State Dept.’s Evolve RFP

Applies ‘small biz reserve’

      The State Dept. on Dec. 2 issued a solicitation for its $10 billion-ceiling “Evolve” multiple-award IDIQ contract to modernize its diplomatic technology. It appears to be one of the first major contracts to apply a March 2020 final rule allowing a “small business reserve” in multiple-award contracts.

      Under the final rule, within FAR 19.5, a “reserve” provides small businesses with opportunities to serve as prime contractors when market research indicates that a total or partial set-aside is not feasible. However, the reserve is referred to as a partial small business set-aside in the RFP Classification on SAM.

      Other small business items include:

• All task orders will be set-aside for small businesses when the “Rule of Two” is met under FAR 19.502-2;
• For functional categories that include small businesses, task orders that 1) are valued at less than $5 million and 2) support a single program office a shall be “automatically” set-aside for small business;
• Small business subcontracting goals will be developed for all contractors on Evolve; and
• Existing 8(a) IT contracts at the department will remain outside Evolve.

      The EVOLVE contract scope includes IT Management, Network and Telecommunications, Cloud and Data Center, Application Development, and Customer and End User Support services.

More information:
RFP: https://bit.ly/3G2YyH2
State Dept. release: https://bit.ly/3ImAgL0
Small business reserve rule: https://bit.ly/3CgS8mT

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