The General Services Administration (GSA) has issued the solicitation for the 8(a) STARS III Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC), which is part of its process for making it easier for small businesses from different socioeconomic categories to work with the Federal government on IT acquisition projects.
The new STARS GWAC will have a $50 billion ceiling to focus on emerging technologies and performance outside of the continental U.S., according to GSA.
“I am very proud of GSA’s work in developing the STARS III GWAC with a contract ceiling of $50 billion, more than twice the size of STARS II,” GSA Administrator Emily Murphy said in a press release. “STARS III continues GSA’s legacy of creating opportunities for small disadvantaged businesses while helping federal agencies accomplish information technology (IT) missions.”
Last week, GSA announced that it was cancelling the Alliant 2 Small Business (A2SB) solicitation to replace it with the GWAC program. The new GWAC program “will support cybersecurity, emerging technology, and supply chain risk management developments for women-owned, HUBzone, service-disabled veteran-owned, and 8(a) small businesses.”
“Over the last nine years, the 8(a) STARS II GWAC has successfully leveled the playing field for hundreds of small disadvantaged IT contractors in the 8(a) Business Development Program. Through this vehicle, and the partnership of GSA and SBA (Small Business Administration), many 8(a) firms have grown and prospered while delivering essential capabilities to the federal government,” SBA Associate Administrator Dr. Donna Peebles said.
