Zappold Advisors LLC is delighted to announce that it has been awarded the U.S. General Services Administration's (GSA) 8(a) Streamlined Technology Application Resource for Services (STARS) II Government-wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) contracting vehicle.

Using its GSA 8(a) STARS II contracting vehicle enables Federal agencies to access 8(a) firms through an established contract vehicle instead of traditional, open market methods - saving time and taxpayer money. Because each technology provider has been proven, Federal agencies are assured of quality work with a shorter procurement lead-time and lower user access fees while receiving socio-economic credit.

GSA 8(a) STARS II at a Glance
- Contract Period: June 13, 2017 - August 30, 2021
- Contract Number: GS-00Q-17GWD2065
- Functional Areas under Constellation 1: FA 1: Custom Computer Programming Services (NAICS 541511) and FA 2: Computer Systems Design Services (NAICS 541512)
- Type: GWAC (Multiple Award IDIQ)
- Task Order Types: T&M, FFP, Labor Hour, and Mixed Orders
Contract Ceiling: $10 billion

Functional Areas (FA) Descriptions
FA 1: Custom Computer Programming Services (NAICS 541511) - Comprises establishments primarily engaged in writing, modifying, testing, and supporting software to meet the needs of a particular customer.
FA 2: Computer Systems Design Services (NAICS 541512) - Primarily engaged in planning and designing computer systems that integrate computer hardware, software, and communication technologies.

GSA 8(a) STARS II is the Right Choice
Streamlined and Flexible. That is why GSA created this third generation GWAC and why hundreds of federal defense and civilian organizations over the past dozen years made the two predecessor 8(a) GWACs their contracting vehicles of choice. The GSA 8(a) STARS II GWAC is a set-aside for small businesses that participate in the Small Business Administration's (SBA) 8(a) program. It provides all federal defense and civilian agencies with an efficient, flexible way to order information technology services and solutions worldwide while accruing 8(a) socio-economic credit.

Features and Benefits
Further features and benefits of our GSA 8(a) STARS II contract include:
Features
- Pre-competed, multiple award contracts
- Aligned with Federal Enterprise Architecture
- Five-year base with one, five-year option
- Contract types: fixed price, labor hour, and time and material terms
- Ordering procedures based on Fair Opportunity (FAR 16.505)
- Directed task orders up to $4 million
- Program ceiling - $10 billion

Benefits
- Enables Federal clients to earn 8(a) and Small Business credit
- Pre-competed, easy-to-use contracts
- Short procurement lead time
- Free Training and support from GSA STARS II GWAC acquisition team
- Avoids bundling concerns
- Limited protestability in accordance with NDAA 2008
- Low user fee (0.0075) capped for large orders
- Sole source awards up to $4 million ceiling

Getting Started
For further details on the GSA 8(a) STARS II GWAC contracting vehicle, and on how Federal contracting officers can obtain a Delegation of Procurement Authority (DPA) plus how to request a scope compatibility review for potential task order work statements is available from the GSA 8(a) STARS II web site at www.gsa.gov/stars2.

About Zappold Advisors, LLC:
Founded in 2007, Zappold Advisors LLC is an SBA 8(a) certified, cloud-based solutions and IT management consulting firm providing various cloud strategy and advisory services through a combination of strategy, cloud-based technology, operations, and program management expertise to large and medium-sized organizations within the private and federal government sectors. Zappold Advisors can be contacted through their website (www.zappoldadvisors.com) or by phone (518-461-4975).