CIO-CS Executive Agent Designation

Yes. NITAAC GWACs are structured in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) principles for government-wide acquisitions of information technology. This ensures structuring of orders that promote the use of performance-based acquisition where practicable, maximum utilization of small and small disadvantaged business, fair opportunity and transparency, and provide the management controls necessary for responsible contract and financial management. NIH provides the OMB with an annual Executive Agent Designation Contract Activity Report highlighting operational and usage information of its GWACs including contract activities, customer satisfaction and small business participation.

CIO-CS Categories are only used in determining discount applied to new and replacement commodities offered during Technology Refreshment. Other than that, the scope of CIO-CS includes the provisioning of IT commodities and solutions as defined in FAR 2.101(b) and further clarified in the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 within the Federal Government, which can include IT products, IT commodities, hardware, software, solutions, cloud services and future technologies as defined under the FAR.

Yes. For orders exceeding the micro-purchase threshold, before setting the delivery order aside, the ordering contracting officer must determine if there is a reasonable expectation of obtaining offers from two or more responsible small business concerns that are competitive in terms of market prices, quality and delivery unless one of the exceptions in FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i) applies. e-GOS automatically shows you the number of contract holders capable of responding to your small business set-aside requirement when you create your order. (For more information see FAR Subpart 19.502-2.)