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Celebrating two years of 8(a) STARS III

8(a) STARS III officially launched two years ago this month, and it’s worth celebrating this important anniversary milestone. This governmentwide contract has really hit the ground running, and I couldn’t be more proud of its success in helping agencies achieve their missions. I’d like to share why we are so happy with this program.

Supporting the mission of government

8(a) STARS III is a competitively awarded, multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity governmentwide acquisition contract (GWAC) set aside for participants in the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program. 8(a) STARS III is GSA’s fourth-generation 8(a) GWAC and continues the legacy of creating opportunities for small disadvantaged businesses while helping federal agencies meet their socioeconomic goals and mission-critical IT requirements. 

STARS III delivers opportunities to more than a thousand 8(a) businesses and drives progress on important public policy objectives, including the President’s Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government as we work to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

Phased award approach

We awarded cohort one of 8(a) STARS III in June 2021 to 448 industry partners. Then awards for cohort two were announced in February 2022 to nearly 600 additional awardees. The third and final cohort award happened in June 2022 for an additional 65 awardees – just one year ago.

Traditionally, we made awards in one batch, but with 8(a) STARS III, we reinvented the award process. Using an innovative cohort approach, we gave 8(a) firms additional opportunities by allowing initially unsuccessful offerors a second and third chance. 145 of these cohort two and three industry partners have received task order awards proving that they can be successful if given an opportunity.

Major success

In just two years, 8(a) STARS III secured $1 billion in obligations through 600 task order awards to 309 small disadvantaged businesses. Notability, 177 of them have never had a task order award through GSA before. That’s incredible and really shows how 8(a) STARS III is building opportunities for the community. 

Agencies adopting 8(a) STARS III

37 federal agencies have already put their faith in the contract with an award, and more than 2,656 acquisition professionals from 54 agencies have signed up and received their delegation of procurement authority training. 

Those agencies are leveraging the contract for a variety of IT Services to meet their mission, including help desk support, database administration, emerging technologies, custom software and applications development, systems integration, and cybersecurity solutions to secure the enterprise.

Hand-in-hand with industry

This doesn’t happen all by itself. We’ve worked hard to build meaningful relationships with these small businesses through one-on-one engagement, monthly snapshot newsletters for awardees, video tutorials, and even through our new GSA Does That podcast. We’ve also created an 8(a) STARS III Resource Center where our industry partners can find just about everything that they need to be successful.

Empowering small businesses

Again, I couldn’t be more proud of 8(a) STARS III as we empower disadvantaged small businesses to deliver mission-critical IT services to the government. Visit our website to learn more about www.gsa.gov/stars3.

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Alliant 2 GWAC: Empowering businesses, large and small

We recently announced that we exercised the option on the Alliant 2 Governmentwide Acquisition Contract. This is important because it will allow Alliant 2 to continue delivering cutting-edge technology solutions for federal agencies. What’s equally important is how Alliant 2 has demonstrated its unwavering commitment to small businesses. I’d like to take a moment to highlight the outstanding performance of Alliant 2 in exceeding small business subcontracting goals, fostering diversity, and propelling economic growth.

Committed to small business

Alliant 2 has set new benchmarks by surpassing our small business subcontracting goals. The contract achieved an impressive overall small business subcontracting goals rate of 55.5 percent in option year five. This noteworthy accomplishment not only exceeds the target goal of 50 percent, but also showcases the program’s dedication to supporting small businesses.

The commitment to small business subcontracting through Alliant 2 has resulted in a substantial economic impact. Cumulatively to date, the contract has facilitated an impressive $2.67 billion for overall small business subcontracting. This remarkable figure highlights the significant role played by small businesses in delivering innovative IT solutions to federal agencies.

Further, Alliant 2 has promoted diversity, equity, and inclusion within the federal marketplace. It exceeded the goals in Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) and Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) categories, achieving rates of 25 percent and 26 percent, respectively. Additionally, Alliant 2 has made notable progress in the HUBZone, Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB), and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) categories. HUBZone achieved 10 percent, VOSB achieved an impressive 20 percent, and SDVOSB reached 13 percent – each individually exceeding their respective 3 percent goal.

