Earlier this week, it was announced that the 8(a) STARS III Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) has achieved the designation of “Best In Class” (BIC) by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Best in Class is a government-wide acquisition designation used to denote contracts that meet rigorous category management performance criteria.
Building on the success of 8(a) STARS II, 8(a) STARS III features a pool of small, disadvantaged businesses (SDB) industry partners who specialize in emerging technologies which allow government agencies to access cutting edge solutions to accomplish IT missions. 8(a) STARS III includes an array of SDB industry partners offering IT services ranging from simple to complex and services-based solutions such as IT help-desk support, information assurance, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and more.
BIC designations are given to contracts and vehicles that can be used by multiple agencies and satisfy these five key criteria:
- Rigorous requirements definitions and planning processes
- Appropriate pricing strategies
- Data-driven strategies to change buying and consumption behavior (i.e., demand management)
- Category and performance management strategies
- Independently validated reviews
“The 8(a) STARS GWAC program represents an inclusive opportunity for small, disadvantaged firms to compete within the federal marketplace and gain valuable experience in navigating agency requirements,” said GSA Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Associate Administrator, Exodie C. Roe, III. “More than $18 billion has been awarded through GSA’s 8(a) GWACs, and many successful firms have graduated from the SBA’s 8(a) Program to compete on a larger scale. GSA joins SBA in looking forward to seeing this next-generation contract provide excellent opportunities for small, disadvantaged businesses.”
The BIC designation:
- Allows acquisition experts to take advantage of pre-vetted, government-wide contract solutions
- Supports a government-wide migration to solutions that are mature and market-proven
- Assists in the optimization of spend, within the government-wide category management framework
- Increases the transactional data available for agency level and government-wide analysis of buying behavior
Stakeholders are encouraged to read the award notice and list of initial awardees on SAM.gov and the 8(a) STARS III GWAC website, www.gsa.gov/stars3, for more information.
