structure may change.
8. Frequently asked questions
What is the DoDNet migration opportunity?
It is a planned enterprise network migration affecting all 11 combatant commands, approximately 231,000 users, and roughly 200 global sites. The effort is targeted for completion by the end of FY2028.
Is the work limited to network installation?
No. Publicly reported requirements include discovery, transition planning, zero-trust architecture, identity and access management, infrastructure as code, migration methodologies, testing, and sustainment.
Can a first-time subcontractor participate?
A first-time subcontractor may participate where it provides a defined capability that supports the prime’s delivery model. Relevant evidence, personnel availability, technical scope, and execution controls will be important.
Is the acquisition strategy final?
No. DISA is conducting market research after corrective action related to an earlier acquisition approach. Contractors should rely on official notices and amendments for controlling requirements.
What is the expected procurement timeline?
DISA has indicated an anticipated competitive procurement cycle of approximately 220 days from solicitation release to award. The timing may change based on acquisition decisions and applicable procurement requirements.
9. Contact JPI Worldwide
JPI Worldwide can help prime contractors and government teams assess network infrastructure, field deployment, technical staffing, cybersecurity integration, logistics, and sustainment requirements related to complex migration programs.
To discuss how JPI may support your business, agency, or department, use the JPI Worldwide contact page, email connect@jpiworldwide.com, or call +1-509-210-3023.
Do not submit classified information, CUI, export-controlled technical data, passwords, credentials, or other sensitive material through the public contact form.