The term Government-wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) refers to an agreement in which multiple government agencies combine their purchasing power to acquire goods or services. Specifically, A GWAC allows the federal government to obtain creative solutions for Information Technology systems at a lower cost to taxpayers.
One of the main selling points of GWACs is they enable scale economies, which typically result in lower per-unit costs. Therefore, the government can get the work they need to be completed by professionals without costing the American people a fortune.
It is hardly an exaggeration to suggest that this strategy’s success in assisting small businesses is unprecedented in federal acquisition.
This article will discuss everything you need to know about GWACs.
Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts
(GWAC) are the legal contracts between the federal government and a private enterprise through which agencies purchase products and services.
A GWAC is an acquisition platform that enhances and simplifies the purchase of IT solutions by federal government agencies in the United States while also guaranteeing that various government-mandated laws get met.
A GWAC grants access to Best-in-Class IT solutions such as:
- Solutions for System Design
- Solutions for Software Engineering
- Solutions for Information Assurance
- Solutions for Enterprise Architecture
GWACs allow agencies to use the government’s massive purchasing power by centralizing IT product and service procurement. This method can assist cut prices.
Agencies issue task orders for the products and services they want to buy against an existing GWAC. This goal can be accomplished by agency personnel or the GSA’s Assisted Acquisition Services Division. This strategy should save agencies time and money because the contract is already in place.
Types of Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts
Generally, there are five different types of GWACs, and each will be described below.
Stars II
Small disadvantaged businesses that are highly qualified and certified get provided 8(a) by the Stars II GWAC, which is made available through the GSA. Notably, the program’s total cost cannot exceed $22 billion under the contract terms.
VETS 2
The VETS 2 GWAC, which is also available through the GSA, is specifically designated for the use of Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB). The intention of VETS 2 is to equip the federal government with a set of information technology systems, including new and developing technologies. The contract program has a $5 billion cap.
Alliant 2 (A2)
The Alliant 2 GWAC offers complete IT solutions, including hardware, software, and services, that you may purchase as a single package. The GSA also provides this service.
SEWP
SEWPs, or Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement, is NASA’s GWAC. Tablets, PCs, servers, IT peripherals, network equipment, storage systems, security tools, software packages, cloud-based services, and more are available to the government through the SEWPs.
NITAAC
The NIH Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC) is managed jointly by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the National Institute of Health (NIH). It has three different GWAC programs: CIO-SP3, CIO-SP3 Small Businesses, and CIO-CS focusing on IT commodities.
How to Use GWACs
Using pre-competed Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts will save an agency’s time and money when purchasing total IT solutions.
To use a GSA GWAC, federal contracting officers must follow these steps:
1. Participate in Training
Contracting officers must complete one of the Delegation of Procurement Authority (DPA) training choices. However, it is strongly advised that all acquisition team members attend a live DPA training session to engage in a more interactive learning experience with GSA’s instructors.
Furthermore, qualified contracting officers must complete one of the alternatives indicated below and acquire procurement authority from GSA before issuing a work order on a GSA GWAC.
- Attend a live webinar regularly; or
- Review the applicable GWAC ordering instructions; or
- Take a Defense Acquisition University (DAU) course online; or
- Complete GSA GWAC IT Acquisition University Training (VETS 2 and STARS III only); or
- Complete a YouTube Training: 8(a) STARS III only
2. Obtain a Delegation of Procurement Authority
A form must be filled out by warranted contracting officers or contracting officers appointed under FAR 1.603 to obtain a Delegation of Procurement Authority (DPA), giving them direct access to our GWACs.
The DPA outlines the roles and responsibilities of the GSA contracting officer and the ordering contracting officer. It also corresponds with GSA’s executive agent designation by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
DPA requestors must also supply an email address ending in .gov or .mil. Before you may review their request, requestors who do not have a .gov or .mil email address must send the necessary information and a copy of their federal contracting officer warrant to delegations@gsa.gov.
3. Create a Task Order
You should follow these basic acquisition procedures:
- Plan the purchase.
- Define the specifications, and draft the solicitation.
- Issue solicitations and provide equal opportunity unless an exception applies.
- Consider proposals.
- Document awarding, debriefings, and protests.
- Finally, administer and complete the order.
4. Notify Changes to Contract
Customer agencies get required by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to gather and report data on their procurements. Customer agencies gain socioeconomic credits for their job orders through the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS).
Contracting officers must submit comprehensive reports on important contract actions within three business days of the contract award or as directed by your agency.
5. Review Past Performance
According to section 42.15 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), government agencies are required to prepare past performance evaluations for orders with a period of performance longer than one year. An evaluation of the contractor’s past performance must be carried out annually in line with the instructions provided on the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) website.
Conclusion
Generally, a GSA GWAC is an Indefinite-delivery, Indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract.
It is beneficial to have a GSA GWAC because it enables government agencies to purchase Information Technology products and services from pre-approved vendors. These vendors have gone through a selection procedure to be eligible to participate in the program.
Government agencies can meet their requirements by using a GSA GWAC at a lesser cost, but they can also collaborate with vendors that have previously gotten screened.
