Also Read – GSA’s OASIS+: Latest Updates
On November 15, 2022, the General Service Administration’s (GSA) Office of Professional Services and Human Capital (PSHC) released the draft Request for Proposal (RFP) for the OASIS+ Program, taking one step further on the journey of the next-generation Best-in-Class Multi-Agency Contract for complex non-IT services.
OASIS+ (formerly known as “Services MAC” or “BIC MAC”) is GSA’s New Services Multi-Agency Contract meant to offer innovative and flexible solutions for complex professional and engineering services. It will be a Next Generation Professional Services Vehicle that expands beyond the heavy professional engineering services focus of the existing OASIS contract. With a 10-year Period of Performance, OASIS+ will not have a contract ceiling – allowing for the adoption and growth of the contract program and enabling vendors to make considerable profits and do business with the Government.
The agency has issued draft RFPs for the first two of six socioeconomic categories: Unrestricted and Small Business programs. The draft RFP, posted on SAM.gov, contains all sections of the solicitation and Qualification Matrices for the Unrestricted and Total Small Business vehicles. The qualification matrices for all proposed socioeconomic vehicles that will be included in the final RFP are expected to mirror the Total Small Business qualification matrices.
If you intend to participate in the solicitation process, there’s no time to waste. This blog explains everything you need to know about preparing for it and positioning yourself to win.
How To Prepare for OASIS+
The key to success when it comes to contract vehicles like OASIS+ is preparing early. The final RFP for OASIS+ is expected to be released in Q2 of FY23. You can start by surveying the Domains and determining how they align with your project portfolio (past and current projects). You will need to understand how those projects meet the various point-scoring criteria in the solicitation qualifications matrix. It is recommended that you continue to monitor communications from GSA to see how this continues to develop. Other preparation steps include:
- Review the Draft RFPs and Understand the Scoring Criteria: First and foremost, you need to review the draft RFPs released by the Government and develop an in-depth understanding of your company’s standing concerning the various point-scoring criteria given in the qualification matrices for each Domain. Aim at maximizing your score by identifying capability gaps where you may need to team up. Select the Qualifying Projects that fetch you the highest number of points. Ensure that your company’s certifications are up-to-date and your past performance documentation is current.
- Assess the Market: The next step is to assess the market. This includes reviewing OASIS Market, Task Orders, and Pools. It also involves evaluating customer needs and investment of time and resources toward the pursuit.
- Map Your Service Offerings to Customer Needs: After completing the market assessment, you can perform mapping by comparing your service offerings to the actual needs of Services MAC customers. This will involve reviewing the project portfolio and identifying alignment and gaps with the OASIS+ Domain scope.
- Stay Engaged and Look for Partners: You can engage with the industry by attending industry days and staying engaged with GSA by submitting your comments and feedback to the agency. GSA is seeking industry feedback as it moves towards a complete draft RFP, expected to be released in FY2023. The agency is seeking feedback on all areas of the draft RFP. You can also identify and engage with potential teaming partners early to position yourself better.
- Build A Robust Proposal Team Early: You also need to prepare a proposal team, assign roles and responsibilities and engage your company’s leadership in developing your proposal execution strategy for OASIS+. This will be followed by proposal execution, for which you will need to start early, draft a compliance matrix, address all proposal requirements, and demonstrate your value propositions.
Preparing for contract vehicles like OASIS+ can be a complex and overwhelming process for small businesses; our team here at iQuasar simplifies the process. We support Small Businesses in bidding for complex contract vehicles like OASIS+, Evolve IDIQ, Polaris GWAC, CIO-SP4, Alliant 3, 8(a) STARS III, and other GWACs. Our team of experts will supervise the entire process by helping you evaluate your eligibility, increase your readiness levels, prepare a custom-made proposal development strategy for your firm, and create a high-quality and compliant response to help you win.
