The General Services Administration is in the early stages of figuring out how to take over the management of NASA’s SEWP contract.
GSA and NASA are in “active discussions,” according to a source familiar with the effort. The source said while the process is underway, it’s far from a done deal and still is a long way to go.
At the same time, GSA’s discussions to take over the CIO-SP3/4 governmentwide acquisition contracts (GWACs) from the National Institutes of Health’s IT Acquisition and Assessment (NITAAC) is in the even earlier stages and with discussions just getting going.
NextGov/FCW first reported GSA moving forward with a plan to take over these two GWACs.
“GSA is committed to supporting President Donald Trump’s priorities around streamlining and modernizing the federal acquisition landscape. Any potential transitions will be carefully coordinated with our partner agencies and will prioritize continuity for industry partners and federal customers alike,” said GSA Senior Procurement Executive, Jeffrey Koses in an email statement. “Our shared goal is to reduce duplication and enhance efficiency. As I said in our Workforce Town Hall, GSA is in a position to help save tens of billions of tax dollars for Americans.”
NASA still must make awards
The source, who requested anonymity in order to talk about pre-decisional information, said there are several obstacles that the agencies must overcome before the transitions can happen.
Among the things that need to happen first is for NASA to make the awards under SEWP VI. It’s currently reviewing proposals, has extended SEWP V through Oct. 31 and included two three-month options. SEWP V was set to expire April 30.
Robert Turner, founder and CEO of rTurner Consulting, which helps vendors develop proposals, said he estimates SEWP may have received upwards of 4,000 bids for the sixth version of the GWAC.
This means an award may not happen until mid-2026. Turner also noted the potential for protests following the awards, which could delay agency use of the new vehicle.
Meanwhile, GSA will have to look at the positions that support SEWP as well as its technology and processes.
The source said GSA must determine what best practices it could adopt not just for SEWP, but for all IT acquisition programs.
“NASA would want to be comfortable knowing that GSA can effectively maintain the high level of service the SEWP program is known for,” the source said. “GSA has to learn from the SEWP folks how they manage their program.”
The likely agreement, in the form of a memorandum of understanding, between GSA and NASA could happen after SEWP VI is off and running.
What to do with CIO-SP4?
As for NITAAC, the transition isn’t as straightforward because of the long-standing delays in awarding CIO-SP4.
NITAAC recently extended the CIO-SP3 contract for another year through April 29, 2026. NITAAC said recently there is no movement on the CIO-SP4 follow up vehicle.
The source said that until NITAAC awards or decides what to do with CIO-SP4, the transition to GSA will move more slowly.
“The issue is how to you deal with the CIO-SP4 solicitation. If you cancel the solicitation, the government may be liable for bid and proposal costs for the vendors. That is a steep price tag to acquire a program,” the source said. “That is one of several questions GSA will have to work through on CIO-SP4.”
Both of these discussions stem from President Donald Trump’s executive order in March that not only placed GSA at the center of buying all common products and services, but also take over the management and running of IT GWACs. The EO gave the Office of Management and Budget 14 days to issue a memo to initiate this change and 30 days to give GSA the full authority. Both deadlines have passed without any new public.
Currently, GSA, NASA and NITAAC run these governmentwide contracts with approval from the Office of Federal Procurement Policy.
Under the terms of the EO, GSA will decide whether NASA and NITAAC will continue to run SEWP and CIO-SP, CS and other programs.
“The [GSA] administrator, in consultation with the director of OMB, shall defer or decline the executive agent designation for governmentwide acquisition contracts for information technology when necessary to ensure continuity of service or as otherwise appropriate,” the EO states. “The administrator shall further, on an ongoing basis and consistent with applicable law, rationalize governmentwide indefinite delivery contract vehicles for information technology for agencies across the government, including as part of identifying and eliminating contract duplication, redundancy and other inefficiencies.”
Many in industry aren’t supportive of GSA taking over NASA SEWP. More than two dozen contractors wrote to the U.S. DOGE Service in April explaining the benefits of SEWP, including how it promotes competition, supports small businesses and how it’s structured to encourage transparency and contractor engagement.
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