SEWP V takes on supply chain worries

The new NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement contract will be collecting information on suppliers as part of a strategy to address supply chain concerns.

Contractors will be required to disclose where they are getting their products, Joanne Woytek, SEWP’s program manager told FCW.com.

NASA wants to make sure the prime contractors on SEWP V are authorized resellers of the products they are offering, she said.

That information will help agencies make a risk-based decision on their purchases. Supply chain concerns are growing because of fears that electronic components have been altered or are counterfeit.

The draft request for proposals for SEWP V came out earlier this month.

Among other changes on the $10.5 billion contract is a reduction in the number of competition groups, from 13 in SEWP IV to 5 in SEWP V. NASA also said costs for both government and industry will go down.

A small-business set-aside category has been created for firms located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones. NASA also plans to fully track orders, as well. Officials want to provide agencies with detailed information of their buying patterns to assist with strategic sourcing.