Good afternoon and Happy Friday!
On April 24, 2025, the DoD Chief Information Officer launched the Software Fast-Track (SWFT) Initiative, a program that “will lead the Department’s adoption in best practices to obtain, develop, and field secure software.” You can view the April 24 memo outlining the Department’s plans here.
Note: The SWFT program will officially go live on June 1, 2025.
This initiative aims to modernize and accelerate the software acquisition process by rethinking traditional Authority to Operate (ATO) and risk management practices—leveraging artificial intelligence and third-party assessments to streamline acquisitions and approvals.
As part of the initiative, DoD released three Requests for Information (RFIs) on May 2, 2025, seeking industry input. Comments on all three RFIs are due May 20, 2025. Links to the RFIs are below:
PSC plans to submit a high-level, strategic response to the SWFT initiative and all three RFIs. We welcome your input—please send any high-level inputs, comments, questions, or recommendations to larsen@pscouncil.org by COB Tuesday, May 13, 2025.
If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Kostro, EVP for Policy (kostro@pscouncil.org) or Christian Larsen, Senior Associate for Public Policy (larsen@pscouncil.org).