GSA to seek industry input on Alliant strategy

The General Services Administration is considering issuing requests for information to solicit industry feedback for some of the additions it has made to its enhanced strategy for the multibillion-dollar Alliant IT program, an agency official said today.

Jim Ghiloni, GSA's Alliant project manager, said that the agency may release RFIs or undertake other measures to get industry feedback on specific issues outlined in the new strategy, such as opportunities for midsize companies, functional areas or security aspects. He spoke with Washington Technology after making a presentation on governmentwide acquisition vehicles and the Alliant program to members of industry at the TeleStrategies Federal Networks 2006 conference today in Vienna, Va.

GSA will hold a Webcast Feb. 21 with a 30-minute video outlining its enhanced strategy for its $50 billion Alliant Full and Open procurement, which is geared toward large IT companies and systems integrators, and its $15 billion Alliant Small Business procurement. The new strategy is the result of a comprehensive internal review of the procurement that the agency completed in the last quarter of 2005, based on responses GSA received to its first draft request for proposals issued March 31, 2005.

Business opportunities specifically for midsize businesses is "one of the issues that has been most asked about," said Ghiloni, who became project manager for Alliant last November "We made a lot of changes, not only in strategy, but just the way we're approaching the RFPs."

GSA made the most changes to Section C of the Alliant draft RFP, he said. This section addresses the procurement's scope and gives a detailed breakdown of the services and solutions to support the IT life-cycle that may evolve during the life of Alliant.

Further instructions for the Feb. 21 virtual industry day will be published on the FedBizOpps Web site on that date. During the video presentation, GSA also will reveal the dates for the second draft RFPs, the formal RFP and the program awards. The agency plans to issue about 20 awards for the Alliant full and open procurement and up to 40 for the small business procurement.