DA01 -- Replacement of IBM COBOL Mainframe System for Veteran Benefit Debt Management

2026-11-03

The Department of Veterans Affairs ( VA ) Technology Acquisition Center ( TAC ) is seeking information concerning the availability of capable contractors to provide a possible Replacement of IBM COBOL Mainframe System for Veteran Benefit Debt Management , NAICS - 541519  This is a Request For Information ( RFI ) only and is limited to seven pages .  Do not submit a proposal or quote .  There is no obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services described in this RFI .  Your response to this RFI will be treated only as information for the Government to consider for Market Research purposes .  You will not be entitled to payment for direct or indirect costs that you incur in responding to this RFI .  This request does not constitute a solicitation for proposals or the authority to enter into negotiations to award a contract .  No funds have been authorized , appropriated , or received for this effort .  Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary , restricted , or competition sensitive information contained in their response .  If interested , please provide the following :  Provide a high - level response that describes your ability to meet the technical requirements described below . If additional information is required by VA to determine a contractor s capability to provide the full requirement and the economic feasibility of the information provided , additional information may be requested at a later date . A draft version of the requirement is below . Provide a Rough Level of Effort which would be required to complete this project . Include Labor Categories , Labor Category Descriptions , and project number of hours per Labor Category . This will be based upon your estimate of how long the Replacement of IBM COBOL Mainframe System for Veteran Benefit Debt Management will take to complete . Please direct all responses to David Gabrysiak , david . gabrysiak @ va . gov and Debra Clayton , debra . clayton2 @ va . gov . Replacement of IBM COBOL Mainframe System for Veteran Benefit Debt Management Scope The Department of Veterans Affairs ( VA ) requires contractor support to modernize a legacy Veteran Benefit Debt Management system that is running on an IBM COBOL mainframe system . The Contractor shall provide the technical expertise necessary to design , develop , implement , test , and transition to a modernized solution that fully replaces the legacy mainframe capabilities while ensuring continuity of operations . 2 . 0 Background The current Veteran Benefit Debt Management system supports agency - wide Veteran Benefit and Debt operations . It performs debt aging , generates demand letters , and conducts file - based integrations with approximately ten external systems . Each external system integration utilizes a unique file - based interface . Approximately two million debt records are maintained in Virtual Storage Access Method ( VSAM ) and sequential file structures . The legacy environment consists of : 257 COBOL modules totaling approximately 258 , 000 lines of code 540 JCL files totaling approximately 43 , 000 lines of code 87 PROCS totaling approximately 8 , 000 lines of code 18 COPYBOOKS totaling approximately 14 , 000 lines of code These programs are executed daily or on demand via the CA7 scheduler . Additionally , the system includes approximately 300 Java programs ( 126 , 000 lines of code ) executed on Microsoft Windows servers , also via Computer Associates Workload Manager 7 ( CA7 ) or on demand . The legacy mainframe serves as a backend system and transmits updates to a Microsoft SQL Server database that supports APIs running on the MuleSoft AnyPoint Platform . These downstream systems are expected to remain in operation and must be fully supported by the contractor s solution . Requirements Solution Development and Modernization The Contractor shall provide a replacement solution that : Replicates or enhances all existing functional capabilities of the Veteran Benefit Debt Management system . Supports all debt management operations including , but not limited to , debt aging , demand letter generation , and batch processing . Accommodates the migration and processing of approximately two million debt records currently stored in VSAM and sequential files . Integration Requirements The Contractor shall : Provide interfaces that support all current file - based integrations with approximately ten external systems . Maintain compatibility with each system s unique integration format and operational requirements . Ensure continued interoperability with the existing Microsoft SQL Server environment and MuleSoft Anypoint Platform APIs that depend on mainframe - generated updates . Operational Requirements The Contractor shall ensure the modernized solution : Supports scheduled and on - demand execution of batch processes analogous to those performed using CA7 . Provides equivalent or improved performance , reliability , and auditability compared to the legacy environment . Supports secure , reliable data transfer between all interfacing systems . 3 . 4 Data Migration The Contractor shall : Migrate all legacy VSAM and sequential file data without loss or corruption . Conduct validation of migrated datasets to ensure data integrity and functional continuity . 3 . 5 Transition and Implementation The Contractor shall : Provide a detailed transition plan that ensures uninterrupted operations during system cutover . Deliver training materials and training sessions to VA personnel as required . Provide post implementation support during stabilization . 4 . 0 Constraints and Considerations All existing downstream systems ( SQL Server , MuleSoft APIs ) must remain operational throughout . The Contractor shall ensure compliance with VA security , privacy , and data protection requirements . All modernization efforts must minimize disruptions to current business operations .

New Jersey

2026-04-29