Companies Team to Chase Bigger Contracts Fourteen small and mid-sized companies have teamed up to compete for information technology contracts that are too big or too complex for any of the members to handle alone. Unlike common teaming arrangements that are aimed at a specific contract opportunity, members of the New United Coalition, or NuCo, say they plan go after targets of opportunity, breaking down into smaller teams as necessary to mix and match their skills to available contracts. With teaming agreements already in place, “we can react very quickly to those RFP’s and RFQ’s,” says Jim Bogaty, organizer of NuCo and chief operating officer of American Information Technology Solutions Corp. in Reston, VA. Team members include small disadvantaged businesses, woman-owned firms, and 8(a), HUBZone and disabled-veteran-owned companies. In an interview, Bogaty said the coalition is a logical response to bundled contracts and the increasing complexity of contracts that require several different skills. “We want to have a robust portfolio of products and services,” he said. Team members bring different specialties to the table. While there is some overlap in their businesses, each member will concentrate on its core competency, he said. Members also come from different parts of the country. Bogaty said NuCo is bidding on the small business set-aside portion of a Federal Aviation Administration indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract. The group also plans to bid on the Homeland Security Department’s SPIRIT contract, scheduled for release later this year. He said NuCo will concentrate on homeland security and transportation-related work in the range of $10 million to $20 million. Since the formation of NuCo was announced at a trade show last month, Bogaty says, “I’m getting a call or e-mail every hour during business hours. It’s just phenomenal. I’m overwhelmed with the quality of people out there. It’s a deluge.” He said NuCo is willing to consider expanding its membership. Members of NuCo are: —American Information Technology Solutions Corp., Reston, VA; —4Front Security Inc., Reston: —Apollo Consulting Services Corp., Poughkeepsie, NY; —Beacon Global Services Corp., Poughkeepsie; —Consolidated Networks Corp., Oklahoma City; —Dynamic States Inc., Warrenton, VA; —E2 Solutions, Panorama City, CA; —Enable Business Solutions, Chantilly, VA; —IIC Systems Private Ltd., Hyderabad, India; —Linked Technologies Inc., Beavercreek, OH; —Merritt Group Inc., Vienna, VA; —Shell Information Systems Inc., Dayton, OH; —Sonic Telecom Ltd., Chantilly; and —Support Services International Inc., Silver Spring, MD.