Task Order Contracts Dominate Largest Set-Asides The ten largest set-aside contract opportunities in fiscal 2009 are worth up to $8.5 billion, according to the market research firm Input. Reflecting the increasing reliance on task order contracts, at least seven of the top 10 are multiple award contract vehicles. The Top 10 list also illustrates the government’s push for strategic sourcing to leverage buying power. By far the largest is the Air Force’s NETCENTS II, an IT vehicle partially set aside for small and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, with an estimated value of $4.2 billion over seven years. Input says 26 to 38 awards will be made under NETCENTS II, with the RFP expected in December. The re-compete of NETCENTS will reserve four functional areas for small and/or SDV firms. “Federal agencies will continue to rely heavily on multiple award contract (MAC) vehicles to fulfill their requirements, meaning competition will continue to increase for open-market small business set-aside contracts,” Input said. “The consolidation of contracts and systems alike will increase the number of MACs set-aside specifically for small businesses and task orders within MACs competed among small businesses only.” Here is a summary of the top 10 opportunities. More details are in Procurement Watch. NETCENTS II. The Air Force is re-competing its IT services and products vehicle, a partial set-aside for small and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses. The small business portion will include four functional areas: AFNETOPS infrastructure, applications software services, service oriented architecture enterprise solutions and IT professional support engineering solutions. The contract will be accessible to all federal agencies. Support to assist the assistant secretary of the Army’s manpower and reserve affairs (M&RA). This is an SDV set-aside to provide a variety of professional services and IT functions, so expect teaming relationships to be important. The procurement is being handled by the Department of the Interior’s National Business Center. Space and Missile Defense Initiatives Support III (SMDIS III). The Army is re-competing its small business set-aside contract to provide scientific, engineering, technical, and assistance (SETA) services for various installations in the Colorado Springs, CO, region. Incumbents are CAS Inc., ColsaCorp. And Dyenetics Inc. Multi-Disciplinary Engineering and Technology Services II (METS II). NASA Goddard Space Flight Center will award this 8(a) set-aside to support the science mission of the Mission Engineering & Systems Analysis Division. Strategic Sourcing Environmental Enterprise Services. The Army Environmental Command will use this small business set-aside to consolidate its many small environmental support services contracts into enterprise contract vehicles to provide advisory and assistance, environmental compliance and cultural and natural resources support services. Vendors interested in this type of work within the Army must be a part of these contracts. Information Technology Services Small Business (ITS-SB). The Army will use this vehicle to fulfill continuing requirements for IT and enterprise infrastructure support, which ensures the integrity of its technology architecture through the provision of information assurance, independent verification and validation, network management, migration, maintenance support, and energy management services. ITS-SB is a small business set-aside, with one contract reserved for either an 8(a) or SDV firm. Service Operations Support 7 and 8-Recompete (SOS-R). The Federal Aviation Administration’s Technical Center at Atlantic City International Airport, NJ, will re-compete this set-aside for small and 8(a) businesses to provide engineering and technical support services for the National Airspace System. Incumbents are Apptis Inc. and Client Network Services Inc. Defense Information Systems Global Services Management (DISN GSM) Small Business. The Defense Information Systems Agency will re-compete this small business set-aside for the operation and sustainment of the Global Information Grid, DOD’s primary international network and telecommunications system. Apptis Inc. is the incumbent. NOAA Link (formerly known as MOITA). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will use this small business set-aside to consolidate its IT infrastructure. Consolidated Afloat Network Enterprise Services Service Oriented Architecture Integration Contract (CANES SOA). The Space and Naval Warfare Command will use this small business set-aside to implement a service-oriented architecture in the shipboard and tactical edge information environment.