GSA begins work on OASIS replacement

NOTE: This story first appeared on FCW.com.

The General Services Administration's replacement for its Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) multiple award vehicle is in the starting blocks, according to the contract's development manager.

In the coming weeks, the agency will convene focus groups, listening sessions, and industry days on its OASIS successor professional services contract, according to Tiffany Hixson, assistant commissioner, in GSA's Office of Professional Services and Human Capital Categories.

Ordering under OASIS and its companion OASIS Small Business concludes in 2024.

Federal customer and industry input will steer how the contract is developed, said Hixson in a Dec. 15 blog post. Details on how to get involved with the contract development will be published on the Professional Services Interact site and GSA.gov but she didn't give a specific timeline for the process.

Hixon said OASIS successor, dubbed Best-in-Class Multi-Agency Contract (BIC MAC), is a critical part of the agency's marketplace strategy to align and expand its multiple acquisition contracts, improve data reporting and expand federal buyers' acquisition tools.

BIC MAC, along with 8(a) Streamlined Technology Acquisition Resource for Services III (STARS III) and the Polaris small business governmentwide acquisition contract are primary parts of the Services Marketplace strategy, according to Hixon.

While Polaris and STARS III have been steered by GSA's Federal Acquisition Service's Information Technology Category, the Office of Professional Services and Human Capital Categories will oversee the more services-oriented BIC MAC, she said.

With BIC MAC, procurement analyst Larry Allen told FCW, GSA is looking to try new acquisition techniques in the services category, such as non-pricing-based buying, and lower barriers of entry for new industry participants, including an "open season" for bidders to get on to the contract.