GSA Awards Over 400 IT Contracts to Small Businesses

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GSA Awards Over 400 IT Contracts to Small Businesses

The U. S. General Services Administration's (GSA) Federal Supply Service announced the award of over 400 information technology contracts to 8(a) certified small businesses.

The new 8(a) Streamlined Technology Acquisition Resources for Services [8(a) STARS] is a Government Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) designed to help small businesses become successful partners selling to the federal government, www.gsa.gov/8astars.

"We at GSA are proud to offer this new portfolio of certified 8(a) small business firms to help the government meet its technology requirements as well as its socioeconomic goals," says FSS Commissioner Donna D. Bennett. "This new contract vehicle furthers GSA's already strong commitment to supporting small business."

The 8 (a) STARS GWAC offers federal agencies a complete set of pre-qualified, 8(a) certified firms to meet their information technology services requirements. Agencies that use the STARS contracts receive 8(a) and other small business credit toward their procurement preference goals.

Individual GSA GWAC centers can authorize contracting officers direct order authority for their specific GWACs to any Federal contracting officer who successfully completes GSA's free continuing education unit (CEU) certified training course for that GWAC.

The new program builds on its predecessor contract, 8(a) FAST, which is scheduled to expire October 31, 2004. Awarded as 8(a)

Federal Acquisition Services for Technology contracts in 1997, these contracts proved to be a tremendous success for the 8(a) business community and the federal government, providing 8(a) contract holders with more than 14,000 orders worth nearly $2 billion in sales since the contracts' inception.