The U.S. Coast Guard is taking a major step toward modernizing how it buys technology and manages acquisitions, issuing a new Request for Information (RFI) to explore commercial tools powered by artificial intelligence. The move signals the Service’s intent to overhaul a process that has long struggled under heavy workloads, legacy systems, and increasingly complex mission demands.
This RFI is not a contract solicitation—rather, the Coast Guard is reaching out to industry to better understand what commercial and emerging AI solutions can do to help streamline its end-to-end procurement workflow. The Service wants to know what’s already available, what’s on the horizon, and how those tools could plug into its existing systems.
The Coast Guard frames the need as: delivering modern capabilities to the field requires a faster, more adaptable, and highly effective acquisition organization. With reconciliation services and a long list of operational upgrades underway, the Service says it needs a contracting and acquisition environment that can move at “the speed of need.”
Modernization, according to the RFI, means eliminating unnecessary steps, improving transparency, and shifting toward high-velocity processes that improve cost, schedule, and delivery outcomes. Much of that hinges on adopting advanced technology—particularly AI—and simplifying workflows that currently span redundant systems and disconnected data streams.
As outlined in the RFI, the Coast Guard is looking for an enterprise capability that can:
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Interface directly with existing DHS and commercial procurement systems
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Provide a single point of entry for procurement and acquisition documentation
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Incorporate advanced AI and business intelligence to support document creation and decision-making
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Enable robust knowledge management for the acquisition community
The end goal is a system that cleans up the data quality issues bogging down current processes, reduces duplication, and automates routine steps so personnel can focus on mission-critical work.
The Coast Guard notes that the effort aligns with the FD28 Executive Plan, which emphasizes the need to adopt commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software and integrate AI across operational and enterprise functions.
All questions and responses must be submitted via email no later than 3:00 PM ET on November 25, 2025.