NASA sets mid-November SEWP deadline

Proposals for the next iteration of NASA's multibillion government-wide acquisition contract are now due by the end of next week.

Proposals for NASA's fifth Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP V) contract should be submitted by Nov. 15, SEWP Program Manager Joanne Woytek told FCW on Nov. 4. Bidders are vying for five-year contracts with an additional five-year option that could bring in billions.

About 50 companies participate in the SEWP IV iteration of the contract that began in 2006. Washington Technology, citing Deltek research, reported on Aug. 19 that SEWP has had $10.3 billion in task orders in that time and has averaged approximately $2 billion in task orders annually since 2010.

NASA's original Oct. 14 proposal deadline for SEWP V was postponed on Oct. 2, the day after the beginning of the 160day partial government shutdown. At the time, the agency did not provide a firm alternative date. NASA and Goddard Space Flight Center employees that handle proposals were furloughed.

The SEWP IV contracting vehicle, which provides a wide variety of IT products and services to federal users, however, remained in operation during the closure. That was possible, said NASA, because its contract staff was funded through December.

Woytek said fiscal 2013 was SEWP's busiest year in terms of both new orders and modifications of existing orders, with more than $2.5 billion for the year.