Empowering small businesses

The success of Alliant 2 in meeting and exceeding subcontracting goals demonstrates its commitment to empowering small businesses. By providing subcontracting opportunities, the program enables small businesses to contribute their expertise, gain valuable experience, and thrive within the federal marketplace. Through Alliant 2, small businesses have the chance to showcase their capabilities and play a vital role in delivering innovative IT solutions to federal agencies.

Alliant 2’s support of small businesses demonstrates our dedication to fostering economic growth and promoting diversity within the federal marketplace. By empowering small businesses, the program paves the way for innovation, collaboration, and increased efficiency.

For more information, visit gsa.gov/alliant2.

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Drive success in the modern workplace with GSA’s Training Courses SIN

In today’s fast-paced world, continuous learning and development are essential for individuals and organizations to stay competitive. With this in mind, we developed the comprehensive Training Courses Special Item Number (SIN) on the GSA Multiple Award Schedule, which provides government agencies with access to a broad range of training courses to enhance the knowledge, skills, and abilities of their employees.

This blog post is part of a series where we’re discussing each of GSA’s key IT Services SINs on the GSA Multiple Award Schedule. Each blog will discuss the benefits for agencies in using the solution, take a look at who is using it, and share an example of how an agency successfully used the SIN to achieve its mission.

Benefits of using the Training Courses SIN:

  1. Improved employee performance: Provides access to courses designed to improve employee performance, enhance skills, and build knowledge in a variety of IT areas.
  2. Staying ahead of the curve: Provides agencies with training on hardware, software, cloud, and other IT systems.
  3. Flexible learning: Offers flexible learning options, including in-person, online, and blended learning formats. 
  4. Cost-effective: Helps agencies save time and money by providing access to pre-negotiated pricing with qualified vendors. 
  5. Compliance: Offers compliance-related courses that help agencies meet regulatory requirements, such as cybersecurity training, ethics, and anti-harassment training.

Top agencies

Agencies invested more than $46 million through the Training SIN last year. Here are some of our biggest users:

  • Social Security Administration
  • General Services Administration
  • Department of the Navy
  • Department of the Air Force
  • Department of the Army
  • Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Department of Agriculture
  • Department of Defense

Use Case: How the IT Training SIN helped agencies quickly and easily install learning options during the COVID-19 pandemic

An agency needed to quickly install distance learning options for their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the IT Training SIN, they were able to contract with multiple vendors to provide virtual training, both customized training as well as commercial off-the-shelf solutions for employees.

The solution also facilitated the award of completion certificates for employees, and the agency was able to easily track which courses were most popular to then increase the availability of training in those subjects.

In another example, during the COVID-19 outbreak, a military base had to quickly deploy virtual courses for officers and enlisted personnel. They used the IT Training SIN for detailed leadership training by leveraging commercial off-the-shelf courses in leadership and program management.

This meant that even during an almost two-year pandemic, more than 75 critical employees received training through one thousand hours of CLP-accredited courses. It also allowed the base to track certificates of completion in real-time.

Additionally, they used small businesses for training. As a result, over 300 employees were trained virtually.

Driving government workforce success

Agencies are modernizing their operations to better accomplish their missions. These changes impact the IT implemented at agencies, and employees need training on how to effectively use those IT products. The Training Courses SIN provides access to IT training courses to support any IT training need by allowing centralized access to pre-approved training courses, thereby saving federal, state, local, and tribal agencies time and resources.

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Improve patient outcomes with GSA’s Health IT Services Special Item Number

As technology continues to advance, the healthcare industry is rapidly evolving to keep pace with the growing demands of patients and providers. In response to this trend, we developed the Health IT Services Special Item Number (SIN) on the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), an innovative solution that provides agencies at all levels with access to a wide range of health IT services.

Health IT is the use of computer hardware, software, or infrastructure to record, store, protect, and retrieve clinical, administrative, or financial information. It’s a critical factor in improving the quality of healthcare, preventing medical errors, protecting data, increasing administrative efficiencies, and decreasing the need for paperwork.

