GSA POLARIS: Proposal Support
We offer comprehensive proposal support for the General Service Administration’s (GSA) Polaris contract, designed to procure information technology (IT) services and IT services-based solutions for the federal government. Our services help small businesses navigate the complexities of the Polaris contract, ensuring high-quality, compliant, and competitive proposals.
Contract Overview
Polaris is a small business (SB) set aside government-wide acquisition contract (GWAC) allowing federal customers to procure IT services and solutions, including emerging technologies like advanced and quantum computing, artificial intelligence, automation technology, distributed ledger technology, edge computing, and immersive technology. GSA’s intent for Polaris is to expand the industry partner base, provide greater access to emerging technologies, simplify proposal submission requirements, and improve the overall customer experience.
Polaris has a strong preference for firm-fixed-price performance-based task orders (TOs), but TOs may include cost-reimbursable, incentive-based, time-and-materials, and labor-hour contracts. The master GWAC contracts provide IT service labor categories, but bidders may offer additional labor categories as needed. Service contract labor standards may apply.
Bidders must be SB, woman-owned small business (WOSB), service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB), and/or historically underutilized business zone (HUBZone) firms and their subcontractors/teammates must also be small.
Contract Details
- Agency: General Services Administration (GSA)
- Status: Ongoing
- Solicitation Dates:
- RFI: October 16, 2020
- Draft RFP: December 31, 2020
- Final RFP:
- SB and WOSB pools: March 25, 2022
- SDVOSB and HUBZone pools: September 15, 2022
- Period of Performance: 5-year base period plus one 5-year option period (total 10 years)
- Award Date: Q1 FY 2025 (SB pool); FY 2025 (WOSB, SDVOSB, and HUBZone pools)
- Competition Type: Small business set-aside, WOSB set-aside, SDVOSB set-aside, /HUBZone set-aside
- NAICS: 541512, $30M/500 employees size standard
- Subcontracting Goals: No recommended subcontracting goals
- Number of Awards:
- SB: up to 100
- WOSB: up to 80
- SDVOSB: up to 70
- HUBZone: up to 60
- Contract Value: no ceiling
- Proposal Due Date:
- SB and WOSB pools: October 7, 2022
- SDVOSB and HUBZone pools: November 18, 2022
Functional Areas
The master contracts provide customized commercial and non-commercial IT services and IT services-based solutions. Customized IT services-based solutions may include any one or combination of IT services in the statement of work (SOW), including new and emerging technologies. Task orders must be primarily for IT services, but ancillary support may be included when it is integral to and necessary for task. Performance locations include government and contractor sites worldwide. The scope includes:
- Cloud Services
- Application Integration Services
- Cloud Backup Solutions
- Cloud Governance, Security, and Compliance
- Cloud Migration Services
- Cloud Strategy and Planning
- Cloud Storage and Hosting
- Cloud Risk Management
- Cloud Assessment
- Infrastructure as a Service
- Platform as a Service
- Software as a Service
- Cybersecurity
- Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation
- Continuous Security Monitoring
- Identity Management and Access Management
- Information Assurance
- Intrusion Detection
- IT Disaster Recovery Services
- IT Security Incident Response
- Mobile Threat Protection
- Network Security Monitoring
- Security Assessment Services/Vulnerability Analysis Services
- Threat Hunting
- Zero Trust Architecture Services
- Data Management
- Data Architecture, Analysis, and Design
- Data Governance
- Data Migration
- Data Quality Management
- Data Science
- Data Security Management
- Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence Management
- Document, Record and Content Management
- Geospatial Data Practices and Services
- Governance, Planning, and Strategy
- Network and Individual Storage Management
- Information and Communications Technologies
- Collaboration Technology Services
- IPv6 Implementation and Support Services
- Network as a Service
- Software Defined Wide Area Networking Implementation
- Telepresence and Video Services
- Virtual Private Network and other Remote Network Access Services
- Virtualization Services
- Voice over IP Services
- Wireless Services
- 5G Services and Applications
- Mobility as a Service
- Mobile Backend as a Service
- IT Operations and Maintenance
- Bring Your Own Device Support Services
- Data Center Management
- Email and File Server Management
- IT Help Desk/IT Support
- IT Training
- Mobile Device Management
- PC Provisioning
- Server and Device Management
- Software Development
- Mobile Application Development Services
- Software Design
- Software Maintenance
- Software Programming
- Software Testing
- Web Development
- System Design
- Computer Systems Integration Design Consulting Services
- Configuration Management Services
- Information Management Computer Systems Integration Design Services
- IT Specifications Development
- Network Infrastructure Design
- Office Automation Computer Systems Integration Design Services
- Smart Buildings Systems Integration
- Ancillary Services, Supplies and Construction
- Clerical Support
- Data Entry
- IT Products
- Minor Construction, Alteration, and Repair to Real Property
- Server Racks
- Software Licenses
- Subscriptions
- Records Management Operations
- IT Managed Services
Proposal Requirements
Submitting a successful proposal for Polaris requires meticulous attention to detail and thorough preparation. Many required forms are very similar to those used for OASIS+, and both procurements use the Symphony online submission portal.
