Research the OASIS+ contract features

As part of market research, you will need to determine which OASIS+ vehicle will be solicited. The information below is required by the FAR, necessary for you to complete your contract file. Agencies may have different policies, regulations, and standards that should be considered in the decision to utilize OASIS+ for an agency solution.

Contract scope

The contract scope of OASIS+ is organized by domains, which are functional groupings of related services spanning multiple NAICS codes. Domains are designed to align order requirements to qualified industry partners. Each domain is limited to the NAICS codes and associated size standards specifically listed under that domain.

The OASIS+ contracts cover services that are: commercial and non-commercial; classified and unclassified; and Continental United States (CONUS) and Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS). All OASIS+ task orders must be within scope of the respective OASIS+ IDIQ contract for which it is awarded, provided the Ordering Contracting Officer (OCO) determines the principal purpose NAICS code for the order to be one of the OASIS+ NAICS codes. If the OCO determines it is a NAICS code outside one of the OASIS+ NAICS codes, it is not within scope of OASIS+.

As you continue to review the factors that determine which OASIS+ contract to use, OCO’s seeking further guidance are encouraged to submit a scope review.

Services not allowed

OASIS+ task orders shall NOT include any of the following:

Any requirement for Inherently Governmental Functions as defined in FAR 2.101.
Any requirement for Personal Services as defined in FAR 2.101.
Any requirement whose principal purpose - as determined by the OCO - falls under the scope of FAR part 36 - Construction and Architect-Engineer Contracts. (Note: This does not preclude use of Architects and Engineers for services not required to be under FAR Part 36 such as Construction Management, etc.)
Any requirement whose principal purpose - as determined by the OCO - is in a NAICS code not listed under the corresponding domain solicited.

Task order contract types

Subject to the FAR and agency level required consideration criteria, limitations, and/or prohibitions, OCOs may use any appropriate contract type. These generally include, but are not limited to:

Fixed-price, all types
Cost-reimbursement, all types
Time-and-materials
Labor-hour
Hybrids of any of these types

If using a hybrid of contract types, please use separate Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) for the work under each contract type and annotate each CLIN with the associated contract type. This is important for clause implementation.

Task order period of performances

A task order must be solicited and awarded prior to the OASIS+ IDIQ ordering period end date. A task order period of performance (base period and all option periods) may extend up to five years after the OASIS+ IDIQ contract ordering period end date. Task order option periods may be exercised after the OASIS+ ordering period end date, provided that no task order option period of performance occurs beyond five years after the OASIS+ IDIQ ordering period end date. No task order performance can occur after the period of performance end date for the OASIS+ IDIQ. The ordering period of performance for each contract will be finalized upon award and notice to proceed.

The OASIS+ contracts will include the FAR 52.217-8, this clause does not flow down to task orders as it requires fill in information. The OASIS+ IDIQ’s performance must stop by the Period of Performance end date shown unless the OASIS+ IDIQ is extended by the GSA OASIS+ Contracting Officers. The (FAR 52.217-8) clause exercise is not guaranteed and is the sole decision of the GSA OASIS+ CO’s.

After the OASIS+ IDIQ ordering period expires, the OASIS+ IDIQ contracts will remain active for administration only. The OASIS+ IDIQ contracts shall govern the terms and conditions of active task orders to the same extent as if they were completed during the OASIS+IDIQ active ordering period.

Security clearance consideration

The task order solicitation should clearly express all requirements for security clearances, both facility, and personnel. Please adhere to all classified handling procedures at all times.

Process for posting a classified order on OASIS+:

Note: Customers cannot provide classified data on Symphony; this is how you will proceed to order classified requirements.

Determine domain/NAICS
Customer notifies the contract holders of an upcoming classified solicitation via the mandatory task order TO management system, Symphony - request interested vendors respond; state how the solicitation may be viewed; e.g., location (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, SCIF) or Secret Internet Protocol Router (SIPR) email instructions
Post solicitation (in secure location, distro via SIPR emails)
Review offerors and award

AbilityOne considerations

The OASIS+ program does not include a Subcontracting Plan initiative for AbilityOne, an independent federal agency and program that provides employment opportunities to approximately 40,000 people who are blind or have significant disabilities. However in accordance with FAR 8.005, the OCO shall, “Insert the clause at FAR 52.208-9, Contractor Use of Mandatory Sources of Supply and Services, in solicitations and contracts that require a contractor to provide supplies or services for Government use that are on the Procurement List maintained by the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled.”

For certain task orders where supplies are anticipated to be supplied for use by the Government, the Procurement List maintained by the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled is a mandatory source of supply and should be checked to see if these supplies are available from this source.

Note: Under Department of Defense (DoD) regulations, prime contractors are allowed to receive credit toward their small business subcontracting goals if they subcontract with qualified nonprofit agencies participating in the AbilityOne Program. (See 10 U.S. Code 3903).

