GSA # 9996

January 15, 2003
Contact: Mary Alice Johnson, (202) 501-1231
maryalice.johnson@gsa.gov

Washington, DC - The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced that it completed the award process for the first multiple award, government-wide acquisition contract (GWAC) dedicated to information technology industry partners certified as Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone).

Managed by GSA's Small Business Solution Development Center in Kansas City, Missouri, the five-year contract enables federal agencies to purchase information technology products and services from companies located in HUBZones. The contract awards cover seven functional areas including Internet Services, Call Centers, Distance Learning, Video Conferencing, Wiring and Cabling, Network Design, Computer Operations/Support, Network Management, Contingency Planning, Disaster Preparedness/Recovery and Information Assurance. Between eight and ten contracts were awarded for each functional area. The maximum ceiling of the total GWAC is $2.5 billion, with no fixed allocation to any functional area. "The HUBZone Information Technology contract is a win-win for both underutilized businesses and for federal agencies," said Brad Scott, GSA Regional Administrator for the Heartland Region. "These contracts will help stimulate economic development and create jobs in urban and rural communities and also assist federal agencies in meeting their procurement preference goals," said Scott.

GSA continues to develop opportunities for small businesses and innovative ways for federal customers to get IT solutions and services. "Awarding this GWAC is significant for both agency customers and business," said Federal Technology Service Commissioner Sandra Bates. "GSA's customers can accomplish two critical goals: secure high quality, best value IT solutions and services and fulfill their HUBZone statutory goals while businesses in HUBZones have an unprecedented opportunity to compete for government business."

HUBZones reflect an effort on GSA's part to expand commerce to small business. Federal procurement preference goals require agencies to purchase 3% of total federal government procurement dollars from HUBZone firms in fiscal year 2003. Agencies have fallen short of their goals since the establishment of HUBZones by the HUBZone Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-135, December 2, 1997).

GSA is a centralized federal procurement and property management agency created by Congress to improve government efficiency and help federal agencies better serve the public. It acquires, on behalf of federal agencies, office space, equipment, telecommunications, information technology, supplies, and services. GSA, comprised of 14,000 associates, provides services and solutions for the office operations of over 1 million federal workers located in 8,300 government-owned and leased buildings in 1,600 U.S. communities.