Meta offers Llama AI models to government for free in GSA deal 

Federal workers will soon have the ability to use Meta’s Llama artificial intelligence models at no cost for the agency under a new deal with the General Services Administration.

The GSA announced Monday it reached a deal with Meta, which will offer its open-source AI models and tools to federal agencies for free. The agency emphasized that the open-source nature of the Llama models allows agencies to “retain full control over data processing and storage.” 

“Given the models are publicly available, technical teams can build, deploy, and scale AI applications at a lower cost, delivering significant value to American taxpayers,” GSA wrote in a press release. 

Meta’s free offer to the government follows deals from a number of other technology companies selling their products, namely AI products, to agencies for a significantly cheaper price. The Trump administration has repeatedly encouraged agencies to adopt emerging tech into their workflows to streamline workflows. 

Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and CEO of Meta, said the company wants to ensure “all Americans see the benefit of AI through better, more efficient public services.” Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of the GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service, added that Llama has “unique benefits” for agencies, along with government use cases.

It also comes after Amazon received federal authorizations earlier this year to allow Meta’s AI models to be used within high-sensitivity government computing environments. 

OpenAI and Anthropic are currently offering their models to federal agencies separately for $1 per agency for one year, whereas Google rolled out its “Gemini for Government” AI platform last month, which will cost agencies $0.47 each for one year. 

And earlier this month, Microsoft struck a deal with the GSA to offer its M365, Azure Cloud Services and Dynamics 365 products at a “discounted price” for up to 36 months. Copilot, one of Microsoft’s more high-profile AI products, will be available to Microsoft 365 customers at no cost for the next 12 months. 

Amid the flurry of deals in recent months, FedRAMP announced it will begin prioritizing certain AI cloud services for FedRAMP authorization.

It is not clear how long Meta will offer the Llama products for free. OpenAI previously told FedScoop that agencies will either need to enter a paid agreement for ChatGPT Enterprise or conclude access at the end of the trial. An Anthropic spokesperson said it plans to work with the government on pricing that balances “accessibility with affordability.”