34 net first HUBZone contract

<FONT SIZE=2>&#009;Thirty-four companies won spots on the General Services Administration's first multiple-award information technology contract for firms in historically underutilized business zones. </FONT>

Thirty-four companies won spots on the General Services Administration's first multiple-award information technology contract for firms in historically underutilized business zones.

Only companies that are located in HUBZones were eligible to bid on the five-year, $2.5 billion contract, known as the HUBZone Information Technology contract. The contract has several functional areas, including Internet services, call centers, distance learning, videoconferencing, wiring and cabling, network design, computer operations and support, network management, contingency planning, disaster preparedness and recovery and information assurance. Between eight and 10 contracts were awarded for each functional area.

Federal procurement preference goals require agencies to purchase 3 percent of total federal government procurement dollars from HUBZone firms in fiscal 2003. Agencies have fallen short of their goals since the establishment of the zones by the HUBZone Act of 1997, according to GSA.

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