WHS Seeks Project Argus White Papers to Replace Legacy Intelligence Resource Database

The Washington Headquarters Service (WHS) posted a request for white papers on October 21 for Intelligence Resource Execution and Oversight (Project Argus). The effort is intended to produce a prototype replacement for the Department of Defense’s Budget and Intelligence Related Database (BIRD), which supports oversight of intelligence-resource execution across the department. The requirement is driven by limitations in a legacy environment developed and maintained by multiple contractor teams over more than a decade, using disparate technology stacks and adapting to evolving priorities. WHS says outdated software frameworks, inefficient code, and an overly complex database schema are impeding timely analysis, increasing manual workload, and constraining analysts’ ability to support senior-leader decisions on intelligence resources.

The desired end state is a modern, flexible, and extensible platform for efficient ingestion, cataloguing, analysis, and visualization of intelligence-resource data. The system should offer rapid querying, analytic dashboards, and an intuitive user interface, including special intelligence-enabled natural-language queries. A core mission outcome is enabling analysts to produce accurate, timely insights and the Congressional Justification Book (CJB) with significantly less manual effort. The solution must ingest common file formats, specifically Microsoft PowerPoint, PDF, and Excel, making document handling, data normalization, and traceability important areas for vendors to explain in their concepts.

This is a prototype opportunity for firms with relevant experience in secure data platforms, analytics, visualization, and government budget or intelligence workflows. Offerors may propose a cloud-based, on-premise, or hybrid hosting approach, but must provide a clear comparison of its advantages and disadvantages across cost, security, performance, scalability, and transportability. The prototype must support development in an unclassified environment while remaining transportable and operable across Impact Levels 2 through 7. That combination creates a significant architecture and transition challenge: respondents should explain how their proposed design can move across security environments without compromising functionality, operational requirements, or the ability to deploy and sustain the system.

WHS also emphasizes close, direct engagement between the development team and government analysts throughout the prototype effort. White papers should therefore describe a practical on-site collaboration model—not just a technical design—including how analysts will shape requirements, test workflows, and provide feedback as the prototype evolves. The schedule creates a continuity requirement as well: if the replacement is not ready to deploy by September 2027, respondents must address their ability to sustain BIRD on-site in its classified environment while completing the new system. They must also explain how they will provide at least 12 months of on-site sustainment after a successful transition, supporting full operability and rapid response. White papers are due November 13, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern.

• Opportunity: WHS is seeking white papers for the Project Argus prototype to replace the legacy BIRD system; the request was posted October 21, 2026.
• Mission users: The Under Secretary of War for Intelligence and Security (USW(I&S)) oversees intelligence-resource execution across the Department of Defense and requires improved analytical support.
• Current-system drivers: BIRD’s outdated frameworks, inefficient code, complex database schema, disparate technology stacks, and evolving priorities contribute to slower analysis and more manual work.
• Target capabilities: Efficient data ingestion, cataloguing, analysis, visualization, rapid querying, dashboards, intuitive user interaction, and special intelligence-enabled natural-language queries.
• Document inputs and output: The platform must ingest PowerPoint, PDF, and Excel files and help analysts produce the Congressional Justification Book with reduced manual effort.
• Architecture choices: Cloud, on-premise, and hybrid approaches are permitted; white papers must compare cost, security, performance, scalability, and transportability.
• Security and portability: The solution must support development in an unclassified environment and remain transportable and operable across Impact Levels 2–7.
• Delivery approach: Respondents should explain how they will collaborate directly and on-site with government analysts throughout prototype development.
• Continuity and sustainment: Address on-site, classified-environment sustainment of BIRD if deployment slips beyond September 2027, plus at least 12 months of on-site support after transition.
• Submission deadline: White papers are due November 13, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern; prospective respondents should plan to cover technical architecture, analyst engagement, transition, and sustainment in their submissions.