This blog post is part of a series where we’re discussing each of GSA’s key IT Services SINs on the GSA Multiple Award Schedule. Each blog will discuss the benefits for agencies in using the solution, take a look at who is using it, and share an example of how an agency successfully used the SIN to achieve its mission.

Benefits of the Health IT Services SIN:

  • Improved patient outcomes: Provides agencies with access to cutting-edge health IT solutions that can improve patient outcomes by streamlining healthcare delivery and facilitating more efficient communication between healthcare providers.
  • Faster procurements: Does the heavy lifting upfront to offer agencies a streamlined procurement process to find solutions to manage their health IT needs quickly and efficiently. Buying through MAS simplifies the procurement process by providing access to pre-vetted, qualified contractors who can fulfill the agency’s requirements.
  • Improved security: Provides access to health IT solutions that are compliant with federal regulations and industry standards, ensuring that patient data is secure and protected.
  • Wide range of solutions: Open access to a broad range of health IT services, including electronic health records, health information exchanges, and telehealth solutions. These solutions can help agencies to improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.
  • Cost savings: Helps agencies save money by eliminating the need for extensive market research and evaluation of potential contractors. Additionally, the solution’s pre-negotiated pricing ensures that agencies receive the best value for their purchases.

Top agencies

Agencies invested more than $750 million through the Health IT Services SIN last year. Here are some of our biggest users:

  • Department of Health and Human Services
  • Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Department of Agriculture
  • Department of the Interior
  • Department of the Air Force

Use Case: Health IT Services SIN modernizes Southeast hospitals

An agency was looking to modernize some of its hospitals in the Southeastern part of the United States as a “test case” for possible expansion across the whole country. Through the Health IT Services SIN, they instituted major changes at 10 pilot hospitals in their system.

They used the SIN to deliver connected health services between hospitals, share electronic health records and information, and also to provide new health informatics and emerging health IT research resources between doctors and nurses.

This allowed the patients in these 10 hospitals — more than 5,000 patients total — to receive the highest quality and well-informed care because their healthcare providers had access to the latest healthcare information in the most secure, efficient and effective way possible. It also enabled the agency to test out new emerging health IT research and systems for further analysis for possible development in the future.

The final outcome of the pilot was better and more efficient care for patients and more efficient healthcare systems for doctors and nurses providing state-of-the-art care.

Transforming government healthcare delivery

The Health IT Services SIN is an innovative solution that can help federal, state, local, and tribal agencies improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. As demonstrated by the top ten agencies using this technology, Health IT Services SIN is a proven solution that can be implemented successfully in a wide range of government healthcare settings.

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Unlocking the power of E-Commerce for government agencies

​IT modernization is mission-critical for many federal agencies and quick, easy access to the latest technologies is key to their success. However, finding the right IT services to supply those solutions isn’t always easy. That’s why we developed the Electronic Commerce and Subscription services (E-Commerce) Special Item Number (SIN) on the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS). This solution enables agencies to access a wide range of e-commerce solutions: from networking to email, internet, data, and more, the SIN provides a broad range of leading-edge technologies and resources.

This blog post is part of a series where we’re discussing each of GSA’s key IT Services SINs on the Multiple Award Schedule. Each blog will discuss the benefits for agencies in using the solution, take a look at who is using it, and share an example of how an agency successfully used the SIN to achieve its mission.

Benefits of the E-Commerce SIN:

  1. Cutting-edge solutions: Provides access to a range of e-commerce solutions, including online marketplaces, e-procurement tools, and supply chain management systems. These solutions can help agencies stay ahead of the curve and adapt to new technological advancements.
  2. Faster procurements: Offers a streamlined procurement process that allows government agencies to manage their needs quickly and efficiently. This solution simplifies the procurement process by doing much of the heavy lifting through the master contract and providing access to pre-vetted, qualified contractors who can fulfill the agency’s requirements.
  3. Cost savings: Helps agencies save money by eliminating the need for extensive research and evaluation of potential contractors. Additionally, the solution’s pre-negotiated pricing ensures that agencies receive the best value for their purchases.

