Air Force gives eight a PASS

The Air Force has picked eight small businesses for contracts worth a total of $800 million to provide services for its Electronic Systems Center.

The eight companies are Abacus Technology Corp., Business Technologies & Solutions Inc., Gemini Industries Inc., Oasis Systems Inc., Odyssey Systems Consulting Group Ltd., PESystems Inc., Quantech Services Inc. and Sumaria Systems Inc., according to the Air Force.

Under the program, called Professional Advisory Support Services, or PASS, the companies will provide non-technical acquisition support to the center for five years. The services will be provided at the center's headquarters at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts as well as at other units throughout the country.

Contractors that win task orders under the contract will provide a range of services, including support of research, development and production activities. The scope of work includes acquisition support, financial management, contracting support and administrative and human resources.

PASS is the second component of a three-part effort to replace the current vehicle used to provide advisory and assistance services support, the $1.4 billion Information Technology Services Program II, which currently constitutes nearly 40 percent of the Electronic Systems Center work force.

ITSP II is set to expire June 30. The Air Force expects to award the final component, the $480 million, three-year Engineering and Technology Acquisition Support Services, to a single contractor team by the end of May.

For PASS, the first three task orders are expected to be awarded within the next few weeks.

To cover support throughout the transition, the center is putting in place temporary bridge support by awarding more than 100 short-term task orders to the existing ITSP II incumbents.