GSA #10150

April 1, 2005
Contact: Viki Reath (202) 501-1231
viki.reath@gsa.gov

Washington, DC – Administrator Stephen A. Perry of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), today announced that a request for proposals for the Veterans Technology Services (VETS), governmentwide acquisition contract (GWAC) -- the first GWAC set aside for service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses -- was issued yesterday.

The VETS GWAC for information technology (IT) services, posted on FedBizOpps, is consistent with GSA’s disabled-veteran initiative and also responds to President Bush’s October 2004 Executive Order, which directs GSA to create a GWAC for service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses. The VETS GWAC, valued at $5 billion over 10 years, has a five-year base with five options. GSA expects to award the GWAC early in 2006

“GSA is proud to have been designated in President Bush's Executive Order to have such an important role in developing this GWAC that will vastly expand opportunities for disabled veterans desiring to do business with the federal government,” said GSA Administrator Stephen A. Perry.  We are also very pleased with the tremendous support veterans have given to this initiative, including the more than 700 participants who joined our pre-solicitation Web conference earlier this month.”

The IT GWAC gives agencies the flexibility to purchase information technology services according to their needs for Information Systems Engineering and Systems Operations and Maintenance services. Both functions include IT Security. Online information is available at www.gsa.gov/vetsgwac.

GSA is a centralized federal procurement, property management, and policy agency, created by Congress to improve government efficiency and help federal agencies better serve the public. It acquires, on behalf of federal agencies, office space, equipment, telecommunications, information technology, supplies and services. It also plays a key role in developing and implementing governmentwide policies. GSA’s 12,000 associates provide services and solutions for the office operations of more than one million federal workers located in more than 8,000 government-owned and leased buildings in 2,000 U.S. communities.