Here are the objectives and strategies of GWACs for the preceding fiscal year, 2021.
Government-wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs)
Government-wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs) provide innovative solutions for information technology (IT) services at low costs. This process offers sufficient tools for the federal government to address IT-related concerns regarding:
- Systems design
- Software engineering
- Information assurance
- Enterprise architecture solutions
GWAC differs from GSA schedules, for they cannot be continuously open for new vendors. They focus on socioeconomic categories like small businesses, veterans, and some vast enterprises. Here’s an overview of the GWAC contracts.
8(a) STARS II
8(a) STARS II applies to certified 8(a) small disadvantaged businesses. This opportunity runs on a five-year base period with a one-time option to strengthen opportunities for small businesses. They also offer multiple-task orders, including fixed pricing, time and materials, labor hour, and blended task orders.
GSA recently increased the ceiling value of this program from $15 billion to $22 billion. This value emphasizes the agency’s commitment to providing sufficient assistance for their small business partners. The $7 billion increase aims to help them recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
8(a) STARS II GWAC has a total of 787 IT vendors and will run through August 30, 2021. It is important to note that the new task orders will proceed through June 30, 2022.
VETS 2
The VETS 2 GWAC is the sole GWAC set-aside limited to Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB). This program allows them to address diverse IT requirements that can go with emerging technologies. The contract involves a five-year base period and one five-year option. The contract has a program ceiling worth $5 billion.
They also offer multiple-task orders, including cost-reimbursement, time and materials, labor hour, for increased flexibility in the procurement of goods and services. With as low as a 0.75% contract access fee, customers can achieve their socio-economic objectives.
Alliant 2 (A2)
The Alliant 2 GWAC offers sufficient IT solutions through customizable hardware, software, and services solutions. This opportunity allows government agencies to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI), distributed ledger technology, and robotic process automation (RPA) to their operations. At the same time, they can leverage this contract in federal contracting small businesses. Furthermore, agencies can accommodate all of their IT needs, for this can be purchased as a total package.
The contract involves a five-year base period and one five-year option with a ceiling worth $50 billion. Contractors can receive engagement metrics for bid and award requirements. Additionally, the master contract has DFARS clauses attached.
GWAC Dashboards
GWAC has an interactive dashboard that lets stakeholders study relevant GWAC information to implement effective business decisions. This process enables them to explore their data depending on their contract family, a federal agency, and industry partner. They can also create reports using the data they gathered. These reports can be edited, customized, and downloaded to your computer for other uses.
GWAC also established a Prices Paid Suite of tools that assist long-term plans of customer agencies’ large-scale program requirements. This tool demonstrates the following:
Realistic Price Analysis
This tool provides agencies with a price range from low, average, and high for each labor category on the GSA FAS GWACS. You can conduct this analysis by merely utilizing the Life of Contract Analysis Dashboard and the Labor Analysis Dashboard.
Negotiations
This tool allows buyers to gather additional context on a negotiated requirement, including the terms and conditions. Learning how prices develop can help develop acquisition strategies and options.
Independent Government Cost Estimates (IGCE)
The Labor Analysis Dashboard allows agencies to execute market researches to come up with a realistic IGCE. This resource includes a detailed view of the prices under contract categories like Time and Material (T&M) and Labour hour (LH).
Aid in Bench marking a Competitive Pricing
The tool includes a Customer Interactive Prices Paid Dashboard for increased transparency. This feature entails information about the number of task order awards, contract type, the total amount spent, and the collaborating industries. Furthermore, this can help you prepare for market research to monitor competitors and strategist.
SEAPORT-E has reopened
The US Navy will soon reopen Seaport-e to add vendors on the potential 10-year, $50 billion contracts. Seaport-E is the electronic platform design for the Navy to support the acquisition of supported services. 85% of the Seaport-E contractors consist of small businesses that give them an additional avenue for increased revenue.
Seaport-E has the following contract users:
- US Naval Sea Systems Command
- Naval Air Systems Command
- Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command
- Naval Supply Systems Command
- Military Sealift Command
- Naval Facilities Command
- Strategic Systems Programs
- Office of Naval Research
- US Marine Corps
Seaport-E supports seven (7) zones helping small businesses keep more than one zone. Here the geographical zones part of Seaport-E.
- Northeast Zone
- National Capital Zone
- Mid-Atlantic Zone
- Gulf Coast Zone
- Mid-west Zone
- Southwest Zone
- Northwest Zone
NASA SEWP Reduces Fees
Starting on October 1, 2020, NASA SEWP will lower their fee from 0.36% to 0.34%. The NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement GWAC offers sufficient IT and audio-visual products and services to federal agencies and contractors. They provide them with the latest technology and critical solutions to enable all federal agencies to meet their strategic initiatives.
