GSA to issue Satcom II solicitation next month

The General Services Administration will issue the request for proposals for its Satcom II contract about Feb. 6, the agency announced Friday.

The contract for commercial, worldwide satellite communications solutions will be for five years and replace satellite services contracts that expire this month.

In its presolicitation notice issued Jan. 13, GSA established Satcom II as a full-and-open competition with a partial small-business set-aside. The agency expects the deal to be a fixed-price, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract with economic price adjustment.

The procurement agency anticipates proposals to be submitted 30 days from the date it posts the RFP.

The new contract covers four types of services: satellite transport; satellite applications; satellite design, engineering and maintenance services; and satellite professional support as the small-business set-aside. Contractors may need security clearances to fulfill certain task-order requirements.

Though the satellite contracts expire this month, agencies can issue task orders through the end of December, and buy satellite services from other contracts, including FTS2001.

GSA has yet to determine a ceiling for the contract, but market research firm Federal Sources Inc. of McLean, Va., estimates the award to be worth $175 million with the estimated award date May 31.

GSA has not specified the number of awards it will issue. The agency released two sources sought notices, one for all businesses and one for small, disadvantaged businesses, last May.

GSA previously said Satcom II would be for three years with three one-year options. It had planned to release the RFP last summer and issue multiple awards by Dec. 31.

More details are available on the FedBizOpps Web site.