First GWAC Awards Go HUBZone Companies The General Services Administration has chosen 34 firms for the first multiple award government-wide acquisition contract set aside for HUBZone businesses. The five-year contract for information technology products and services is worth up to $2.5 billion. More than 300 companies competed for the contract. The procurement process was slowed by at least nine protests. The contract awards cover seven functional areas: Internet services, call centers, distance learning, video conferencing, wiring and cabling, network design, computer operations/support, network management, contingency planning, disaster preparedness/recovery and information assurance. Eight to 10 contracts were awarded for each category, with some firms participating in more than one category. “Awarding this GWAC is significant for both agency customers and business,” said Federal Technology Service Commissioner Sandra Bates. “GSA’s customers can accomplish two critical goals: secure high quality, best value IT solutions and services and fulfill their HUBZone statutory goals while businesses in HUBZones have an unprecedented opportunity to compete for government business.” The HUBZone goal is now 3% of prime contract dollars. Only the Department of Transportation reached that figure in fiscal 2001, the latest available. The contract will be managed by GSA’s Small Business Solution Development Center in Kansas City, MO. The following companies were awarded contracts: --8a Technologies --AIS Engineering Inc. --Base One Technologies --Comp-Tech Associates Inc. --Computer Information Specialist Inc. --CrystalView Technology Corp. --Data Dash Inc. --Datanet Systems Corp. --DataVise Information Technology Services Inc. --Denysys Corp. --E2 Corp. doing business as E2 Solutions --Government Contracts Consultants --GTI Systems Inc. --ICI LLC --Imagine One Technology & Management Ltd. --Integrated Systems Improvement Services Inc. --KeyLogic Systems Inc. --KLC Network Services Inc. --Lakeshore Eng. Services Inc. --Long Wave Inc. --Marsh Communications Services Inc. --MCS of Tampa Inc. --ML Technologies Inc. --Mymic LLC --New Technology Management --NucoreVision Inc. --Omnet Inc. --Phoenix Systems Corp. --Program Contract Services Inc. --Quantell Inc. --Superlative Technologies Inc. --Sycamore Associates Inc. --TELESIS Corp. --Visual Concepts LLC