GSA OASIS SB 8(a) On-Ramp: Here’s What You Need To Know

Did you miss the GSA OASIS SB 8(a) On-Ramp Industry Day session? Not to worry, we’ve got you covered. All Q&A’s from the webinar will be posted to GSA’s website. In the meantime, we selected some of the most pertinent questions that you should be aware of.

Question: For future on-ramps, as was noted in the OASIS SB Pool 1 RFP, will CTAs be allowed and can you briefly let us know what is allowable when forming CTAs (i.e. contract past performance)?

Answer: Yes, CTAs will be allowed. The rules regarding proposal submissions for CTAs will mirror the SB Pool 1 On-Ramping RFP, with the possible exception of two issues which are currently under GAO protest: (1) the Pool 1 RFP limited the number of projects an Other Than Small Mentor can submit, and (2) the Pool 1 RFP did not allow combinations of CTAs when claiming evaluation points (e.g., a JV could not also cite projects performed by a first tier subcontractor). Note that if either of these protest issues are sustained, the RFP could potentially be revised on these issues.

Question: Will the on-ramp be using the 3 or 5 year average for size standard?

Answer: We don’t yet have a final answer on this yet, as it will depend on coordination with the SBA, who is currently impacted by the Federal Government shutdown. As soon as we have a final answer, we will publish that information to industry.

Question: Once the SubPool awardee graduates from the 8(a) program, they then go into the SB pool or U pool based on their size?

Answer: They will not be able to move from the SubPool up to the overarching SB Pool. They would only be able to Vertically On-Ramp up to OASIS Unrestricted if there is a Vertical On-Ramping RFP released that the company can respond to. The Vertical On-Ramping RFP is already released and will close in December, 2019.

Question: To be clear, will the OASIS SB Pool 1 new awards be made before the release of the 8(a) SubPool on-ramp announcement?

Answer: The OASIS SB Pool 1 new awards will likely not be announced prior to the release of the 8(a) On-Ramping RFP. If you’re unsure of whether your firm will receive an OASIS SB Pool 1 award, we’d recommend proposing under the 8(a) On-Ramp. The submission requirements will be nearly identical to the already-submitted proposal.

(8(a) On-Ramp is expected to be released late January or early February)

Question: Will the 8(a) SubPool requirements be the exact same as Pool 1 SB requirements, or will some requirements be relaxed since the competition among 8(a)s will be different than Small Businesses?

Answer: We don’t anticipate relaxing any requirements unless the existing protest is sustained in which case, the limitation on Mentor experience and the restriction on combining types of CTAs may be revised. Other than those two items, no changes are anticipated.

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