Bidders qualifying under multiple socioeconomic categories must submit separate proposals for each. Bidders may participate under multiple proposals (e.g., as a bidder, proposed subcontractor, and/or joint venture (JV) member), but no primary relevant experience or emerging technology relevant experience project may be used in more than one proposal within the same solicitation.
The proposal requirements include the following:
- SF33
- SF30s, as applicable
- Representations and Certifications
- Prime bidder
- All subcontractors, if applicable
- Copy of SAM.gov Annual Representations and Certifications
- Prime bidder
- All subcontractors, if applicable
- Letter of Commitment for each proposed subcontractor, if applicable
- Contractor Teaming Arrangements, if applicable
- JV Agreement, if applicable
- Joint Venture Work and Qualifications, if applicable
- Small Business Administration Mentor-Protégé Agreement, if applicable
- Meaningful Relationship Commitment Letters (MRCL), if applicable
- Relevant Experience (3 to 5 primary relevant experience examples and up to 3 emerging technology relevant experience examples) substantiated by some or all of the following:
- FPDS-NG Report
- Project Verification Form
- Copy of Signed Original Contract Award Document
- Contract SOW, Performance Work Statement (PWS), or equivalent
- Section B, Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs Contract Line Items
- Past Performance (applies only to Primary Relevant Experience)
- Copy of Interim or Final CPARS, if it exists, or Past Performance Rating Form
- Acceptable Accounting System (if claiming credit for this scoring element)
- Copy of Verification from the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA), Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), any Cognizant Federal Agency (CFA), or Third-Party Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
- Approved Purchasing System (if claiming credit for this scoring element)
- Copy of the Most Recent Official Contractor Purchasing System Review Report or a Letter of Verification from DCMA or any CFA
- Active Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Certification Maturity Level 2 or Higher (if claiming credit for this scoring element)
- Active ISO 9001:2015 Certification (if claiming credit for this scoring element)
- Active ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 Certification (if claiming credit for this scoring element)
- Active ISO/IEC 27001:2013 Certification (if claiming credit for this scoring element)
- Active Facility Clearance Level (FCL) (if claiming credit for this scoring element)
- Organizational Risk Assessment: within the Symphony portal, identify if the bidder has previously performed in the same business arrangement as proposed for Polaris:
- As an individual prime without subcontractor(s)
- As a prime with the same proposed subcontractor(s)
- As part of a JV (including a mentor-protégé JV)
- As a JV (including a mentor-protégé JV) with the same proposed subcontractor(s)
- Professional Employee Compensation Plan
- Uncompensated Overtime Policy
- GSA Form 527, Contractor’s Qualifications and Financial Information
- Cost/Price Template
- Basis of Estimate
- Direct Labor Rates
- Indirect Rates
- Profit
View Polaris solicitation documents on sam.gov:
Evaluation Criteria
As a self-scoring indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) procurement, Polaris allows for no technical or management approach, win themes, discriminators, or other typical proposal content. Objective evidence of the requisite qualifications, certifications, experience, and past performance is all that may be submitted.
