2GIT Industry Day: Questions and Answers

October 23, 2018

GSA 2nd Generation IT (2GIT) Industry Day 
October 24, 2018, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET
77 Forsyth Street, SW, Atlanta, GA 30303

2GIT Questions, Concerns and Answers

As it can take some weeks/months to get substantive contract modifications approved, we would like to see a draft solicitation issued at least 8 weeks prior to a final solicitation. This will allow time for team development and contract modification requests based on the draft solicitation.

GSA is planning to release a draft RFQ well ahead of the formal RFQ, however, vendors are encouraged to secure letters of supply and modify their GSA Schedule contracts now based on product information released during the RFI process and known products purchased on NETCENTS-2 products.  Additionally there will be a Tiger Team set up to process only 2GIT eMod’s via the FASt Lane process within 24 to 48 hours.  Plans are in progress for system updates/Distributed Ledger enhancements and the 4P Price Comparison Tool which will assist in eMod processing times.
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We hope that tasks awarded under the BPA awards will be evaluated as best value and that each task request will be able to include evaluation criteria other than price. When evaluations strictly “Least Price Technically Acceptable” (LPTA) the supposed savings are usually a ‘false economy’ and the outcome is rarely satisfactory for the end user in the short or long term.

The final BPA Evaluation criteria has not been decided at the current time. The ordering contracting office will determine the individual task order evaluation criteria which can include factors such as: Socioeconomic status, past performance, SCRM, subcontracting and experience to name a few. You are welcome to suggest evaluation criteria.
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How will product procurements be made for items that are not on GSA schedule? (We have supplied products from over 1,200 manufacturers under our NETCENTS-2 Products contract, the vast majority of which are not available on GSA.)

We recommend industry partners take this opportunity to add the products to their GSA Schedule. Please call your Schedule CO to discuss the best process to add items for a orderly process. Also share with us any potential products that are not TAA or otherwise eligible to be added to your GSA Schedule contract.
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Will Contractor Team Arrangements (CTAs) be allowed to supplement a supplier’s current GSA schedule?

GSA’s intention is to allow teaming and subcontractor arrangements at the order level. Draft RFQ Paragraph 10.10
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Will the government allow bidders to present items that are “pending” addition to GSA schedule in the bid as long as they are actually approved on GSA schedule by the time of award?

We recommend industry partners take this opportunity to add the products to their GSA Schedule. Also share with us any potential products that are not TAA or otherwise eligible to be added to your GSA Schedule contract. The RFQ may include language that allows contractors to submit quotes with items that are pending, provided that a modification to their GSA Schedule contract was submitted “Before” their quote submission and at the time of the RFQ closing. Draft RFQ Paragraph 1.1

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Will the BPA’s be released as full and open competition or will there be set asides?

Market Research is still being conducted to determine if socio-economic consideration for evaluation meets the needs of the government. Social Economic set-asides may still be accomplished at the order level at the discretion of the ordering activity contracting officer. Draft RFQ Paragraph 15.1.2

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Will open market items be allowed on the BPA’s for ancillary items?

Responses to the market basket for the BPA evaluation can not contain open market items. Only GSA Schedule products will be acceptable for the BPA evaluation. Ordering agencies may follow the procedures in FAR 8.402(f) to add open market/items not on the Federal Supply Schedule for administrative convenience to BPAs. Order Level Materials (OLM) may also be applicable to some orders against the BPA.

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Will a certain number of BPA’s be awarded in each category or will the awards be all or nothing?

BPAs will be awarded per CLIN/Pool. Industry partners can quote on one CLIN/Pool, a combination of CLINS/Pool or all CLINS/Pool. Draft RFQ Paragraph 1.1
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In order to sell any products on GSA we are required to obtain a LOS from each vendor. As a Small Business, we have very little chance of obtaining those letters from the many manufacturers of products that will be on this BPA. As an example, we are a Cisco Gold Partner and are still working to obtain the LOS from Cisco. We can, however, meet the Air Force’s requirements for Network-Centric products and support of those products as a contract holder on the NASA SEWP and NIH CIO-CS OMB authorized GWACs.

GSA continues to have conversations with OEMs to encourage expansion of Letters of Supply (LoS) to all business in the various Social-economic classes. If any vendor has a specific issue adding products or obtaining a LOS from any OEM/Publisher, please contact the 2GIT Program office at IT70Acquisition@gsa.gov.
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Recommends that all applicable in scope GSA Schedule 70 products, services, and support be available in any future procurement vehicle, including:

• SIN 132-33; Perpetual Software Licenses
• SIN 132-40; Cloud Services
• SIN 132-50; Training Services
• SIN 132-51; IT Professional Services
• SIN 132-52; Electronic Commerce
• SIN 132-53; Wireless Services
  Please note that “Contractor X” does hold a variety of items under SIN 132-44 (Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation Tools)

Market Research and complete scope determination is still under consideration. The primary scope of this BPA is for products with ancillary services and supporting software. SIN 132-33 will be included. However the other proposed SINs likely will be out of scope for this acquisition. Contemplating 132-40 Cloud Computing Services and 132-51 Information Technology Professional Services will not be included. However, GSA is investigating whether alternative consumption models for IT Products might be incorporated. Professional Services will likely remain out of scope as this vehicle is primarily for COTS products.
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“Contractor X” requests that GSA put the necessary boundaries in place in order to prevent any non-TAA products from being sold on this contract, as an example on NETCENTS-2 companies could quote Open Market or list the items as made in the US in order to bypass this requirement.

TAA compliance will be required, monitored and enforced. Continuously violating the policy may be cause for cancelling. Draft RFQ Paragraph 5.1.6

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