Top agencies

Agencies invested more than $430 million through the E-Commerce SIN last year. Here are some of our biggest users:

  • Department of Health and Human Services
  • Department of the Navy
  • Department of Defense
  • Department of Homeland Security
  • Department of the Air Force
  • General Services Administration
  • Department of Agriculture
  • Department of Treasury
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  • United States Tax Court

Use Case: E-Commerce SIN helps military base provide email and internet access to deployed soldiers

A military base in Kansas had an immediate need to add email services and internet access to over 3,500 soldiers that were temporarily deployed to train soldiers for overseas activities.

The base was quickly able to use the e-commerce SIN to locate several local small businesses, as well as women-owned small businesses, to add additional email services and internet access services for these soldiers that were placed in forward warehouses during the 120-day exercise.

The contracting staff on base also used this same SIN to provide private phone lines for the mobile headquarters staff, as well as mobile smartphones and hosted PBX services for secured communication between the headquarters staff and forward operating units during the joint exercises. This enabled the home-based and visiting unit soldiers to use real-world scenarios in their training.

Using the MAS e-commerce SIN allowed the agency to quickly implement new electronic commerce services while also allowing them to deliver on a mission-critical need while getting their agency closer to meeting their women-owned and small business goals.

Acquire leading-edge technology and services for your modernization efforts

GSA’s e-commerce SIN provides eligible users with easy access to technologies and services that can support their modernization efforts. As demonstrated by the top ten agencies using this technology, it’s a proven solution that can be implemented successfully in a wide range of government settings.

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Revolutionize citizen communication with Automated Contact Center Solutions

The demand on government agencies is fast-paced, complex, and constantly evolving. It’s no surprise that citizens often face difficulties in connecting with agencies when looking for help, which can cause frustration, impede their ability to get the assistance they need, and ultimately they have a bad experience.

With this in mind, we established an innovative solution to this problem — the Automated Contact Center Solutions (ACCS) Special Item Number (SIN) on the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS-IT). This contract vehicle can help agencies streamline their communications, improve citizen satisfaction, and increase overall efficiency in the execution of their mission.

This blog post is part of a series where we’re discussing each of GSA’s key IT Services SINs on MAS. Each blog will discuss the benefits for agencies in using the solution, take a look at who is using it, and share an example of how an agency successfully used the SIN to achieve its mission.

There are a number of benefits to using the ACCS SIN; here are five of the most important:

  1. Enhanced citizen experience: ACCS provides a range of interactive voice response options that allow citizens to access information quickly and easily, without having to wait on hold or navigate complex menus. This significantly improves citizen satisfaction and reduces the number and workload of call center agents.
  2. Increased efficiency: ACCS automates routine tasks such as call routing, call recording, and call back, freeing up agents to focus on more complex inquiries and tasks. This can help agencies handle a higher volume of calls and reduce wait times for citizens.
  3. Improved analytics: ACCS provides detailed analytics that can help agencies to identify patterns, track performance, and optimize their call center operations. This data can also be used to identify areas where additional resources may be needed, such as staffing or training.
  4. Scalability: ACCS is designed to be scalable and flexible, allowing agencies to easily adjust their capacity based on demand. This can help agencies handle spikes in call volume without sacrificing service quality.
  5. Cost savings: By automating routine tasks and improving efficiency, ACCS can help agencies to reduce their operational costs and allocate resources more effectively.

Use Case: Quick deployment of additional support for hurricane response efforts with the help of small businesses

An agency had an urgent need for additional contact call center support out of their main office. They already had a contact call center with approximately 80 personnel in a 24/7 operation but wanted additional capability added in support of Hurricane Ida and other potential hurricanes that were predicted to hit the Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama coastlines in 2021.

Their contracting staff used the ACCS SIN to quickly add vendors that could support their existing customer service representatives with technologies such as artificial intelligence monitoring, chat-bot technology, web callback services, hosted email web forms, text-to-speech communications, and hosted FAQ services for citizens calling in for information about various hurricanes.

Their staff also utilized this same SIN to take advantage of small businesses offering various services under this SIN and identified both women-owned small businesses as well as service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses that were able to assist in some of the new capability development.