Minimum and maximum order limitations

Minimum order

The minimum order limitation under OASIS+ is the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT). While a contractor is not obligated to accept an order valued under the SAT, it is not prohibited from doing so.

Maximum order

There is no maximum order limitation under OASIS+. The OASIS+ program has no ceiling on any OASIS+ multi-award contracts.

Labor categories

In accordance with OASIS+ contract section B.8 the OCOs have the following flexibilities regarding labor categories that may be used:

OASIS+ standardized labor categories; or
Contractor proposed custom or specialized labor categories that are non-standard; or
OCO-directed, non-standard custom or specialized labor categories that are customized to the requirement.

OASIS+ labor categories align to the Office of Management and Budget’s or OMB’s Standard Occupational Classification Manual 2018, which includes compensation data maintained by the Department of Labor (DOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system is a federal statistical standard used by federal agencies to classify workers into occupational categories for the purpose of collecting, calculating, or disseminating data.

What is prohibited under OASIS+

Small business set asides

Small business set-asides are prohibited under all OASIS+ contracts, which include OASIS+ UR, OASIS+ SB, OASIS+ 8(a), OASIS+ WOSB, OASIS+ HUBZone, and OASIS+ SDVOSB. While small businesses may be awarded an OASIS+ UR Contract, it is explicitly prohibited to issue any small business set-aside task order solicitations under OASIS+ UR.

Blanket Purchase Agreements

Agencies may NOT issue IDIQ order instruments or Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) against the OASIS+ IDIQ contracts (see Harris IT Services Corporation B-411699,B-411796: Oct 2, 2015). However, considerable flexibility with respect to variable levels of effort and requirements can be achieved through the use of optional CLINs, T&M/LH CLINs, and Cost-type CLINs (e.g., issuing a not to exceed Cost-type order with a wide scope that is incrementally funded via “Technical Direction Letters” within the scope of the task order). OCOs seeking further guidance on these flexibilities are encouraged to submit a no cost pre-solicitation scope review.

8(a) Competitive or sole source guidance

Ordering activities seeking to satisfy their requirements through either 8(a) competitive or 8(a) Sole Source (Direct) task orders must use the OASIS+ 8(a) awarded contracts.

Competitive 8(a) task orders

For competitive 8(a) task orders, the OCO should:

Follow similar procedures to competing orders (e.g., choose the domain/NAICS, fair opportunity, etc.).
Understand that OASIS+ contractors may compete at any dollar level.
Know that all OASIS+ 8(a) awardees have been offered and accepted by SBA into the 8(a) program at the IDIQ Contract Level under SBA requirement number IX1685025756D.
Recognize there is no need to offer the order for SBA acceptance to get 8(a) credit for the order.
Understand that In accordance with 13 CFR 121.404(a)(1)(i)(B) all competitive orders default to the size/status shown in the OASIS+ 8(a)Pool Contract notwithstanding their size/status shown in any other system.

Sole Source (Direct) 8(a) task orders

Below is additional information on sole source 8(a) task orders:

Sole Source (Direct) 8(a) orders may be issued at the OCO’s discretion subject to SBA approval. Sole Source (Direct) 8(a) orders must each be offered to and accepted by SBA before award.
A contractor must be a current 8(a) participant at the time of task order award in order to receive a Sole Source (Direct) order. The OCO should check the 8(a) status at SBA Dynamic Search before considering a Sole Source (Direct) order.
Contractors who have exited from the 8(a) program are ineligible to receive an 8(a) Sole Source (Direct) order award.
Follow the OCO agencies’ partnership agreement for offering the Sole Source (Direct) order to SBA.
Are limited to $4.5 million in accordance with FAR 19.805-1(a)(2);
- Except for 8(a) concerns owned by an Indian Tribe (Tribal Owned) or an Alaska Native Corporation (ANC) (reference FAR 19.805- 1(b)(2)) which have a Sole Source (Direct) order limit of $25 million in accordance with FAR 19.808-1.
- Department of Defense (DoD) only:
  - DoD may also issue Sole Source (Direct) orders to 8(a) Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHO) (reference 13 CFR 124.506(b)(2)).
  - DFARS 219.808-1 increases Sole Source (Direct) order limit to $100 million for ANC/Tribal Owned/NHO 8(a) concerns.

Sole Source (Direct ) 8(a) orders to ANC/Tribal Owned/NHO 8(a) concerns

Notwithstanding the OASIS+ 8(a) IDIQ contract was awarded competitively, 13 CFR 124.506 (b)(1) and (2)’s “…if SBA has not accepted the requirement into the 8(a) BD program as a competitive procurement…” only applies to an order level requirement and may not be used as a rationale to prohibit allowing orders to ANC/Tribal/NHO 8(a) concerns on a Sole Source (Direct) order basis above the FAR 19.805-1(a)(2) $4.5 million threshold.

An OASIS+ 8(a) order requirement that was initially solicited on a competitive basis may not be removed from competition and subsequently awarded to an ANC/Tribal/NHO 8(a) concern on a Sole Source (Direct) order basis.