Sustainment and Lifecycle
GAO-26-107859 (April 2026) identified federal AI sustainment as a leading acquisition concern. This domain scores whether the proposed system can survive the full contract period under the contractor's stated support model. Three points evaluated independently of the technical evaluation.
3 scored points inside this domain.
Each point sits on the EFAIRA 30-point scorecard. Each point has a defined evidence baseline and a color-coded readiness mark on the Encore Readiness Receipt.
Vendor evergreen and update cadence
Patch discipline. Model refresh cadence. Capability evolution roadmap. Incident response posture. How the vendor commits to evolving the system over the contract period, with documented evidence rather than marketing assertions.
Agency sustainment posture and knowledge transfer
Can the agency operate the system if the vendor relationship changes? Is there a documented knowledge-transfer plan? Are the artifacts the agency would need to sustain the system identified, scoped, and committed in the proposal?
Lifecycle total cost and renewal economics
Total cost of ownership over five years. Hidden cost surfaces at scale. Renewal economics realistic against the agency's likely budget posture. Cost-curve transparency rather than back-loaded pricing that catches the agency off guard.
Score Domain VI on your federal pursuit.
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