U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Read: Introduction to GWACs
IT acquisition professionals discussing the purchase of IT solutions.
In Read: About NITAAC, we discussed NITAAC’s responsibility for executing the requirements of NIH’s Executive Agent designation to award and administer GWACS. In this section, let’s examine ‘What is a GWAC’ and how GWACs fit into the interagency acquisition toolbox.
What is a GWAC?
GWACS have been used in the federal government for over thirty years. OMB has given three agencies the authority to establish GWACS for IT. NIH is one of the three. Each NITAAC GWAC was awarded as a multiple-award indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity type contract.
GWACS are listed as a type of interagency acquisition (see FAR 17.5). The authority for agencies to use GWACS is not the Economy Act (see FAR 17.502-2) but the more specific authority of The Clinger-Cohen Act.
Agencies may place direct orders against NITAAC GWACS. Agencies solicit, award, administer, and close out their orders in accordance with their agency procedures. The award of direct orders against NITAAC GWACS is facilitated through e-GOS, which is its ordering system.
NITAAC, as a service, also provides assisted acquisitions. See Read: Other NITAAC Services for more information regarding this service.
It is essential for the federal government to understand and leverage its IT buying power to obtain cost savings and administrative efficiencies. GWACs play a significant role in streamlining the procurement process and reducing the administrative cost agencies incur when establishing its own agency contracts.
When all federal agencies are able to use a single or set of contracts to meet their IT requirements, their consolidated spend allows one federal agency to reap the benefits. The purpose of GWACs is to provide a streamlined competitive ordering process that ensures efficient, cost-effective, and timely access to best-value IT solutions.
References
GSA. (2019, October 10). FAR Subpart 17.5 - Interagency Acquisitions. Acquisition.gov | An official website of the General Services Administration.