Perplexity AI, a burgeoning player in the AI-powered search engine sector, is intensifying its outreach to government entities with a groundbreaking deal signed with the General Services Administration (GSA). Announced on Wednesday, this agreement allows federal agencies to access Perplexity’s services for a nominal fee of just **$0.25** per agency, marking a significant shift in how technology vendors collaborate with government bodies.
This initiative is in lockstep with the GSA’s **OneGov** program, which seeks to streamline contracting processes by working directly with technology providers rather than relying on government resellers. This direct approach aims to make advanced AI solutions more economically accessible to governmental organizations.
Under the newly inked agreement, Perplexity’s **Enterprise Pro for Government** will be available through GSA’s **Multiple Award Schedule** (MAS) for a duration of **18 months**. This development places Perplexity at the forefront of efficient government contracting, as it becomes the first multi-modal AI platform to be offered under the OneGov initiative.
Perplexity has also garnered prioritized authorization under **FedRAMP**, the federal government’s key security review program that ensures cloud-based technologies meet stringent security standards for federal use. Notably, Perplexity is only the second company to receive this priority status, following **OpenAI**, which was authorized in September.
According to the GSA, the approval process for Perplexity’s platform has been simplified through the **FedRAMP 20x pilot program**. This initiative is designed to expedite the approval timeline for cloud services from months to mere weeks, enhancing the agility with which government agencies can adopt new technologies.
“This administration has made clear that agencies should have the best of American AI not in 2028, 2027, or 2026 — but right now, in 2025,” stated **Jerry Ma**, Perplexity’s Vice President of Global Affairs and Deputy Chief Technology Officer. Ma, who previously served as the Chief Information Officer for the **U.S. Patent and Trademark Office**, emphasized the urgent need for modern AI tools in government operations.
Perplexity’s platform leverages advanced large language models (LLMs) from leading AI companies like **Anthropic’s Claude** and **OpenAI’s ChatGPT** to facilitate real-time internet searches and content summarization. In addition, the platform can integrate seamlessly with commonly used government systems such as **Microsoft’s OneDrive**, **Outlook**, and **SharePoint**, enhancing its utility for federal employees.
**Josh Gruenbaum**, Commissioner of GSA’s Federal Acquisition Services, noted that this direct partnership with Perplexity provides “an additional pathway to leverage the transformative advantages of AI.” This agreement follows a series of similar arrangements the GSA has established with various Silicon Valley firms, including **OpenAI**, **Anthropic**, **Google**, and **Meta**, aimed at delivering state-of-the-art technology to government agencies at significantly reduced costs compared to typical market rates.
Just over two months prior to this agreement, Perplexity launched the **“Perplexity for Government”** initiative, featuring enhanced security measures tailored for federal employees accessing the platform from whitelisted government locations. This ensures that users logged into government networks or utilizing federal email domains can access top-tier AI models such as **Google’s Gemini**, **Claude**, **ChatGPT**, and Perplexity’s own **Sonar model**. Ma elaborated on this feature, suggesting that Perplexity can automatically recognize most federal networks, but provisions exist for agency officials to submit any unrecognized network ranges as necessary.
This strategic initiative signifies a pivotal shift in how government agencies can access and utilize AI technologies, enabling them to harness the benefits of advanced AI tools more readily and at a lower cost. The ongoing collaboration between Perplexity and the GSA not only streamlines access to innovative AI solutions but also sets a precedent for future public sector technology partnerships, ultimately enhancing government efficiency and service delivery.
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