The Department of Defense (DoD) is planning to restructure a $48 billion technology research and development contract vehicle and is looking to industry for guidance on how to shape the recompete.
In a sources sought notice released April 9, DoD asked for feedback on the future setup of DoD’s Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Multiple Award Contract (MAC), and how it could widen the scope of the contract.
Launched in 2018, the $48 billion DoD IAC-MAC contract streamlines the acquisition of technology research and development services, allowing DoD components and other Federal agencies to quickly access tailored technical and analytical support across various fields. A total of 44 companies hold prime positions on the contract.
As the DoD prepares an appropriate acquisition strategy for the follow-on contract, it is asking industry whether to move away from the current three-pool setup in favor of either two separate pools or a single consolidated pool.
The two-pool option would set aside one pool for small businesses and the other as unrestricted. The single-pool option would require all awardees to meet the same qualifications, with some work below a certain dollar threshold set aside for small businesses. Another single-pool approach would have small businesses meet different qualifications, making them eligible for all requirements, with certain tasks below a dollar threshold reserved for them.
DoD is also seeking feedback on how to improve Pool 3 of the IAC-MAC – which currently allows nonprofit firms to compete for task orders related to laboratory work – including ways to make it more competitive through potential changes to certification requirements and a broader scope in the next contract.
Organizations interested in responding to the notice have until April 24 to submit their responses.