Also Read: Top 6 Contract Vehicles to Pursue in 2023
If you are a small business eager to take the next step on your business journey with the Federal Government, we have some good news for you: a number of upcoming contract vehicles are lined up for release this year and the next. Many of these opportunities are set asides for small businesses. If you are not aware of them, don’t worry! We’ve got you covered. In this blog, we have listed some of the most anticipated upcoming contracting vehicles you need to know about so and can pursue success this year.
A contract vehicle is a streamlined method used by the Government to purchase various kinds of supplies and services that it needs. Contract vehicles are typically managed by a federal agency that manages them centrally to reduce acquisition administrative costs and increase time and resource efficiencies. For government contractors, contract vehicles provide easily accessible opportunities for winning contracts and selling their products and services to the government.
The key to getting ahead of the competition and winning a contract vehicle is to start preparing as soon as possible.
Upcoming Contract Vehicles You Need to Know About
1. Polaris GWAC
General Service Administration’s (GSA) Polaris Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) is a Multiple Award, Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract through which agencies across the government will be able to procure innovative and emerging information technology (IT) solutions and services. Polaris will focus on modern technology requirements, including cybersecurity, emerging technologies, and IT supply chain risk management requirements. The scope of Polaris GWAC will run across two verticals: Primary performance areas and Emerging Technologies:
- Primary Solutions include Cloud Services, Cybersecurity, Data Management, Information and Communications Technologies, IT Operations and Maintenance, Software Development, and System Design.
- Emerging Technologies/Innovative Solutions include Advanced and Quantum Computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Automation Technology, Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), Edge Computing, and Immersive Technology.
- This contract vehicle also offers ancillary support necessary to perform a services-based solution like data entry, clerical support, and software licenses.
The NAICS code for this RFP is 541512 – Computer Systems Design Services, with a small business size standard of $30 Million and a maximum ordering period of 10-years. Polaris is composed of four (4) pools based on size and socioeconomic status: Small Business (SB), HUBZone Small Business, Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) pool(s), and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). Polaris will replace Alliant 2 Small Business (A2SB) solicitation that was canceled in July 2020.
How you can benefit from Polaris
The anticipated ceiling value of this IDIQ is $15-$20B with a minimum guaranteed award amount of $2,500 per contract for the full term of the Master Contract. Polaris will benefit the small business community, federal agencies, and the acquisition workforce, resulting in significant advantages for small businesses, improved technology for federal agencies, and greater flexibility for acquisition professionals across the government.
GSA recently published the Pre-Solicitation Notices in early February, to release the Polaris Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) Small Business Pool and Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Pool. GSA is expected to post the solicitations in February 2022, and proposals will be due approximately 30 days after the solicitation is posted.
2. BIC MAC
BIC MAC is General Services Administration’s (GSA) next-generation Services IDIQ, Best-in-Class Multi-Agency Contract (BIC MAC). It is expected to replace GSA’s One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) contract vehicle. BIC MAC is a newer, much broader, and more flexible vehicle than OASIS. It is designed to meet the federal acquisition community’s procurement needs for complex services, especially in expanding vendor NAICS code diversity and simplifying ordering procedures.
The type of services offered through the new service contract is still under deliberation. However, the ultimate goal of this procurement is to support complex service requirements from the Federal Government. The initial concept domains include Technical and Engineering, Research and Development, Management and Advisory, Financial Services, Logistics, Human Capital, Training, Facilities, Base Operations Support, Public Health, C4ISR, Major Acquisitions, Business Administration, Legal Social, Enterprise Solutions, and Logistics.
How you can Benefit from BIC MAC
Small businesses can potentially make considerable profits from this opportunity. Considering that OASIS accounted for more than $35 billion in sales, the prospects look promising for the new MAC. BIC MAC is a golden opportunity to work with the GSA, make a mark in the government marketplace, and take your business to the next level.
Latest Developments
GSA recently issued a draft Statement of Work for BIC MAC. This recent update centers around the initial Domains that will be a part of the scope of the contract vehicle. GSA’s Office of Professional Services and Human Capital Categories (PSHC) will be releasing further program updates and other sections of the draft RFP in the coming months. This will ensure that the industry has enough time to provide feedback before the complete draft solicitation is released (possibly in the next calendar year). GSA is currently accepting questions and input from the industry related to this update.
