Introduction to NITAAC GWACs

Let’s shift our focus now to the next NITAAC GWAC: CIO-CS. In contrast to the previous NITAAC GWACs, the CIO-CS GWAC focuses on IT commodities and commodity-enabling solutions.

Goal of CIO-CS

The goal of the CIO-CS GWAC is to provide a procurement vehicle for all federal agencies to use that streamlines the purchase of IT commodities.  CIO-CS is a five (5) year IDIQ contract with a five (5) year optional period” (NITAAC, 2023, B-2). The contract is currently in its five-year optional period. “The intent of this contract is to provide information technology (IT) commodities and solutions as defined in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 2.101(b)—These IT commodities and solutions include but are not limited to health and biomedical-related IT commodities to meet scientific, health, administrative, operational, managerial, and information management requirements" (NITAAC, 2023, B-2).
 

Services under CIO-CS Delivery Orders

CIO-CS allows federal customers to add commodity-enabling services to their delivery orders. The types of services that may be included are those that are fixed price, labor hour, or time and materials.  An example of the services that may be provided are site-specific services as required by the government in all matters relating to the operation and sustenance of CIO-CS commodities and solutions. The services include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Deployment and Installations: delivery, installation and relocation of commodities at designated facilities
• Warranty and Maintenance: commercial warranty and commodity maintenance services in conjunction with the provisioning of the specific CIO-CS commodity
• Training: training to users at the time of the initial installation. Additional training on an “as-needed” basis when requested by the customer
• Engineering, Design, Assessment Studies, and Other Associated Value-Added Services:  assessments and engineering studies that enable the provisioning and enhancements (e.g., technology refreshes) of IT commodities.

NAICS Codes

CIO-CS has two North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes associated with the contracts. Contract holders were awarded contracts as either an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) under NAICS 334111, entitled Electronic Computer Manufacturing, or as a value added reseller (VAR) under NAICS 541519 note 18.

By using these NAICS codes, CIO-CS ensures that federal agencies are able to obtain IT equipment from both large and small businesses. Under NAICS 541519, federal customers are able to set aside procurements for small businesses. This approach enables federal agencies to access a broad range of IT products and solutions from various industry players, helping them achieve their mission-critical objectives.

NITAAC Government-Wide Strategic Solutions (NITAAC GSS)

CIO-CS terms allow the CO to identify a commodity suitable for strategic sourcing. The CIO-CS CO will follow procedures similar to those described in Article H.15, “Ramp-on Procedure” (NITAAC, 2023, H-22), except that the strategic sourcing competition will be limited to contract holders who are already on the GWAC. Contract holders selected to offer commodities under strategic sourcing will be given a finite period of time, typically one year, after which the CIO-CS CO may decide to declare a new strategic sourcing opportunity open. 

OMB’s Category Management Policy 15-1 (dated October 16, 2015) requires federal acquisition professionals to purchase their basic laptop and desktop requirements from one of OMB’s three laptop or desktop minimum standard configurations. The NITAAC Government-wide Strategic Solutions (GSS)(NITAAC GSS) system is one of the three preferred OMB sources for federal agencies looking to obtain desktops, laptops, monitors, and hardware at a competitive price. 

The GSS program provides standardized configurations for desktops, laptops, and tablets. Detailed technical specifications for these equipment configurations are provided, ensuring consistency and compliance across federal agencies. Specifications are reviewed and competed annually between CIO-CS contract holders.  Earlier versions of specifications are available until considered obsolete. You can access NITAAC GSS through e-GOS, NITAAC’s Electronic Government Ordering System. You will learn more about e-GOS in Module 3 Overview of NITAAC’s Ordering Process. More details about the NITAAC GSS Technical Specifications versions and user guide can be found on the NITAAC GSS page.

Related Course

An online course about CIO-CS will be released in 2025. We recommend you enroll in Mastering NITAAC GWACs: CIO-CS to learn more about this GWAC and other topics discussed in this section, such as the NAICS codes.

References

National Institutes of Health Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC). (2023, June). Chief Information Officer – Commodities and Solutions (CIO-CS) Contract, Conformed. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH.

National Institutes of Health Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC). (2024). CIO-CS Ordering Guide. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH.