NASA's SEWP VI draft Request for Proposal (RFP) was officially released on September 8, 2023. We're here to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of all the recent updates. This blog serves as a consolidated resource, equipping interested partners to prepare effectively for SEWP VI and stay informed with the latest information on this significant opportunity. Expect regular updates containing guidance, FAQs, and professional tips to ensure you are well-prepared. Be sure to check back frequently for the latest news. For up-to-date information and additional resources, visit our Contract Vehicle page: https://www.tridentproposals.com/contract-vehicles. Let's dive into this exciting journey together!

Table of Contents

• What is the NASA SEWP Program?
• What do we know about the Draft RFP?
• **NEW** Who should bid on SEWP VI?
• **NEW** What is the difference between SEWP V and SEWP VI?

*UPCOMING TOPICS – Coming Soon!*

• Areas to Watch
• How to Prepare

What is the NASA SEWP Program?

NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) is a government-wide acquisition contract (GWAC) managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Used to purchase a wide range of information technology (IT) products (and limited services), it has been in operation for several decades and serves as a valuable procurement vehicle for NASA, all federal agencies, and approved federal agency support service contractors. As a GWAC, SEWP V consists of over 140 pre-competed Prime Contract Holders, including more than 110 Small Businesses (source). SEWP V, a five-year plus five option year contract prior (total of 10 years), began on May 1, 2015, and is due to expire on April 30, 2025. With less than two years remaining on SEWP V, NASA has released a draft Request for Proposal (RFP) in anticipation of the final RFP for SEWP VI in February 2024.

FAST FACTS: SEWP VI is an order level multiple contract type GWAC with the ability to issue Firm-Fixed-Price, Time and Material, Labor Hour, Fixed Price Award Fee, and Fixed Price Incentive Fee. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 541512 - Computer Systems Design Services but is not restricted to only NAICS code 54152. This opportunity will also use the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC) for classification.

NASA SEWP provides a streamlined and cost-effective way for federal agencies to acquire IT products and services. It covers a broad spectrum of IT-related categories, including hardware, software, cloud computing, cybersecurity, telecommunications, audio-visual products, and related services. As the name suggests, the primary customer is NASA; however, other federal agencies can expedite IT purchases through the SEWP contract. 

NASA SEWP VI Draft RFP Overview / Upcoming Dates

All information below is based on the Draft Request for Proposal (DRFP) from September 2023 and Industry Day 2023.

Opportunity Timeline (As of November 2023)

How is this going to work?

Big picture, bidders need to be prepared to pass four steps to obtain an award as a qualifying offeror:

• Step 1: Pass the mandatory REP requirement (see more below) with a current ISO 9001:2008 or 9001:2015 Certification of Conformity/Conformance. If you’re a SB, you must show that the necessary certification is in process; and
• Step 2: You must have an overall Neutral, Moderate, High, or Very High Level of confidence past performance rating; and
• Step 3: You must have overall High confidence in Mission Suitability: High Confidence in both the Management Approach and Technical Approach; and
• Step 4: You must be classified as a responsible source in accordance with FAR 9.104.

Don’t worry – we’ll dive in more on those steps in future blogs. For now, we want to keep you laser-focused on the planned Categories for SEWP.

SEWP VI Categories

One new advantage of SEWP VI is that it will feature expanded Categories that include IT Services beyond those traditionally bundled with IT parts/supplies. It’s important to understand what types of products/services align with which categories, so we’ve outlined them below.

• Category A Scope - Information Technology, Communications, and Audio-Visual (ITC/AV) Solutions: A broad suite of Information Technology, Communications, and Audio-Visual (ITC/AV) solutions: i.e., technology in which there is an intertwining of products, such as a laptop, and services, such as maintenance and installation, and engineering services.
• Category B Scope - Enterprise-Wide ITC/AV Strategic Solutions: Provides Federal Agencies with customized Enterprise-Wide Strategic Solutions for the improvement and enhancement of Agency ITC/AV infrastructure.
• Category C Scope – ITC/AV Program-level Solutions: Provides Federal agencies with customized Solutions at a Mission/Program level for improvement and enhancement of Agency ITC/AV infrastructure.

Relevant Experience Projects

The other reason it’s important to understand the different categories that will be on SEWP VI is that as part of the first evaluation phase, bidders will need to provide a certain number of relevant experience projects (REP) that cover a minimum number of mandatory sub-areas, which vary by category and are outlined below. You’ll note that Category A doesn’t have a minimum number of REPs, but it does require 2,000 different CLINs for each sub-area. We’ll be keeping a close eye on this section of the Final RFP to see if there are any changes. For Categories B and C, we’ve listed the expected relevant experience project minimums (based on information from the Industry Day) below.

In addition to meeting the above REP requirements, proposals will be reviewed to ensure the mandatory requirements are met. There will not be evaluations beyond meeting the mandatory requirement. This means if you are a Category B SB, you should only provide three REPs as only three will be evaluated.

An important distinction Past Performance is not evaluated on REPs. It is a separate subfactor per the Industry Day.