3. CATTS
Announced on November 1, 2021, Commerce Acquisition for Transformational Technology Services (CATTS) is a multiple-award IDIQ vehicle released by The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC). Under this contract, task orders may be issued on a firm-fixed-price or time-and-material/labor-hour basis and may be performance-based. The period of performance for the IDIQ is ten years with one (1) base year and nine (9) option years. The focus of this contract vehicle will primarily be on minimizing costs related to both software and hardware updates during scheduled three-to-five-year technology updates within the agency while expediting the department’s long-standing business goals.
How you can benefit from CATTS
Targeted to small businesses with a ceiling of $30M, CATTS is a $1.5B multiple-award IDIQ vehicle. Under this IDIQ contract, orders totaling a minimum of $10,000 will be placed. The areas covered under this contract include Chief Information Officer Support, Digital Document and Record Management, Managed Services Outsourcing and Consulting, IT Operations and Maintenance, IT Services Management, and Cybersecurity. The Department of Commerce (DOC) is looking to implement new cloud-based platforms that can deliver IT-as-a-Service and provide quick solution turnarounds to support business operations throughout the department. The DOC is looking for contractors to help reduce its on-premises footprint in favor of the cloud as much as possible. These tasks will extend throughout the agencies under Commerce once completed, including the National Weather Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Division, the Census Bureau, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Eligible Small Businesses that can support these requirements can potentially profit from this contract vehicle.
Latest Developments
The DOC announced on February 10th, 2022, that it would be accepting bids for the first phase of the solicitation process. The first phase concluded on February 18th. All competitors will go through a two-phase evaluation that starts with proof of having a Top-Secret facility clearance and a self-assessment of what the bidder says it can provide to Commerce. Phase two will see the narrowed field of companies submit a written submission outlining its overall technical proposal, past performance, and pricing information.
4. MEDICAL Q CODED SUPPORT AND SERVICES NEXT GENERATION (MQS2-NG)
The Medical Q-coded Support and Services Next Generation (MQS2-NG) is the follow-on for the Defense Health Agency’s MQS contract for small businesses with an estimated dollar value of $7.5B. The scope of the IDIQ is to provide for professional medical, dental, and medical support services for the Department of Defense (DOD) Military/Dental Treatment Facilities located within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia (DC), Puerto Rico and Guam. This contract vehicle will provide personal or non-personal medical services to improve the medical staff at DoD Military Treatment Facilities (MTF) with qualified Health Care Workers (HCW).
MQS2-NG’s predecessor, MQS, currently is the Defense Health Agency’s five (5) year IDIQ contract that provides qualified credentialed (privileged and non-privileged) and non-credentialed HCWs in the following market segments:
- Physician Services: Primary and specialty care physicians who deliver routine, preventive, and specialty care services to patients.
- Nursing Services: Services provided by HCWs that include, but are not limited to, registered and licensed nursing personnel, including all types of registered and advanced practice nurses and practical and vocational nurses.
- Dental Services
- Ancillary Services: Services provided by HCWs who deliver patient treatment or assist in the provision of patient treatment including, but not limited to, audiologists, clinical laboratory personnel, dietitians, mid-level providers (i.e., nurse practitioners, physician assistants), occupational therapists, pharmacists, physical therapists, podiatrists, radiology support, respiratory therapists, speech pathologists, and clinical support staff such as medical assistants.
How you can benefit from MQS2-NG
With an estimated dollar value of $7.5B, MQS2-NG can offer considerable profits to small businesses as it brings together additional services for providing comprehensive solutions to address the unique needs of a given geographic area.
Latest Developments
The government has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to research vendor capabilities and analyze the feedback from the industry based on which the RFP will be published. The RFP was anticipated to be released around January 2022, with the award date sometime around November 2022.
5. Professional Scientific and Technical Services Contract 2 Satellite Domain (ProTech 2.0)
The Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (ProTech) 2.0 Program supporting the mission of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) is a collection of Multiple-Award IDIQ contracts consisting of four Domains: Satellite, Fisheries, Oceans, and Weather. The vehicle with an $8 billion ceiling across all domains is the original ProTech.
The mission of ProTech 2.0 is to provide timely access to global environmental data from satellites and other sources to promote, protect, and enhance the nation’s economy, security, environment, and quality of life. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) uses ProTech, as the mandatory-use vehicle for the agency and other Commerce Departments to acquire support for cultivating an industrial base of partners.
NOAA will be using a two-fold proposal submission and evaluation process. The first fold will concentrate on administrative and technical experience staples. Those passing the threshold will move to the second phase requiring further information on the company’s capabilities. Self-Scoring is needed from the companies chosen to participate in the second fold for operating the agency’s National Environment Satellite, Data and Information Service working to connect users with data generated by environmental satellites on events related to the climate, weather, and oceans.
