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NASA SEWP V

The GWAC (Government-Wide Acquisition Contract) provides the latest in Information Technology (IT) products for all Federal Agencies. The statutory authority allowing usage of the SEWP contracts by the entire Federal Government is NASA’s designation as an Executive Agent by OMB based on the Information Technology Management Reform Act (ITMRA) of 1996, now the Clinger Cohen Act. The SEWP V contracts are commercial contracts, and the acquisition was conducted using formal Source Evaluation Board (SEB) procedures. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center administers the contract and provides a program office, the SEWP Business Operations and Workstation Laboratory (BOWL), to process orders issued by user agencies and to provide pre- and post-order customer service. Through the use of SEWP V, users have a flexible means of meeting IT needs quickly, efficiently, and cost effectively.

NASA

SEWP V Contract Structure

The SEWP V GWAC is composed of 11 multi-award classes. NASA has divided the contracts into 5 groupings. Fair Opportunity (refer to FAR 16.505(b)) must be given to all contractors in the group. Some points to remember are:

The issuing Contracting Officer (CO) may negotiate additional terms and conditions for a specific order (e.g. the ordering agency’s IT security policies, procedures, and requirements or leasing of SEWP equipment may be included in individual orders.). The contract shall prevail in the event of conflict with any order.

SEWP focuses on IT products and IT product-based services. Non-product based services; i.e. services other than maintenance, warranty, product training, site planning, installation and initial implementation and product-based engineering services, may be purchased using the contract provided that all such labor services are firm fixed price and directly support the associated equipment purchased on that delivery and that these additional services do not exceed 5% of the price of the associated equipment/products.

Commercial warranty plans are available through the SEWP contracts. Warranty may be available either as part of a product purchase or as a stand-alone purchase. Extended warranty coverage can be purchased and begin at any time during the standard commercial warranty period up to 36 months after its initial start date, regardless of the commercial warranty period.

A surcharge of 0.34% of the total price of the Delivery Order (DO), shall be applied to all orders. Agencies should reference the surcharge CLIN directly on DOs. Agencies that collect their own surcharge beyond the SEWP surcharge will collect the additional amount through their own separate procedures. The SEWP program’s goal is to keep the surcharge as low as possible. The fee amount may change during the contract life. The SEWP website will post the fee percentage.

SEWP V Ordering Process

SEWP Delivery Orders are to be routed to the NASA SEWP BOWL either electronically to sewporders@sewp.nasa.gov or via fax at 301-286-0317. Orders should not be forwarded directly to a contractor. In accordance with their contracts, contractors may only accept delivery orders that have been routed through the NASA SEWP BOWL office and have been assigned a NASA SEWP tracking number. All orders should be accompanied by the SEWP fax cover sheet or a similar form with contact information provided. The processing time is typically less than 24 hours between the receipt of a DO at the NASA SEWP BOWL and delivery of the order to the appropriate contractor. If an order cannot be processed due to incomplete or incorrect information, both the issuing CO and the contractor will be contacted by a member of the SEWP BOWL customer service staff. When an order is processed, e-mail confirmation may be sent to the issuing CO upon request. Inquiries concerning orders should be directed to the SEWP Helpline at (301) 286-1478.

The published SEWP prices are the negotiated discounts off the contractor’s list price and are the maximum prices the contractor can charge the government. Normally these are priced on a single item basis. COs are encouraged to get quotes, especially for large orders. Contractors are allowed to charge less, either on a per order basis or for a limited-time basis (e.g. closeout sale).

Order Eligibility

The SEWP V contract is for use by NASA and all federal agencies, and authorized federal agency contractors. Authorized contractors are able to buy directly from the SEWP contract in support of other federal government contracts. To authorize a contractor to purchase from the SEWP contracts, the authorizing CO should send a copy of the authorization letter to the SEWP program office containing all of the following information:

  • Authorizing agency name, contracting officer (CO) name, mailing address, phone/FAX
  • Contractor name and contract number, including period of performance
  • A statement that the contractor is authorized to purchase from SEWP contracts in support of the above contract
  • The CO’s signature and date

FAX orders to (301)286-0317,

or
Mail orders to:
NASA SEWP Program Office (BOWL)
Aerospace Building
10210 Greenbelt Road, Suite 270
Seabrook, MD 20706

SEWP V WEB Tools

The SEWP website provides tools for manufacturer and product searches and for Request for Quotes (RFQs). These tools are available to assist customers with buying decisions and as one means to provide documentation for any needed selection criteria. The following steps may assist customers in determining which contract best fulfills their requirements:

Market Research: The Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 10 prescribes that appropriate market research must be accomplished and in a manner appropriate to the size and complexity of the acquisition. The online SEWP tools can assist in this market research activity. The tools allow for either multiple searches across the various SEWP contracts or a direct RFQ which can be sent to selected contractors. These tools provide access to all SEWP contractors across all classes and groups.

Once market research is completed, the end-user-decides which source provides the best value for the government, considering their needs, technical requirements, past performance, price, and other factors related to the exercise of sound business judgment. Then either a group-specific search, an RFQ to all contract holders in that group or another equivalent method for providing fair opportunity must be done. Actual determination of the method used is at the discretion of the issuing agency’s CO. SEWP provides the search and RFQ tools as one possible path.

Fair Opportunity: FAR 16.505(b) (1) provides that each contractor shall be given a fair opportunity to be considered for each order exceeding $3,000 issued under multiple-award Delivery Order contracts. The FAR states that the method to obtain fair opportunity is at the discretion of the CO and that the CO must document the rationale for placement and price of each order. The SEWP online Search/RFQ tool is provided to assist in this activity and to augment the required decision documentation required by FAR 16.505(b). The search capability will provide a summary comparison of the requirements based on part numbers. The SEWP RFQ tool will automatically include the vendors within a selected group in the RFQ/search process. The RFQ tool will e-mail an RFQ to the vendors with various options for a reply. Please bear in mind that fair opportunity is only required within a specific group, and not across all contracts.

STARS II Features Include:

  • Multiple award, indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle
  • Five-year base with one five-year option
  • $10 billion program ceiling
  • Directed Order Authority: Directed task orders up to $4 million each are allowed for federal civilian and Department of Defense activities

 

STARS II Benefits Include:

  • 8(a) socioeconomic credit transferable to the agency
  • Pre-competed, easy to use contracts
  • Access to proven 8(a) small business technology providers
  • Shortened procurement lead time
  • Low user access fee (0.75 percent) built into contractor’s ceiling prices