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WASHINGTON — The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has awarded the Polaris Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) Small Business (SB) Pool to 102 small businesses. Awards for additional pools, including Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB), Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone), and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) are planned for Fiscal Year 2025.
The Polaris GWAC was established to deliver federal agencies a convenient, cost-effective, and compliant solution for accessing vetted, experienced and quality small businesses. The Polaris GWAC will support agency requirements for information technology (IT) services, including emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, automation, distributed ledger technology, edge computing, and immersive technology.
“GSA is focused on saving taxpayer dollars through contracts that provide the best value to the government while expanding opportunities for small businesses across the country,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “The Polaris GWAC is another way we keep our commitment to supporting evolving federal IT needs while providing opportunities for the small business community to succeed in the federal marketplace.”
There are a number of good-for-government key features of Polaris, including expanded Small Disadvantaged Business participation opportunities, the capability for refreshment of the industrial base through regular on-ramps, the inclusion of a technical refresh clause that can be triggered as needed to adapt to customer needs, and no master contract ceiling.
“As a result of this award, agencies can now achieve their socioeconomic goals and meet stringent federal compliance and security requirements for IT, while working with some of the best and most creative small IT companies. I look forward to seeing the body of innovation that results from the Polaris GWAC and the continued success of the awarded small businesses,” said Assistant Commissioner for the GSA Office of Information Technology Category (ITC) Laura Stanton. “I’d also like to congratulate and thank our team for their hard work and dedication to bring Polaris to fruition.”
General questions related to the Polaris GWAC may be directed to [email protected]. Media inquiries should be sent to [email protected].