How you can benefit from Protech 2.0
The ceiling dollar amount for all orders under all ProTech 2.0 Domains is $8 Billion. Each domain of ProTech 2.0 has its IDIQ contract with multiple awards, and the competition will be set aside 100% for Small Businesses under NAICS code 541715. Eligible small businesses can make considerable profits from this opportunity.
Latest Developments
NOAA released an update in May 2021. The plan was to speed acquisition time for all domains by using one or more procurement innovations: Advisory Down-Select, Oral Presentations, Confidence Ratings, On-the-Spot Consensus Evaluation, and Streamlined Documentation.
On December 2, 2021, The Request for Proposals (RFP) for the ProTech 2.0 Satellite Domain was posted to SAM. The Phase One responses were due by Jan 6, 2022, and the submission process for this phase has concluded.
6. Program Management Administrative Clerical And Technical Services III (PACTS III)
PACTS III is the third in a series of multiple-award IDIQ soliciting non-IT Administrative, Logistics & Management services. PACTS, also known as (aka) Program Management, Administrative, Clerical, and Technical Services, is a department-wide service Contract Vehicle of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that delivers services for non-IT service solutions. This procurement initiative focuses on the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) community. The purpose of this procurement is to establish a series of Department-wide IDIQ contracts for non-IT (Program Management, Technical, Operations (Clerical), and Administrative) methods that will satisfy DHS to attain its overall purpose.
How you can benefit from PACTS III
The expected dollar value for PACTS III is $1.5 Billion (Deltek estimate). The expected primary functional requirements for PACTS III are Administrative, Logistics & Management. SDVOSB businesses that are competent in these functional areas can make considerable profits from this opportunity.
Latest Developments
The existing contract was extended for one year to evaluate the current vehicle and assess whether any PACTS II enhancements are required. The estimated solicitation date for PACTS III is Q4 FY2022, and the expected award date is Q3 FY23.
7. Construction Multiple Award Contract (C-MAC)
National Multiple Award Construction Contract (NMACC), awarded in 2018, will be succeeded by Construction Multiple Award Contract (C-MAC). Functional areas under the vehicle will provide the Department of the Interior with a wide range of contractor-provided Design-Build (DB) and Design Bid Build (DBB) services for facilities located across the Continental United States (CONUS) and Indian Country. The services will encompass new construction; offsite design-build construction; offsite construction (modular construction); demolition, repair, alteration, and renovation of buildings; and much more. The facilities to be constructed include educational, detention, medical, administrative, industrial, operational, maintenance, warehouses, communications, personnel support, recreation, lodging, dormitory, training, ranges, and roads.
How you can benefit from C-MAC
C-MAC will be an excellent opportunity for Small Businesses in the construction domain. Indian Affairs anticipates a target of twenty (20) contract awards due to the potential solicitation. The ordering period for each contract will be five (5) years starting with the total price for all contracts not exceeding $1.5 billion. Projects awarded on this C-MAC will have an estimated construction cost of approximately $1,000,000.00 to $60,000,000.00; however, smaller and larger dollar value projects may be considered.
Latest Developments
In August last year, the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs released an RFI seeking inputs from interested applicants to determine the extent to which this requirement will be set aside for Small Business or Small Business social-economic subcategories. The government has anticipated that the solicitation would be released in late 2021 and that the award would start in summer 2022. Still, there has been a delay in the C-MAC solicitation process. Small Businesses must keep an eye on the latest developments in this contract.
What is in these Contract Vehicles for you?
Each of these contract vehicles is a golden opportunity to work with the Federal Government, make a mark in the government marketplace, and take your business to the next level. Our teams closely monitor these contract vehicles and track all their latest developments.
Bidding for large-scale contract vehicles such as these entails a lot of administrative and resource-intensive exercises for small businesses. iQuasar can help you prepare and guide you through the process of developing a winning proposal. iQuasar supports Small Businesses in bidding for contract vehicles, including GSA MAS, OASIS, GSA FSS, Alliant SB, 8(a) STARS, HCaTS, Navy SEAPORT-E, CATS+, MOBIS, RMAS, other GWACs, and NIH CIO-SP3 & CIO-SP4. Our team is well-acquainted with the Federal Market and is proactively helping Small Businesses in preparing for it.
To know more about how we can help you with these contract vehicles
