GSA STARS-III 8a

GSA 8(a) STARS III

The General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), Information Technology Category (ITC) is pleased to announce the:

STARS-III Governmentwide Acquisition contracting vehicle for the certified 8(a) firms.

By law, a GWAC is an information technology (IT) contract and the 8(a) Streamlined Technology Acquisition Resource for Services III (STARS III) concentrates on IT services and IT services-based solutions.

STARS III builds upon the achievements of its predecessor GWAC, STARS II, and will incorporate best practices and lessons learned from GSA’s longstanding and synergistic partnership with stakeholders.

The STARS-III will be available in summer 2020 for duration of 10 years.

The STARS-III is set-aside exclusively for qualifying, certified 8(a) small business concerns as prime contractors per Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 19.8

of the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) regulations for the 8(a) Business Development Program.

STARS-III is for certified 8a firms

If your firm has been awarded the 8a status recently you already have all required documents to qualify*

If your firm getting close to it's graduation date, STARS-III will guarantee your firm a continuous flow of Gov contracts well beyond your graduation**

Interested parties are encouraged to ensure they are familiar with the 8(a) Program’s regulatory framework.

Questions regarding the 8(a) Business Development Program’s regulations, especially those applicable to joint ventures and mentor-protégé relationships, should be directed to the SBA.

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The technical scope of STARS III is defined by six Functional Areas:

FA1: Custom Computer Programming Services (NAICS 541511)

FA2: Computer Systems Design Services (NAICS 541512)

FA3: Computer Facilities Management Services (NAICS 541513)

FA4: Other Computer Related Services (NAICS 541519)

FA5: Data Processing, Hosting, And Related Services (NAICS 541510)

FA6: Emerging Technology-focused IT Services (NAICS 541512)

STARS III promotes the use of performance-based contracting and supports Ordering Contracting Officers (OCOs) planning task orders with fixed-price (FAR subpart 16.2), time-and-materials, or labor-hour (FAR subpart 16.6) terms; and equips OCOs to employ those incentive features found in FAR subpart 16.4 which are tied to fixed-price, time-and-materials, and labor-hour terms.

There are no projects assigned for STARS III. It is being established as an option for agencies to use in meeting their IT services and IT services-based solution needs; as well as their 8(a), small disadvantaged business, and small business procurement preference goals.

Agencies will make their own decisions in regard to the benefits of using this GWAC.

Warranted Contracting Officers desiring to issue orders against the STARS III GWAC may do so only after they obtain a GSA delegation of procurement authority.

STARS III supports customized IT services-based solutions which can be tailored to meet an agency’s unique mission needs, to include new and emerging technologies which may evolve over the life of the contract.

It will not include Functional Areas tied to specific NAICS codes; and examples of work eligible for performance include, but are not limited to: data management, information and communications technology,

STARS-III includes IT operations and maintenance, IT security, software development, and IT system design.

STARS-III will also provide two scope sub-areas, one for emerging technology requirements and one for performance outside of a CONUS location.

The STARS III contract ceiling value will be $50 billion (all references to dollars or “$” are in U.S. currency),

to be drawn down commensurate with the value of orders placed, with no fixed allocation to the scope or scope sub-areas.