For Polaris, the best value basis for awards will be determined by the highest technically rated qualifying (HTRQ) offerors. To be considered as a HTRQ offeror, the proposal must score amongst the highest rated offers received for the pool (SB pool: top 100; WOSB pool: top 80; SDVOSB pool: top 70; HUBZone pool: top 60). In the event of a tie at the lowest position, all offerors tied at that position will receive an award. GSA will begin by ranking proposals in order from highest total claimed score to lowest total claimed score. Scoring elements include:
- Relevant Experience
- Primary relevant experience (project value minimum: $250,000): 4,000 points each; minimum of 3 and up to 5 examples (max 20,000)
- Project size: additional points for projects greater than $250,000 (max 15,000)
- $1M < $5M: 500 additional points each
- $1M < $10M: 1,500 additional points each
- $10M: 3,000 additional points each
- Additional points only for federal contracts
- Multiple federal government customers (max 2,000)
- Two unique customers: 500 additional points
- Three unique customers: 1,000 additional points
- Four unique customers: 1,500 additional points
- Five unique customers: 2,000 additional points
- Cost-reimbursement contracts: 500 points each for up to 2 examples (max 1,000)
- TO on a multiple-award IDIQ: 400 points each for up to 5 examples (max 2,000)
- Included OCONUS work: 1,000 points for one example (max 1,000)
- Multiple federal government customers (max 2,000)
- Project included cybersecurity services: 3,000 points each for up to 2 examples (max 6,000)
- Breadth of relevant experience (max 9,000)
- Experience in two NAICS areas: 2,000 additional points
- Experience in three NAICS areas: 3,000 additional points
- Experience in four NAICS areas: 6,000 additional points
- Experience in five NAICS areas: 9,000 additional points
- Project size: additional points for projects greater than $250,000 (max 15,000)
- Emerging technology relevant experience (project value minimum: $250,000): 1,000 points each for up to 3 examples (max 3,000)
- Projects may overlap with primary relevant experience examples
- Breadth of emerging technology relevant experience (max 1,000)
- Experience with two emerging technologies: 700 additional points
- Experience with three emerging technologies: 1,000 additional points
- Primary relevant experience (project value minimum: $250,000): 4,000 points each; minimum of 3 and up to 5 examples (max 20,000)
- Past performance for primary relevant experience (max 20,000)
- Weighting of each assessment is determined by how many are received.
- Satisfactory or greater ratings for the majority of areas evaluated = positive score
- Lower than satisfactory ratings for the majority of areas evaluated = negative score—zero points
- Bidders without relevant past performance or for whom information is not available for any projects receive 10,000 points.
- Acceptable accounting system (max 3,000)
- Audit and adequate determination by third-party CPA: 750 points
- Audit and adequate determination by DCAA, DCMA or CFA: 3,000 points
- Approved purchasing system: 1,000 points
- CMMI SVC or DEV (max 750 points)
- Level II: 500 points
- Level III or greater: 750 points
- ISO certifications (max 2,250 points)
- ISO 9001:2015: 750 points
- ISO 20000-1:2018: 750 points
- ISO 27001:2013: 750 points
- FCL (max 3,000 points)
- Secret: 2,000 points
- Top Secret: 3,000 points
- Organizational risk assessment (max 5,000 points)
Summit Strategy Services
Understanding and Analysis:
We analyze the final RFP to provide a clear understanding and insights.
Scoring Systems:
Our experts explain the scoring system and offer strategic tips to maximize your score.
Proposal Planning:
We assist with compliance matrix creation, proposal initialization, proposal outlining, template development, and detailed planning to ensure a well-structured and compliant proposal.
Full Proposal Development:
Our dedicated proposal managers, along with supplementary resources such as writers, graphic designers, and desktop publishers, work to develop a top-notch high-scoring proposal. We will also actively monitor for RFP amendments and Q+A releases, and adjust your strategy as needed.
Reviewing and Auditing:
We conduct thorough reviews, including compliance, color reviews, and QC checks, to optimize your proposal and enhance its competitiveness.
Success Stories
Hear from our satisfied clients who have benefited from our expert proposal support and secured significant federal contracts.
Game-Changing Win
"Partnering with Summit Strategy was a crucial strategic decision for us. Their extensive experience in assisting companies like ours pursue large, complex opportunities was instrumental in managing our team and the phased approach for this proposal effort. Winning this contract is incredibly impactful for our small firm, serving as a launch pad to pursue similar large contract opportunities. We look forward to relying on Summit for all our future proposal efforts, big or small, as our go-to proposal management team."
- CEO,
GovCon IT Consulting Firm
Elite Team
"It has been wonderful partnering with Summit Strategy. I highly recommend this elite team to any organization looking to take your performance to the next level.”
- Chief Growth Officer,
GovCon Intelligence + Security Solutions Firm
Exceeded Expectations
“My previous experiences with companies that do this type of work led me to have very low expectations, and you blew us out of the water! Everyone assigned to the [proposal] was professional, calm, helpful, thorough, and a pleasure to work with. You provided expertise and guidance to us throughout, and we really appreciated all you and your staff did. Thank you!
- Director of Contracts,
GovCon IT Consulting Firm
Ready to maximize your chances of securing a position on the Polaris GWAC?
Contact us for more details and inquiries about our proposal support services.
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