COMMITS RFP on the Street “Pick on somebody your own size” is the keystone of COMMITS NexGen, the governmentwide acquisition contract set aside for small information technology firms. In its solicitation for NexGen, the Commerce Department divided small businesses into three size categories and will permit a contractor to compete for task orders only against others of similar size. Tier I companies are those who certified in NAICS codes with $6 million or $12.5 million size standards; they will be allowed to compete on task orders worth up to $5 million. Tier II covers size standards of $21 million or 500 employees; those companies will be allowed to compete on orders valued between $5 million and $70 million. Tier III companies, those certified at 1,500 employees, will only be allowed to compete on orders worth more than $70 million. An incumbent contractor may compete for work in any tier. The solicitation describes “off ramps” for companies that outgrow one of the tiers to move up to a higher one or for firms that outgrow small business size standards to be dropped from the GWAC. Commerce will require contractors to recertify their size every three years. If a proposed SBA rule requiring annual recertification is adopted, it would supersede the three-year rule. In addition, “on ramps,” or open seasons, will allow new companies to join the contract during its five-year life to replace those that graduate. The first open season will be conducted after no less than three years. NexGen’s innovative structure is a response to concerns about businesses maintaining their small-business preferences long after they have outgrown size standards. COMMITS NexGen has a ceiling of $8 billion for work performed over 10 years; the original COMMITS has a ceiling of $1.5 billion. The solicitation, number CM1301-03-RP-0019, was posted in the Aug. 12 Federal Register. The deadline for responses to down-select questions is Sept. 5.