NASASEWPNASA (Solutions For Enterprise Wide Procurement)

What is NASASEWPNASA (Solutions For Enterprise Wide Procurement)?

NASA's Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP), pronounced "soup," is a Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) that provides federal agencies and their contractors with access to a wide range of IT products and services. It simplifies the procurement process for complex IT solutions while ensuring compliance and value.

Definition

NASASEWPNASA (SEWP) is a pre-competed, multi-award GWAC administered by NASA. It's designed to provide federal agencies with streamlined access to cutting-edge information technology (IT) and computer technologies, including hardware, software, cloud-based services, and related solutions and services. SEWP V is the current iteration. The legal basis for SEWP is derived from the Clinger-Cohen Act, which emphasizes maximizing the value and assessing the risks of IT investments. For government contractors, SEWP provides a significant opportunity to compete for task orders across various agencies without the need for extensive individual agency-level contract vehicles.

The use of GWACs like SEWP is heavily encouraged in federal IT procurement. Agencies benefit from reduced procurement lead times, pre-negotiated pricing, and compliance with federal regulations. Contractors on SEWP benefit from access to a large pool of potential customers and streamlined processes, but also face intense competition from other contract holders. Understanding the nuances of SEWP's ordering process and task order competition is crucial for success.

Key Points

• GWAC Advantage: SEWP is a GWAC, meaning it's available for use by all federal agencies, providing contractors access to a diverse customer base.
• Pre-Competed Contract: The base SEWP contracts are already competed, saving agencies and contractors time and resources by avoiding lengthy procurement processes for each project. Task orders issued under SEWP are competed amongst the contract holders.
• Focus on IT: SEWP focuses exclusively on IT products and services, offering a specialized platform for contractors in the IT industry.
• Simplified Procurement: The contract is designed to streamline the procurement process, making it easier for agencies to acquire IT solutions quickly and efficiently.

Practical Examples

1. Agency Modernization: A federal agency needs to modernize its IT infrastructure with cloud-based services. They can use SEWP to issue a task order for cloud migration services to qualified SEWP contractors.
2. Cybersecurity Enhancement: An agency requires enhanced cybersecurity solutions. Through SEWP, they can procure security software, hardware, and related services from various IT vendors already vetted under the SEWP contract.
3. Hardware Refresh: An agency needs to upgrade aging computer hardware across its offices. They can use SEWP to issue a task order to SEWP contract holders for a large-scale hardware refresh, ensuring compliance with federal procurement regulations.