This resulted in the agency not only improving its contact center capabilities but also enabling them to take advantage of using small businesses to help succeed in its overall mission.

GSA’s ACCS SIN help you communicate

Agencies invested more than $385 million through the ACCS SIN last year — with the Department of Homeland Security leading the way. ACCS supports providing the public with ready access to government information and services and helping agencies ensure timely, consistent, and accurate responses to citizen inquiries. ACCS provides federal agencies with easy access to a broad range of contact center services that will make that vision a reality.

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Empowering government operations with cutting-edge IT solutions through IT Professional Services SIN

In today’s digital age, technology plays an essential role in every aspect of our lives, including government operations. But agencies don’t always have the resources or expertise in-house to take advantage of the benefits technology can bring. To help agencies that may be stretching resources and budgets in addition to the workload of their acquisition workforce, GSA provides a wide range of IT services through the IT Professional Services Special Item Number (SIN) on the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS-IT). This SIN enables federal, state, local, and tribal agencies to access a broad range of IT solutions from experienced contractors at competitive rates.

This blog post is part of a series where we’re discussing each of GSA’s key IT Services SINs. Each blog will discuss the benefits for agencies in using the solution, take a look at who is using it, and share an example of how an agency successfully used the SIN to achieve its mission.

A few key benefits to using GSA’s IT Professional Services SIN are listed below:

  1. Experienced industry partners: Access a pool of experienced IT professionals who have worked on government projects. These contractors have the knowledge and expertise required to design and implement complex IT solutions that meet the specific needs of your agency.
  2. Faster procurements: Quickly and easily access IT solutions through the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS). This saves time and resources and enables you to focus on your core mission.
  3. Cost savings: Leverage competitive rates, lower administrative burden, and reduced use of agency resources. Buying IT solutions through SIN is faster and easier, driving costs down when compared to the costs of the open market.

Top agencies

Agencies invested almost $10 billion through the IT Professional Services SIN last year. Here are some of our biggest users:

  • US Customs and Border Protection
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  • General Services Administration
  • Department of Defense (Various Offices)
  • Department of Homeland Security
  • Department of Agriculture
  • Department of the Navy
  • Department of Health and Human Services
  • Department of the Air Force
  • Department of the Interior

Use Case: Small businesses provide low-cost, secure application for agency’s foreign aid program

A federal agency administering aid to foreign countries needed to create an application that could run efficiently and effectively on low-cost tablets. This application also needed to operate in areas where only low-speed internet access was available.

In addition, the application had to be secure and protect personally identifiable information and health data.

The agency released a request for information (RFI) under the IT Professional Services SIN using GSA eBuy. The RFI allowed the agency to survey existing capabilities among the vendors on the SIN to determine what requirements to include in a request for proposal (RFP). The agency used the RFI market research to draft and issue a performance work statement (or PWS) under the IT Professional Services SIN for the Field Employee Support Tablet Initiative project. They received six proposals.

Ultimately, a group of three small businesses using a contractor teaming arrangement (or CTA) received the contract award.

GSA’s IT Professional Services SIN, serving you

GSA’s IT Professional Services SIN provides agencies — at all levels — with access to experienced IT professionals, a faster procurement process, and cost savings. By leveraging the expertise of contractors through the IT Professional Services SIN, agencies can implement IT solutions that meet their specific needs, improve efficiency, and better fulfill their missions.

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Application Security Testing (AST) — reduce your cybersecurity risk

“Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity” is a top priority across all federal agencies. Constant and fast-paced application innovation is the new norm of today’s digital enterprise. Vulnerabilities are waiting to be exploited by adversaries and their increasingly sophisticated malicious attempts such as the Log4J application exploitation.

The Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Memorandum 22-09 specifically charges agencies to operate dedicated Application Security Testing (AST) programs for a stronger and more robust cyber posture. Early and continuous AST minimizes the risk of sensitive data exposure and system compromise. To prevent most application security threats, agencies need a dedicated AST program that implements a variety of tools to continuously assess and address application vulnerabilities throughout the Security Development Life Cycle (SDLC).

