Increased use of GWACs affects bid process for both large and small defense contractors

Federal agencies are increasing the use of Government-wide Acquisition Contracts (GWAC) and Multiple Award Contracts (MAC) when considering defense contract solicitations. These contract vehicles allow for faster acquisition via competitive pricing and pre-qualification of sellers. As part of the pre-qualification process, “scorecard” solicitations have increasingly become the preferred method for select federal agencies to eliminate offerors from competition that do not meet perceived agency needs. These scorecards weigh numerous evaluation factors necessary to secure contract awards, such as project experience, past performance ratings, certifications, clearances and increasingly in recent history, business systems. The table below contains some basic information about various active or upcoming GWACs; click on each to find out additional detailed information: