BMO Frequently asked questions

Are the BMO contracts available for review?

A copy of both the BMO Small Business and BMO Unrestricted solicitations can be found on this site and the Acquisition Gateway under the Facilities & Construction Hallway and Building Maintenance and Operation (BMO) Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative (FSSI) page.

Have all Zones been awarded?

A list and map of the awarded Zones can be found on this site and on the Acquisition Gateway under the Facilities & Construction Hallway and Building Maintenance and Operation (BMO) Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative (FSSI) page.

Where can I find a listing of the BMO contract holders?

Listings of the BMO and BMO Small Business contracts are located on this site or additionally on the GSA eLibrary and the Acquisition Gateway.

Where do customers find the pricing information for BMO contractors?

Pricing information for all BMO contractors is accessible on the Acquisition Gateway under the Facilities & Construction Hallway and BMO Library of Resources (BMO Hub). Once on the BMO Hub page:

1. Select the applicable Phase Pricing tile.
2. Select BMO Phase Pricing Information.
3. Finally select appropriate filters.

Can the BMO contracts be used as a cooperative/intergovernmental contract and be used by State agencies?

The BMO contracts are not available to State and Local governments.

As the BMO contracts are 10 year IDIQs, do the contractors with awards have to competitively quote on task orders?

Yes, ordering agencies must follow the procedures outlined in FAR 16.505 and solicit all contract holders that offer the services included in their requirement, allowing each contractor a fair opportunity to be considered for each order.

When soliciting under the BMO (Small Business or Unrestricted) contracts is an agency allowed to select the vendors to receive the request, or must all vendors be solicited?

All BMO vendors that qualify for the service categories applicable to the requirement scope and are included in the appropriate zone for the place(s) of performance should be solicited (FAR 16.505(b)(1)), unless a Fair Opportunity exception applies (FAR 16.505(b)(2)). Note that BMO Small Business allows for small business set-asides under FAR 16.505(b)(2)(F) for specific socioeconomic categories.

Are the awarded contractors the only companies that can quote for the entire 10 years?

Yes, only BMO awarded contractors may respond to task order solicitations issued under BMO. During the 10 years there could be periodic open seasons to on-ramp contractors to the vehicle. However, these open seasons may only be open to certain pools of vendors such as small businesses or specific socioeconomic category.

Is a competitive waiver needed to compete a requirement amongst the certified 8(a) contractors?

Only competitive 8(a) task orders are allowed, without a waiver.

Is an 8(a) offering letter needed once it has been decided with 8(a) recipient will get the task order award?

An 8(a) offering letter is required at the task order level when doing an 8(a) set-aside procurement against BMO.

Should solicitations under the BMO be referred to as a RFQ or RFP?

Great question, to which there is no definitive answer. FAR 16.505 does not specify the type of solicitation to be utilized. Therefore, the solicitation used could vary depending on the individual requirement, the type of solicitation anticipated, the value of the requirement, the need for a legally binding response and the preference of your agency.

Is it allowable to write a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) against the BMO contract?

No, BPAs are not allowed against BMO contracts.

Does the BMO have the ability to perform overseas (OCONUS)?

No, BMO is currently for CONUS use only for the awarded Zones.

Are agencies able to utilize cost-reimbursement contract types under BMO?

As the BMO contract vehicles utilize commercial terms and conditions, in accordance with FAR Part 12, cost-reimbursement type orders are prohibited. Task orders may be placed on a Fixed Price (all types), Time and Material or Labor Hour basis or a combination of these.

Is a Contracting Officer required to obtain the DPA prior to issuing an RFQ to BMO vendors or must the DPA be obtained prior to issuing the award?

Contracting Officers are strongly encouraged to take the Delegation of Procurement Authority (DPA) training prior to writing their solicitation for BMO services to ensure that their requirement is within scope and structured appropriately to maximize the efficiencies that BMO can offer.

Where will task order solicitations be posted?

Task order solicitations may be posted either through the GSA eBuy system or by the individual ordering agency’s preferred method (e.g. email).

If a contractor is an incumbent on a Federal contract, and subsequent work is solicited under the BMO contract, is the incumbent precluded from quoting for lack of a BMO contract?

Only BMO awarded contractors are able to respond to task orders solicited under BMO, therefore if an incumbent does not hold a BMO contract they would not be able to respond to these solicitations. However the incumbent could potentially subcontract with any of the BMO contract holders.