IT Services Acquisition Planning Package

Government buyers can use this APP to develop and release a solicitation for IT Services. Leverage the instructional content below, along with the linked sample, template, and reference documents, to better understand the subcategory and obtain needed products, services, or solutions.

Acquisition Lifecycle Overview

Use the following overview to gain a high-level understanding of pre-solicitation lifecycle stages and quickly navigate to relevant resources

  1. Discovery: Learn about the current IT Services acquisition environment and review critical resources before beginning your acquisition
    • Relevant documents: Buyer's Guides and other critical resources
  2. Requirements Definition: Document your needs and estimate associated costs to set the foundation for a successful acquisition
    • Relevant documents: SOO, PWS, SOW, IGCE, Buying Tips / Tools
  3. Market Research and Planning: Inform your acquisition strategy by collecting information on the supply base, available contract vehicles, and key regulations
    • Relevant documents: RFI, Sources Sought Notice, Market Research Report, MRAS Report, Policy and/or Guidance
  4. Solicitation Development: Develop solicitation documents to help clearly express your business requirements and invite private sector contractors to compete for your work
    • Relevant documents: RFQ, RFP, Other Solicitation Resources and Templates

Learn about the current IT Services acquisition environment and review critical resources before beginning your acquisition

Critical Resources

Gain a broad understanding of acquisitions in this subcategory using the resources below. Please note that certain resources are also listed within the other stages

Buyer's Guides

High-impact reference documents that overview the subcategory across lifecycle stages

Document your needs and estimate associated costs to set the foundation for a successful acquisition

Key Considerations and Buying Notes

The following links may also help you as you develop your acquisition:

Relevant Documents

Use these samples and templates to develop a requirements document for your acquisition. If you expect your acquisition to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, use the IGCE resources to develop a cost estimate to supplement your requirements document. Additional Buying Tips and Tools have also been provided to help inform requirements and estimate costs / pricing.

Statement of Work (SOW)

A requirements document that clearly and specifically describes the work to be done in developing or producing the products and/or services delivered by the contractor

Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE)

An assessment / estimate of the contract's potential costs based on industry standards. Please use this link to access GSA's standard IGCE creation tool

Buying Tips / Tools

Other documents that inform requirements, support cost / pricing definition, or provide insight into available products / services

Inform your acquisition strategy by collecting information on the supply base, available contract vehicles, and key regulations

Relevant Documents

Use templates or the MRAS resource to conduct your own market research. Alternatively, review sample documents to understand existing capabilities to meet your business / acquisition needs. Additional Policy and/or Guidance has also been provided to help identify key regulations or processes for existing contract vehicles.

Market Research as a Service Report (MRAS)

A type of market research report developed by GSA's internal Market Research as a Service (MRAS) offering. Please use this link to request a MRAS report

Policy and/or Guidance (P&G)

Various documents that provide additional context on specific vehicles or flag specific policies that buyers should be aware of when executing an acquisition. Buyers should also ensure they check their agency’s own internal policies and guidance

Develop solicitation documents to help clearly express your business requirements and invite private sector contractors to compete for your work

Relevant Documents

Use samples and templates to develop your own solicitation and request responses from contractors capable and interested in fulfilling the requirements. The formats below provide different ways to structure your solicitation depending on the complexity of your needs.

Request for Proposal (RFP)

A solicitation type used when various approaches could fulfill business needs. RFPs often include the evaluation of other factors from your requirements document in addition to price

Other Solicitation Resources and Templates

Additional resources to support the development and release of your solicitation


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Last Reviewed: 2022-07-20