GSA answers first round of Alliant questions

The General Services Administration has posted 30 pages of questions and answers about its Alliant contract.

The document, published at Federal Business Opportunities March 31, is the first round of responses to questions submitted by interested companies. Among the responses:

* Alliant incorporates best practices from the governmentwide acquisition contracts it replaces, rather than trying to replicate all techical areas contained in those older vehicles.

* If a small business on the Alliant SB contract -- a companion to Alliant set aside for small firms -- outgrows the classification, it will have to win a place on Alliant and will not automatically be moved to the new contract.

* A contractor can compete for Alliant and Alliant SB (if it meets the small-business standard), and can compete as a prime and subcontractor.

* GSA will advertise the availability of Alliant to agencies, but its use will not be mandatory.

* Whether Alliant and Alliant SB will be awarded simultaneously or at different times has not been determined, and will depend on the number of proposals received.

GSA plans to issue a new round of draft requests for proposal for the contract in June. They follow drafts issued in March 2005. GSA officials plan to present final RFPs in October and award the contracts in the summer of 2007.