Winning government contracts is a challenge for some small businesses. The government recognizes these challenges and occasionally offers solutions to give small businesses a fighting chance. The One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services - Small Business (OASIS SB) is a newer contract vehicle created for small businesses.
Each company needs to decide independently whether to pursue certain government contracts. There is no short cut to due diligence, so it is important to thoroughly read and understand each solicitation. Small businesses that lack the valuable resource of enough time should invest it wisely.
Here are a few key points you need to know before investing more time in pursing an OASIS SB government contract:
- Relevant experience and past performance are limited to prime contracts ONLY: 80 percent of the evaluation points are related to your company’s ability to demonstrate performance as a prime contractor.
- Must have completed at least 2 projects for the Federal Government: Although commercial experience is considered for relevant experience, your company must have past performance with a federal agency
- The minimum revenue for each past performance project must be valued at or above $150,000 annually: At least 3 past performance projects must be submitted, and the minimum combined revenue of the 3 to 5 projects submitted must total $750,000 or more annually
If your company meets all of these qualifications, it may be worth it to invest more time in determining if the OASIS SB contract vehicle could be a viable opportunity for your company. On the other hand, if you do not meet all of the qualifications above, you may be too new or too small for OASIS SB. But there is hope.
In 2019, there is another scheduled on ramp for the OASIS program. Your company has a few years to capture opportunities which meet minimum qualifications. Having a defined plan helps makes the best use of time which hopefully leads to more government contracts.