DHS works on EAGLE small-business strategy

Homeland Security Department officials are seeking industry input on two possible approaches for setting up a departmentwide information technology services contract that is set aside for small businesses, according to a recent notice.

DHS officials plan to create a small-business replica of its successful Enterprise Acquisition Gateway for Leading Edge Solutions (EAGLE) indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract, officials said Feb. 10. But they are not sure which is the best way to structure the competition for task orders.

One idea is to compete task orders among similar types of small business. For example, on one project, the department might take bids from only 8(a) companies. On another they would consider only businesses owned by service-disabled veterans.

The other idea is to base competitions on categories of work, such as management support services or engineering design and development. The scope of the task order would be limited to that category, and subsequent market research would determine which types of small businesses could compete for the work.

DHS is accepting comments on its EAGLE II – Small Business contract through Feb. 25.

The initial EAGLE contract, which was awarded in 2006, had 28 small businesses, but nine of them already have graduated out of small-business status or were acquired by other companies. DHS cannot add new contractors until 2011, by which point most of the small-business contractors are likely to have lost their small-business status, officials said.

Eagle II-Small Business will fill the gap once its ready. Meanwhile, DHS officials said more and more small businesses will do fine competing for major task orders.