Political Factors Affecting SEWP V

Under SEWP IV, NASA selected 4 contractors in the 8(a) Sole Source Set-Aside category. Those contractors did not perform up to SEWP Bowl standards, but small businesses under Hub Zone, Woman Owned and SDVOB performed well. That may have led SEWP V to their current set aside category for only SDVOB and Hub Zone Small Businesses. They may also be under pressure to add a larger number of small business contractors to meet their future minority contracting goals, since the new SEWP V contract is valued at $20 Billion. Additionally, SEWP V is now an IDIQ for NASA sites only, since they have not received official designation approval from OMB to be advertised as an approved OMB GWAC. Without approval from OMB to de a designated GWAC contract, the value of the procurement would need to be reconsidered, and the desirability of holding the contract vehicle would discourage potential small businesses that have limited resources to sustain a protracted delay in the contracting process. It would also open the floodgates on potential after-award protests by contractors who fail to secure an award.

Bidders should also keep in mind that 50 % of the proposal evaluation is on their Management Plan.

Proposers’ winning Management Plans must have the following attributes:

  1. A highly effective Company Organization with integrated SEWP Project Management Office (PMO) and active verses passive Product Vendor Management.
  2. Electronic Processes that promote and utilize automated methods and practices.
  3. Company must stand up a Web Presence with a public facing full complement of contract-related resources for the SEWP PMO, POCs and SEWP customers.
  4. Data synchronized with the SEWP database of record available 24 hours a day seven days a week.
  5. Quality Assurance (QA) as part of the company DNA reflected in delivery orders and proper replication between SEWP and other databases.
  6. SEWP Marketing: Do you know how to Market and Sell the #1 Federal GWAC contract for IT products and services? Can you persuade Federal users, Program Executives and stake holders to utilize the contract and follow the ordering process?
  7. Commitment to Supply Chain Management and Supplier Diversity. You are known by the company you keep.

There is good news in the rumor mill that many in the community think the current Past Performance Requirements will be reduced or eliminated all together. This would help many new contenders and could hurt some incumbents who are not viewed as strong partners by the SEWP Bowl.  The sooner the House and Senate can come to an understanding on the budget, the sooner we can all get back to work, and the rumors can become fact or fiction.