ISO / CMMI

For all categories, you must provide a third-party compliance verification with the ISO 9001 standard via a current ISO 9001:2008 or 9001:2015 Certification at the time of proposal submission. 
If you’re a Small Business, you must provide proof that the ISO 9001:2015 or CMMI certification is in process at the time of proposal submission. Certification must be obtained within 12 months of contract award. If it cannot be obtained within the 12-month time frame, NASA will off-ramp you from SEWP VI. If you’re in the certification process, you cannot compete on any requirements that require the certification. This can only be done after you are certified.

Another note about the certification: you cannot take credit for an ISO 9001 certification held by a manufacturer whom you represent.

**NEW**

What is the difference between SEWP V and SEWP VI?

Actually, there are a lot of exciting differences! For example, the only type of orders available under SEWP V were Firm Fixed Price. With SEWP VI, we’ll still see the Firm Fixed Price option, but also Time & Material, Labor Hour, Fixed Price Award Fee, and Fixed Price Incentive Fee orders. 

There have also been updates to elements that are more administrative in nature, like standardized classification using UNSPSCs.

Perhaps the biggest change is to the scope of the program. All of the previous iterations of NASA SEWP (meaning I-V) have been for IT products with limited services included. With NASA SEWP VI, two of the three categories are for professional IT Services. Aside from being able to deliver government customers more flexible and broader IT solutions, it’s likely that this change will change the bidding pool as well. 

One of the areas we’re keeping a particularly close eye on is how the addition of services will change competition, customer requirements, and solicitation timelines at the task order level. Right now, since everything on NASA SEWP V is product-based with established (and competitive) pricing, the average lifespan of a solicitation is just 5 days. That means an agency could release a solicitation on a Monday and have the work awarded to a qualified bidder by Friday. That will inevitably change with the addition of professional services categories, but we’re counting on NASA’s Program Management Office to maintain SEWP’s reputation for excellent customer service. 

Who Should Bid on SEWP VI?

SEWP VI won’t have a maximum number of awardees, meaning any bidder who qualifies can theoretically get an award. But that doesn’t mean everyone should throw their hat in the ring. Here are some factors to consider when you’re framing your bid/no-bid decision.

Will you use the contract? This is always one of the first questions you should ask yourself – because getting a seat on any IDIQ isn’t just about the WIN (although we know that feels good). You need to make sure you’re spending time and resources bidding on the contracts that will give your clients the best access to your products and/or services and showcase you in your best light. And you need to consider how competitive the pool of awardees is for each contract. Is there a better GWAC out there for your products/services/clients/socioeconomic set aside? (If you’re not sure, Contact Us and we’ll put you in touch with our seasoned Business Intelligence Analysts and Capture Advisors). Other considerations are the administrative and performance/participation requirements – is your business prepared to manage the contract itself? Do you have a system in place to respond to bids efficiently and the capacity to manage delivery while maintaining exceptional customer service (a hallmark of SEWP)? If the answer is “no” (or maybe “not yet”), then consider what BD, infrastructure, or personnel factors would change that answer from a “no” to a “yes”, and make those investments first!   

Bottom line – your goal should be winning and staying on the contract, so take a look at how you will win and manage task orders once you’re on the contract so that you can make the best hiring, teaming, or BD decisions to ensure your long-term success.

Are you qualified? This seems like an obvious question, but have you really looked at your experience to make sure it qualifies in terms of recency and relevance as defined by the solicitation? If you’re pursuing Category A, do you have the requisite number of CLINs (2,000) for each required sub-area? And don’t forget those mandatory certifications. Every bidder must be ISO 9001 certified (or, if you are a SB, be able to show proof that the certification is in progress). And if you are applying for Category B and/or Category C, you need a minimum CMMI (Development or Services) Level 2 certification. One other factor to keep in mind: you’re allowed to form teams for NASA SEWP VI, but you won’t be allowed to use your teammate’s experience to satisfy the mandatory Relevant Experience or Past Performance requirements. That means you as the Prime offeror must be able to meet the experience requirements on your own.

We repeat this warning for every GWAC: Even the most organized, qualified companies can be surprised by the amount of time and effort it takes to prepare a proposal response like this. Give yourself the best advantage by thoughtfully evaluating your projects, teaming strategy (if needed), and familiarizing yourself with the administrative and performance requirements of the program now.

Since its inception as SEWP I in 1993 with $800 million spent and eight awardees to 147 contract holders and $62B+ today for SEWP V, SEWP VI is the contract vehicle IT vendors should consider pursuing.

If you offer IT products and services, we encourage you to read the draft RFP to determine if this is the GWAC for you. If you are interested in pursuing SEWP or would like Trident to review the effort against your product or service, contact us today. Our GWAC experts can walk you through the most complex elements to help you make an early bid/no-bid decision.   

Did you know we have FREE downloads to help you compile your projects for your NASA SEWP VI?  Check out our page to download your FREE Project Experience Trackers.

Written by Rebecca Wayland and Trident Team 

Rebecca Wayland    

Rebecca is our Chief of Staff. While Rebecca may primarily wear the HR hat, she offers comprehensive proposal management, capture support, market research and training. She is also our GWAC lead so if you’re exploring Polaris, OASIS+, or Alliant 3, she is definitely your SME. As a U.S. Navy veteran and military spouse based in Honolulu, she supports clients around the world as part of our globally dispersed team.