The software development lifecycle begins with analysis before moving to design, development, and testing. Next comes deployment and finally, maintenance.

AST tools

Testing requirements and guidance released by OMB, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will make applications more resistant to security threats and identify security weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Ultimately, the goal is to create a holistic AST program of automated tools and manual testing that continuously examines applications as they are developed and continue through the SDLC. AST methodologies can be categorized into:

  • Automated AST relies on written code/test scripts and tools to test and validate an application. It can be completed in less time than manual testing and covers more test permutations; however, it does require heavy coding and maintenance.
  • Manual testing is executed by human security testers to discover complex bugs for which automated testing cannot detect or to resolve automated testing’s false positives. It requires a substantial level of expertise, effort, and time.

An AST program uses a variety of tools throughout the SDLC, many of which are described in the table below.

A table that highlights AST testing tools, their purpose, proactive or reactive scanning, low false positives, and cost. Static application security testing is used to examine source code for weaknesses. Dynamic application security testing is used to find security vulnerabilities in a running environment. Interactive application security testing analyzes code for vulnerabilities by simulating scenarios in a running environment. Mobile application security testing identifies vulnerabilities in applications used with mobile platforms during or post development. Software composition analysis identifies open-source software in codebase. Manual testing examines all essential features to find more complex and logical vulnerabilities.

Top AST threats

According to the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), the top three application security threats are broken access control, cryptographic failures, and injection.

A table featuring best practices and AST tool(s) to address broken access control, cryptographic failure, and inject vulnerabilities.

Third-party application security testers

Another component of a dedicated AST program is the use of independent third-party application security testers who specialize in identifying vulnerabilities internal staff may miss. These expert firms have the skills and certifications required to provide high-quality results and ensure applications hold up against real-world cyber attacks.

GSA cybersecurity resources

GSA created the AST Buyer’s Guide to help federal agencies meet AST program requirements, provide Third-Party Application Security Tester selection criteria, and address application security threats. It provides an overview of AST, key considerations when implementing an AST program, and helps identify and procure AST offerings to improve your agency’s application security posture.

To make the acquisition experience easier and more efficient, GSA also provides useful resources like an AST summary sheet, AST statement of work template, and AST informational video. These and many other resources can be found at www.gsa.gov/ast.

GSA cybersecurity support

The GSA IT category team is available to answer questions and provide subject matter expertise related to purchasing AST, cybersecurity, and a full range of IT products and services. Please contact the IT customer service center at 855-ITaid4U/855-482-4348 or itcsc@gsa.gov.

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GSA supports National Strategy to Secure 5G with new acquisition guidance

GSA’s Acquisition Guidance for Procuring 5G Technology supports an ongoing, multi-agency effort to document and share best practices for optimal 5G deployments.

National Strategy

As discussed in past posts, the Federal Government views 5th generation (5G) wireless technology as a future driver of the global economy. It also views the security of 5G information and communications technology and services infrastructure, and the data transmitted and stored on it, as a key national security interest. In addition to protecting data on the network, a trusted, secure supply chain is also paramount. We cannot ensure the security of 5G networks if untrusted equipment or software is allowed to control any part of them.

The National Strategy to Secure 5G is our country’s game plan to manage the risks associated with next generation wireless technologies and the new use cases they open up. GSA’s role is to establish acquisition processes and facilitate federal agency adoption of 5G infrastructure with appropriate security safeguards and adherence to national policies. The desired outcome is a resource that helps agencies identify their standards, specify security controls, and catalog other relevant requirements to provide a secure 5G infrastructure.

GSA guidance

Screenshot of the front page of the "GSA Acquisition Guidance for Procuring 5G Technology" with a white and navy background. There is a colorful technology graphic at the bottom right of the screen.
Download the PDF at buy.gsa.gov or order physical copies at cmls.gsa.gov.

