The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a cloud computing contract worth upwards of $232 million to Unisys Corporation. The contract will see Unisys provide secure application modernization services to support initiatives such as the agency’s Rural Development Comprehensive Loan Program.  

Unisys was selected for the project following a competitive bid process, according to an announcement by the agency this week. It has performed similar work under a previous contract awarded in 2010.

The contract includes application modernization, maintenance and operations, and Unisys said it will leverage an Amazon Web Services-based DevOps environment that will allow it to quickly “start up and prepare projects for integration with the agency’s cloud-based infrastructure.”

Under the U.S. government’s cloud-first mandate, federal agencies are urged to prioritize cloud services ahead of on-premise options as the government continues to reduce its infrastructure footprint.

To help agencies find AWS cloud partners with the appropriate specializations, Amazon Web Services launched its AWS Government Competency and the AWS GovCloud Skill Program in June.

Aside from CLP, Unisys will support a range of Rural Development programs that provide financial assistance and economic development. USDA Rural Development will administer $38 billion in loans and grants this fiscal year, according to a statement.

“Unisys is pleased to have been selected to continue our work in support of the important mission of USDA Rural Development,” Casey Coleman, group vice president, civilian agencies, Unisys Federal said in a statement. “This program will help the agency develop and maintain software systems needed for the essential loans and grants to help improve the economy and quality of life in rural America.”