Bundling | The Contracting Education Academy

April 17, 2018 By cs

FBI considering one $5 billion contract for all IT supplies, services

Rather than create multiple contract vehicles for IT services and tools, the FBI is looking at building a single $5 billion contract to cover all the bureau’s IT needs.

The bureau released an anticipated request for information Wednesday giving industry a few more details on its planned agencywide IT services contract being dubbed Information Technology Supplies and Support Services, also known as ITSSS or IT Triple-S.

The RFI sets the anticipated ceiling for the contract—estimated at $5 billion—and period of performance—one-year base period with nine additional one-year options—though both are subject to change as the contracting office collects more information.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.nextgov.com/it-modernization/2018/04/fbi-considering-one-5-billion-contract-all-it-supplies-services/147410/

December 12, 2013 By cs

DoD and GSA overstated use of consolidated contracts, GAO says

The Defense Department and General Services Administration overstated their use of consolidated contracts because they weren’t properly reported to the Federal Procurement Data System, a Nov. 26 Government Accountability report says.

In a consolidated contract consolidation, an agency combines two or more contract requirements that were previously under separate contracts.

GAO reviewed 157 contracts reported as consolidated and found that 34 percent of DoD and all of GSA contracts weren’t actually consolidated.

The Small Business administration is required to track information on consolidated contracts, but SBA has not submitted an annual report to Congress since fiscal year 2010, the report says.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.fiercegovernment.com/story/dod-and-gsa-overstated-use-consolidated-contracts-gao-says/2013-11-27

The GAO report can be downloaded at: http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/659254.pdf

June 19, 2012 By cs

Defense bill dilutes agencies’ business judgment, experts say

As separate versions of the fiscal 2013 National Defense Authorization Act wind through Congress, experts say provisions will further complicate the already rigid procurement process, even pulling back officials’ authority to make key decisions.

The government has invested money in training and rebuilding an acquisition workforce that has strong business prowess. Federal officials now want the acquisition workforce to use its business-smarts to get the best value for each tax dollar spent.

Keep reading this article at: http://fcw.com/articles/2012/06/15/ndaa-acquisition-business-judgment.aspx.

May 23, 2012 By cs

House defense bill’s contracting provision irks White House

In threatening a veto of the Defense authorization bill the House passed on Friday, the White House mentioned a host of budgetary reasons, but it also cited a little noticed provision on agency contracting to small businesses.

The fiscal 2013 National Defense Authorization Act faces an uncertain future in the Senate mostly because of its controversial provisions to restore cuts in weapons programs already accepted by the Pentagon.

But a package of eight contracting reform bills long sought by the House Small Business Committee also was included in the larger bill, which passed by a substantial majority, 299-120.

Keep reading this article at http://www.govexec.com//contracting/2012/05/house-defense-bills-contracting-provision-irks-white-house/55845/?oref=govexec_today_nl.

March 6, 2012 By cs

House committee takes on contract bundling

Two House Small Business Committee members are now tackling contract bundling in a new bill as a part of a comprehensive contracting-reform plan.

The Contractor Opportunity Protection Act would make it tougher for agencies to bundle contracts. The bill would provide the Small Business Administration and third-party groups with the ability to appeal an agency’s decision to bundle several contracts into one. Officials would also have to consider small businesses early on when planning a procurement.

Contract bundling is the practice of packaging many contracts together, essentially making it impossible for small businesses to compete for the work. The bundled contracts can limit competition.

The new bill would create a third-party arbiter to fight unjustified bundling by allowing SBA to appeal a questionable bundling decision to the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals or the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals. If SBA declines to do so, the legislation allows third-party groups to protest to the Government Accountability Office.

Furthermore, it would require agencies to publish their justification for the bundled contract to provide greater specificity and transparency into federal officials’ decisions. At least 45 days before an agency issues a solicitation, procurement officials have to send it to their procurement-center representative, who advocates for small businesses.

Along with the solicitation, they must explain their decision, answering why officials are choosing to bundle the contacts and why the contract cannot be divided into smaller parts. Officials also would have give a list of the contractors affected by the bundling, especially if it is a small business.

“Contract bundling is a legitimate part of federal contracting, but it can sometimes be carried out unfairly,” said Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), chairman of the Small Business Committee. Graves and fellow committee member Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) introduced the bill, intended to address some of these problems, on Feb. 17.

The contract bundling legislation is part of a comprehensive initiative from the Small Business Committee aimed at reforming small-business contracting policies. Since January, a number of committee members have introduced bills that address small-business issues.

About the Author: Matthew Weigelt is a senior writer covering acquisition and procurement for Federal Computer Week. This article was published Feb. 17, 2012 at http://washingtontechnology.com/articles/2012/02/17/contract-bundling-legislation-graves.aspx?s=wtdaily_210212

Rather than create multiple contract vehicles for IT services and tools, the FBI is looking at building a single $5 billion contract to cover all the bureau’s IT needs.

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