GSA says “no ceiling” for Services MAC GWAC

Also says there will be no track for medium-sized businesses

      The GSA intends to pursue a FAR Class Deviation to allow the upcoming massive “Services MAC” professional services GWAC to have no ceiling value, the agency said in a recently-released Q&A document on its Interact website.

      The Services MAC, also known as the BIC MAC, is being planned as a follow-on to the popular OASIS and OASIS Small Business professional services GWACs.

      The Q&A was based on questions at a recent Industry day. A question was asked as to how GSA would prevent the Services MAC, also known as the BIC (Best In Class) MAC from the fate of the 8(a) STARS II contract, which stalled last year after hitting its ceiling.

      GSA responded by saying it will pursue the Class Deviation to allow no ceiling for the Services MAC.

      GSA also ruled out the idea of having a track for Mid-Sized or “Emerging Large Businesses,” saying there was no legislative or regulatory authority for such a track.

Read more:
GSA's Q&A: https://interact.gsa.gov/node/467481

Does the Runway Extension Act need a fix?

      Under the Runway Extension Act, the rules for small business size will change on Jan. 6, 2022. Firms with receipts-based standards will be required to calculate a five-year average of receipts, no longer three years.

      The SBA temporarily allowed firms to choose which standard to adopt--three years or five years--until Jan. 6, 2022. Once implemented, the changes will help growing businesses stay small longer. But the changes also will cause some shrinking firms to stay “not-small” longer, depriving them of set-asides and other benefits.

      A small business contracting attorney now is proposing that SBA extend the temporary solution to avoid “penalizing” the shrinking firms. “By allowing businesses to choose which standard to apply, the SBA’s rule completely solves the problem,” Steven Koprince wrote in his blog.

      A similar situation should be addressed with employee-based size standards as well, he wrote.

Read more:
Koprince blog entry: https://bit.ly/3eXkHu2

CIO-SP4 still on hold

      The National Institutes of Health’s upcoming CIO-SP4 solicitation has been delayed for several weeks “due to events that are, quite simply, out of our control,” its contracting office announced. They said COVID-19 efforts at NIH and other agencies have postponed final approvals.

      As of May 18, the agency was still anticipating release shortly, apparently having missed its latest release date of May 14.

Read more at:
NITAAC announcement: https://nitaac.nih.gov/cio-sp4

Inside this edition:

HUBZ maps frozen until 2023

PPP nearly out of loan funds

Biden issues far-reaching federal cybersecurity Executive Order

WBC oversight falls short: IG

SBA clarifies HUBZ changes

GAO upholds new SBA rule

Native-owned shut out of PPP: Cantwell

Column: GAO Confirms Another Benefit of Mentor-Protege Programs

Washington Insider:

Coronavirus Update