“GSA released draft updated language today, just seven weeks after it decided to rethink the mentor-protégé and joint venture requirements for the 10-year small business technology services governmentwide acquisition contract [Polaris], which has a $50 billion ceiling.
‘Following review of the feedback received in response to this request, the Polaris GWAC RFPs will be amended to incorporate final language regarding this subject along with any other changes needed. Responses to questions previously submitted will also be provided with this forthcoming amendment,’ GSA stated in the notice of SAM.gov. ‘The Polaris RFPs remain paused until further notice. The opening of the Polaris Submission Portal also remains on hold. The forthcoming amendment is anticipated to be released in June 2022 and will establish a new closing date which will take into account the total number of days paused. Offerors are still encouraged to pause proposal activities until the amendment is issued.’…”
“In the draft language, GSA, which worked with the Small Business Administration (SBA) on the changes, now is asking protégé’s to provide ‘a minimum of one primary relevant experience project or emerging technology relevant experience project,’ and the mentor can provide no more than three primary relevant experience projects.
Additionally, GSA is proposing that ‘joint venture offerors submit a written narrative, as a separate attachment, detailing the work done and qualifications held individually by each partner to the joint venture as well as any work done by the joint venture itself previously. If any partner or the joint venture itself has no previous work done or no qualifications held, this should be stated within the narrative.’…”
“GSA released new details under the section for joint ventures and mentor-protégés that removes any requirement for the small business to submit any relevant experience or past performance as part of the bid. This left many experts and other small businesses to question whether Polaris will end up just being a pass-through contract for large businesses given this change as well as the fact GSA is letting small businesses subcontract out as much as 60% of the work on any single task order…” Read the full article here.
Source: GSA is out with suggested corrections to $50B Polaris RFP – By Jason Miller, May 13, 2022. Federal News Network.
