8(a) STARS III Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) Request for Proposal
The 8(a) Streamlined Technology Acquisition Resource for Services (STARS) III Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) is a Multiple Award, Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity (MA-IDIQ) contract to provide information technology (IT) services and IT services-based solutions which may include the integration of ancillary support which is necessary and integral to the IT services being acquired. STARS III Master Contract awards are reserved exclusively for qualifying Small Business Administration (SBA) certified 8(a) prime contractors with competitive prices.
47QTCB20R0005 GSA Federal Acquisition Service
7/6/20, 1:15 PM Presolicitation notice for the 8(a) STARS III Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC)
The General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), Information Technology Category (ITC) is pleased to announce the request for proposals (RFP) for the next generation 8(a) Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC). By law, a GWAC is an information technology (IT) contract and the 8(a) Streamlined Technology Acquisition Resource for Services III (STARS III) concentrates on IT services and IT services-based solutions. STARS III builds upon the achievements of its predecessor GWAC, STARS II (www.gsa.gov/stars2), and will incorporate best practices and lessons learned from GSA’s longstanding and synergistic partnership with stakeholders.
A draft RFP was posted on August 9, 2019, as sources sought number 47QTCH19N0001. The official solicitation is significantly different from the draft. DO NOT RELY ON THE DRAFT RFP IN PREPARING A PROPOSAL RESPONDING TO THE OFFICIAL SOLICITATION.
The official RFP will be available on beta.SAM.gov (formerly FedBizOpps) approximately two weeks following this presolicitation notice. The RFP is set-aside exclusively for qualifying, certified 8(a) small business concerns as prime contractors per Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 19.8, and the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) regulations for the 8(a) Business Development Program (www.sba.gov). Interested parties are encouraged to ensure they are familiar with the 8(a) Program’s regulatory framework. Questions regarding the 8(a) Business Development Program’s regulations, especially those applicable to joint ventures and mentor-protégé relationships, should be directed to the SBA.
STARS III promotes the use of performance-based contracting and supports Ordering Contracting Officers (OCOs) planning task orders with fixed-price (FAR subpart 16.2), time-and-materials, or labor-hour (FAR subpart 16.6) terms; and equips OCOs to employ those incentive features found in FAR subpart 16.4 which are tied to fixed-price, time-and-materials, and labor-hour terms.
There are no projects assigned for STARS III. It is being established as an option for agencies to use in meeting their IT services and IT services-based solution needs; as well as their 8(a), small disadvantaged business, and small business procurement preference goals. Agencies will make their own decisions in regard to the benefits of using this GWAC. Warranted Contracting Officers desiring to issue orders against the STARS III GWAC may do so only after they obtain a GSA delegation of procurement authority.
STARS III supports customized IT services-based solutions which can be tailored to meet an agency’s unique mission needs, to include new and emerging technologies which may evolve over the life of the contract. It will not include Functional Areas tied to specific NAICS codes; and examples of work eligible for performance include, but are not limited to: data management, information and communications technology, IT operations and maintenance, IT security, software development, and IT system design. STARS III will also provide two scope sub-areas, one for emerging technology requirements and one for performance outside of a CONUS location.
The STARS III contract ceiling value will be $50 billion (all references to dollars or “$” are in U.S. currency), to be drawn down commensurate with the value of orders placed, with no fixed allocation to the scope or scope sub-areas.
GSA has established a STARS III website (www.gsa.gov/STARS3) to provide collateral material regarding STARS III, but the only official source for the STARS III solicitation is beta.SAM.gov. Details regarding a pre-proposal conference will be provided with the posting of the solicitation on beta.SAM.gov.
Although beta.SAM.gov has a “follow” function for contract opportunities, the STARS III Contracting Officer is not responsible for the “follow” feature, and does not guarantee it. To stay up-to-date, interested parties are encouraged to frequently and directly refer to the solicitation on beta.SAM.gov.
STARS III will use a web-based portal for proposal submission. The offer portal is the ONLY method of proposal submission. Individuals authorized to represent a potential offeror must complete an on-line registration to obtain access to the offer portal. Please refer to the attached registration guide (STARS III Portal Account Registration Guide.pdf). Portal registration is available now, and will end two weeks prior to the solicitation closing. An Offeror may have more than one registered portal user, but doing so is discouraged.
Direct all STARS III inquiries to the STARS III email address (s3@gsa.gov) only. Inquiries directed elsewhere (including items submitted via the US Postal Service or other delivery service) are not official, might not be received, and may go unaddressed. Using the STARS III email address as the sole point of contact will provide continuity and consistency for everyone. TELEPHONE INQUIRIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Please wait for the RFP to be released and carefully read the entire document (all files making up the RFP) before submitting questions to s3@gsa.gov, as the RFP is the official solicitation. A template for submitting questions will be published with the solicitation.
Thank you for your interest in 8(a) STARS III GWAC.
47QTCB20R0005 GSA Federal Acquisition Service
6/22/20, 2:38 PM