On GSA MAS IT, who counts as 8(a)?

[aduma]

I want to do a total 8(a) set aside BPA on MAS IT (or IT 70 or whatever they call it these days). But how do you determine 8(a) eligibility? Do they need to be currently SBA 8(a) certified? Or just listed as 8(a) in GSA eLibrary? 

[formerfed]

This is covered in several spots on the GSA website.  Essentially GSA says “Ordering activities should rely on the small business representations made by schedule contractors at the contract level (but see section 19.301-2(b)(2) concerning rerepresentation for an order).”

GSA recommends doing market research to locate at least three companies that can meet your needs (check FAR 8.405 to see various requirements based on dollar thresholds) and solicit them based on the contract representations.  What you do is scan through market information like capabilities, experience, past performance, etc, to found companies to want to participate and solicit them.  That’s the easiest.  Or you can do a solicitation and get multiple companies involved like posting on eBuy.  When you do that you might be requiring the company to represent their immediate status at the order level (see FAR 19.301-2 reference above)