Judge Molly R. Silfen of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims ruled in early April 2026 that the Department of Veterans Affairs may proceed with its $60.7 billion, 10-year T4NG2 IT-modernization vehicle. The consolidated bid protest had drawn 31 filings; 18 firms were ultimately affected. Per Stars and Stripes, Stan Hinton's CoFC bid protests tracker, and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
What the court held
The government argued — and Judge Silfen accepted — that the solicitation was clear and protesters forfeited their challenges by not raising them before the close of bidding (the Blue & Gold Fleet rule). T4NG2 covers cybersecurity, software engineering, and health information services across VA.
Mid-litigation additions
Three protesters were added to the contract before the final ruling: Taurian Consulting, Technatomy Corp., and Peregrine Digital Services — a settlement-style outcome that eliminated their incentive to keep litigating.
What this means
- The forfeiture defense (Blue & Gold Fleet) is alive and well — raise solicitation challenges before bid close, or lose them
- "Add the protester to the contract" remains a real off-ramp for agencies on giant IT vehicles
- VA is now clear to issue T4NG2 task orders; expect rapid award flow over Q3 FY26
