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Multiple Awards without the ID-DQ, R, or IQ


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The Government has a requirement for the analysis of an existing system and the contract will have several deliverables (reports) analyzing different parts of the existing system over the course of a year. The deliverables will be used to develop the requirements for the next-generation version of this system. The Government will benefit from multiple companies specializing in this system providing their analysis and design recommendations, therefore the Government will be making multiple awards.

Is anyone aware of any regulation or decision that a multiple award contract must be an ID-DQ, R, or IQ? Can I award 5 "C" contracts using a single solicitation or do they have to be "D" contracts? Every search of the word "multiple award" takes me to part 16 and I see nothing is part 16 requiring a multiple award to be an indefinite delivery type contract. This requirement does not meet the definition of a definite quantity, requirements, or indefinite quantity in 16.501, 16.502, and 16.503.

The work, PoP, deliverables are all defined. The plan is to make multiple awards using Parts 13.5 and 12.603 to simplify things and award a "C" contract  to all offerors with experience with this system. I have heard of the NSA or CIA awarding multiple contracts at a fixed amount to several companies to do some form of penetration testing to their networks and results will be used to improve the network. Maybe that's a movie but I do draw some parallels between something similar to that and what we are trying to accomplish.

52.215-1 has the language below but did not find anything similar in 52.212-1.

     (f) Contract award.

(1) The Government intends to award a contract or contracts resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror(s) whose proposal(s) represents the best value after evaluation in accordance with the factors and subfactors in the solicitation.

 

Your input is appreciated

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4 hours ago, MAY-D-FAR-B-WIT-U said:

Is anyone aware of any regulation or decision that a multiple award contract must be an ID-DQ, R, or IQ? Can I award 5 "C" contracts using a single solicitation or do they have to be "D" contracts?

You can award five "C" contracts from a single solicitation as long as you have the funds to do so. The government has been doing that for decades. Almost every major system began with awards to two or three contractors from a single solicitation. Off hand, I don't know of any regulation that describes the process, but you don't need express authority in order to do it. You just need enough money. It's a viable acquisition strategy.

I don't know off hand of any regulation that describes the process, but it is pretty common in some parts of the R&D world. You don't need special permission.

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16 hours ago, Vern Edwards said:

You can award five "C" contracts from a single solicitation as long as you have the funds to do so. The government has been doing that for decades. Almost every major system began with awards to two or three contractors from a single solicitation. Off hand, I don't know of any regulation that describes the process, but you don't need express authority in order to do it. You just need enough money. It's a viable acquisition strategy.

I don't know off hand of any regulation that describes the process, but it is pretty common in some parts of the R&D world. You don't need special permission.

Thank you Vern

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