The subject matter experts behind our Wireless Mobility Solutions contracts applied this directive to the early 5G use cases they were observing at various agencies. We coordinated extensively with the interagency Federal Mobility Group, and we incorporated valuable input from experts in other agencies and industry. The result is our Acquisition Guidance for Procuring 5G Technology, a plain-language white paper that charts the progression of 5G in the public sector, outlines its core standards, explores government use cases, and delves into acquisition strategies that balance flexibility with security requirements. In particular, the Guidance features:

  • Tools and strategies for contracting 5G – A model acquisition process that details how technical staff should go about defining requirements and how contracting staff should use them to structure a solicitation.
  • 5G use cases in government – A living list of 5G use cases and pilot programs applicable to the public sector;
  • Standards for 5G – A detailed accounting of the international and U.S. standards that are used to determine requirements for 5G;
  • General background – A plain language narrative describing the evolution of cellular technology, the capabilities 5G offers, its relevance to the public sector, efforts underway to secure it, and its potential to shape future telecommunications products and services.

The wheel keeps turning

A six-sided "5G Wheel" in shades of purple depicting what the GSA Acquisition Guidance for Procuring 5G Technology features: Technology, Standard, Security, Policy, Acquisition, and Use Case.
The “5G Wheel” is one model of visualizing the components that enable resilient deployments.

We’ve previously described our “5G for Government” strategy as the understanding of six core concepts: Technology, Standards, Security, Policy, Acquisition, and Use Cases. Use cases are the real-world applications that agencies are pursuing, or want to achieve. Acquisition is the nuts and bolts of getting the solution in place in the most efficient and effective way. Once you understand the technology, know the standards, consider the security aspects, and are up-to-date on governmentwide policies, then it’s time to plan and execute. If you think of this strategy as a circle or wheel, the Use Case is the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. Each rotation strengthens our collective understanding of what makes a 5G deployment secure and successful. The Acquisition Guidance for Procuring 5G Technology is GSA’s first effort to distill this collective knowledge into a usable format to help government technology managers, their contracting offices, and trusted industry partners buy, build, and use secure 5G systems. As a living document, the Guidance will be frequently reviewed to keep pace with changing technology, ensure governmentwide cybersecurity requirements are accurate, and incorporate feedback from stakeholders. Send feedback, questions, and suggestions to wireless@gsa.gov.

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GSA plans to grant DOJ, DHS extended period to complete EIS transition

Recently, we made a decision that will enable GSA to give the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) until May 31, 2026 to complete their transitions to EIS. DOJ and DHS asked for more time to complete their transition, citing multiple factors, including global supply chain disruptions and pandemic challenges. GSA agreed to create the requested extensions so that DOJ and DHS can carry out their transition plans without the risk of serious disruptions to critical services.

A significant decision

Executing these extensions will be a major undertaking for GSA and the contract holders. GSA anticipates there are more than sixty contracts that will need extensions after May 31, 2024. GSA will execute modifications to extend each contract. The justification for these modifications will detail the current status, the delays and obstacles agencies have faced in their transitions, and the timeline in which they expect to have their transitions completed.

GSA is proceeding according to FAR 6.3, which prescribes policies and procedures, and identifies the statutory authorities, for contracting without providing for full and open competition. The specific authority is under FAR 6.302-1, “Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.”

No guarantees

The approach we are taking is not without risks. For instance, contractors may not agree to an extension. They can refuse to sign on to extend further and GSA cannot force them to continue providing these services. Further prolonging transition generates risks for agencies, too. The EIS contracts offer benefits to agencies such as cost savings opportunities, avenues for technology modernization, and access to modern cybersecurity capabilities.

GSA supports your transition

GSA remains committed to the successful completion of the EIS Transition program. We conduct weekly updates to the transition inventory to ensure agencies and contractors have the most accurate data at their fingertips. In addition to frequent meetings with individual agencies, we hold monthly EIS Transition Office Hours and Interagency EIS Transition Meetings, both of which serve as forums for agencies to share their knowledge and ask transition-related questions. GSA also meets monthly with the contractors for an all-agency progress check and conducts comprehensive quarterly reviews.

GSA is and will continue to actively monitor agency progress toward stated EIS deadlines. If you need assistance, have additional data to share on the speed of your transition to EIS, or would like to meet with us, please contact your assigned GSA Solutions Broker.

For more information, visit gsa.gov/eistransition.

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