[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 48 (Wednesday, March 12, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 11456]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-6163]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION


Change in Solicitation Procedures Under the Small Business 
Competitiveness Demonstration Program

AGENCY: Office of Acquisition Policy, GSA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Title VII of the Business Opportunity Development Reform Act 
of 1988 (Public Law 100-656) established the Small Business 
Competitiveness Demonstration Program and designated nine (9) agencies, 
including GSA, to conduct the program over a four (4) year period from 
January 1, 1989 to December 31, 1992. The Small Business Opportunity 
Enhancement Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-366) extended the demonstration 
program until September 1996 and made certain changes in the procedures 
for operation of the demonstration program. The program has been 
extended for an additional one-year period by the Omnibus Consolidated 
Appropriations Act (Public Law 104-208). The law designated four (4) 
industry groups for testing whether the competitive capabilities of the 
specified industry groups will enable them to successfully compete on 
an unrestricted basis. The four (4) industry groups are: construction 
(except dredging); architectural and engineering (A&E) services 
(including surveying and mapping); refuse systems and related services 
(limited to trash/garbage collection); and non-nuclear ship repair. 
Under the program, when a participating agency misses its small 
business participation goal, restricted competition is reinstituted 
only for those contracting activities that failed to attain the goal. 
The small business goal is 40 percent of the total contract dollars 
awarded for construction, trash/garbage collection services, and non-
nuclear ship repair and 35 percent of the total contract dollars 
awarded for architect-engineer services. This notice announces 
modifications to GSA's solicitation practices under the demonstration 
program based on a review of the agency's performance during the period 
from January 1, 1996 to December 31, 1996. Modifications to 
solicitation practices are outlined in the Supplementary Information 
section below and apply to solicitations issued on or after April 1, 
1997.

EFFECTIVE DATE: April 1, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Wisnowski, Office of GSA 
Acquisition Policy, (202) 501-1224.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Procurements of construction or trash/
garbage collection with an estimated value of $25,000 or less and 
procurement of A-E services with an estimated value of $50,000 or less 
will be reserved for emerging small business concerns in accordance 
with the procedures outlined in the interim policy directive issued by 
the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (58 FR 13513, March 11, 1993).
    Procurements of construction or trash/garbage collection with an 
estimated value that exceeds $25,000 and procurement of A-E serivces 
with an estimated value exceeding $50,000 by GSA contracting activities 
will be made in accordance with the following procedures:

Construction Services in Groups 15, 16, and 17

    Procurements for all construction services (except solicitations 
issued by GSA contracting activities in Regions 2, 3, 7, 8, and the 
National Capital Region in SIC Group 15, and the National Capital 
Region in individual SIC code 1794) shall be conducted on an 
unrestricted basis.
    Procurements for construction services in SIC Group 15 issued by 
GSA contracting activities in Regions 2, 3, 7, and 8, and the National 
Capital Region, and in individual SIC code 1794 in the National Capital 
Region, shall be set aside for small business when there is a 
reasonable expectation of obtaining competition from two or more small 
businesses. If no expectation exists, the procurements will be 
conducted on an unrestricted basis.
    Region 2 encompasses the states of New Jersey, New York, and the 
territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
    Region 3 encompasses the states of Pennsylvania, Delaware, West 
Virginia, Maryland (except Montgomery and Prince Georges counties), and 
Virginia (except the city of Alexandria and the counties of Arlington, 
Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William).
    Region 7 encompasses the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, 
New Mexico, and Texas.
    Region 8 encompasses the states of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, 
South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
    The National Capital Region encompasses the District of Columbia, 
Montgomery and Prince Georges counties in Maryland, and the city of 
Alexandria and the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince 
William in Virginia.

Trash/Garbage Collection Services in PSC S205

    Procurements for trash/garbage collection services in PSC S205 will 
be conducted on an unrestricted basis.

Architect-Engineer Services (All PSC Codes Under the Demonstration 
Program)

    Procurements for all architect-engineer services (except 
procurements issued by contracting activities in GSA Regions 4, 9, and 
the National Capital Region) shall be conducted on an unrestricted 
basis.
    Procurements for architect-engineer services issued by contracting 
activities in Regions 4, 9, and the National Capital Region shall be 
set aside for small business when there is a reasonable expectation of 
obtaining competition from two or more small businesses. If no 
expectation exists, the procurements may be conducted on an 
unrestricted basis.
    Region 4 encompasses the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, 
Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
    Region 9 encompasses the states of Arizona, California, Hawaii, and 
Nevada.
    The National Capital Region encompasses the District of Columbia, 
Montgomery and Prince Georges counties in Maryland, and the city of 
Alexandria and the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince 
William in Virginia.

Non-Nuclear Ship Repair

    GSA does not procure non-nuclear ship repairs.

    Dated: March 6, 1997.
Ida M. Ustad,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Acquisition Policy.
[FR Doc. 97-6163 Filed 3-11-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-61-P