GSA Adds New Small Business Approach to Post FTS 2000 Technical and Management Support Contracts

GSA#9350

October 24, 1996
Contact: Bill Bearden
(202) 501-1231
Internet: bill.bearden@gsa.gov

In an effort to provide greater opportunity for small business and 8(a) firms to compete for more world-wide government telecommunications business, the General Services Administration is adding new language to its upcoming Post FTS2000 technical and management support contracts.
GSA's Federal Telecommunications Service (FTS) 2000 contracts were awarded to AT&T and Sprint in 1988 to provide intercity telecommunications services. The awards are due to expire in December 1998. During the transition to the follow-on contracts, and for some time afterwards, GSA expects to award multiple contracts for support services.
This additional TMS contract language offers a new competitive approach for small business and 8(a) firms. The language states that the first award will be made to the offerors, large or small, determined to provide the best value to the Government. It further states that if two or more responsive offers are received from small business firms and from 8(a) firms, separate evaluations will be conducted.
This provision affords one small business and one 8(a) firm, capable of satisfying the government's requirements at reasonable prices, a fair opportunity to win prime contracts, making them eligible to compete for individual task orders under the contracts. The governing standard industrial code will be 4813, which has an employee limit of 1,500. To prevent unfair competitive advantage, a prime contractor for TMS cannot be a prime contractor on any other procurement for which it provides assistance.
The TMS acquisition provides a broad array of services on a world-wide basis to support GSA, its customers, authorized federal contractors, sponsored universities and laboratories, and as authorized, to state, local and tribal governments. The contract is fixed-price, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity for two base years and three option years.
A request for proposals is expected to be issued around November 1 with proposals due on January 2, 1997. The solicitation will be available via the Internet at http://post.fts2k.gsa.gov.