Content area
Full text
$8 Billion Vehicle Offers Services, Solutions, and Contracting Innovation
Intermission is over.
The second act of the Department of Commerce's performance-based small business centric, Government-wide acquisition contract is now underway. The Commerce Information Technology Solutions Next Generation program, (COMMITS NexGen) has been a while in the making. Work on the solicitation began in 2003, and Commerce officials believe it is worth the wait.
COMMITS NexGen was awarded to 55 small businesses in January 2005. The program will span a decade and has an order ceiling of $8 billion. Open to all federal agencies, COMMITS NexGen aims to provide a broad spectrum of IT services and solutions. The program's scope covers everything from satellite communications to information security.
The vehicle's stated objective is to offer those services through a pool of small, small disadvantaged, 8(a), womanowned, veteran-owned, service disabled veteran-owned, and HUBZone business partners. The program is entirely a small business set aside. The goal is to provide customers a wealth of solutions while allowing them to meet small business contracting objectives.
"The COMMITS NexGen is designed to support the strategic goal of the Department of Commerce, which is to grow the economy," said Dan Alexander, the vehicle's Program Manager. "We have chosen to do that by helping small businesses."
Commerce has made partnering a priority on COMMITS NexGen given the program's breadth and depth. So small businesses will frequently partner with each other and with large-business subcontractors. Well-known names in integration already are maneuvering for roles on the emerging program (see sidebar).
But, as the curtain rises, COMMITS NexGen has the proverbial tough act to follow. The original COMMITS, launched in 1999, surprised some observers by hitting its $1.5 billion ceiling. The vehicle also was notable as an early advocate of performance-based contracting. The precursor attracted customers beyond Commerce; among COMMITS largest task orders was a $400 million Department of Energy job.
Commerce officials take to heart the notion that there is always room for improvement. The COMMITS NexGen team has solicited industry opinions (see sidebar). This feedback has resulted in sweeping changes for the new vehicle. Patti Stang, Contracting Officer on COMMITS NexGen, said prospective buyers are expressing a high level of interest in the program. The contract's flexibility and small business...