GSA to take control of Commerce GWAC

The General Services Administration and the Commerce Department have reached an agreement in principle to give GSA ownership of Commerce's Information Technology Services Next Generation governmentwide acquisition contract, government and industry sources said.

No final paperwork has been signed and nothing has been presented to the Office of Management and Budget for final approval, one government source said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The agencies reached the agreement several weeks ago, the source said.

OMB's Office of Federal Procurement Policy must approve of such a transfer because it has oversight authority over all GWACs.

Commerce officials could not be reached for comment, while GSA referred all inquiries to Commerce.

Commerce awarded COMMITS in September 2004 as a small business set-aside. The multiple-award contract has a ceiling of $8 billion over 10 years.

Under Commits NexGen, a task-order contract, federal agencies can buy IT solutions from small businesses, including those that are disadvantaged, 8(a), women-owned, veteran-owned, service-disabled and HUBZone.

If finalized, the agreement would be a significant victory for GSA administrator Lurita Doan, who has campaigned against what she calls the "proliferation of GWACs" operated by agencies other than GSA.

Doan recently urged OFPP to reject NASA's petition to reauthorize its Scientific and Engineering Workstation Procurement contract as a GWAC when it expires next year.

Rob Thormeyer is a staff writer for Washington Technology's sister publication, Government Computer News.