U.S. General Services Administration
Complex Commercial SATCOM Solutions (CS3)
GSA’s SATCOM contracts have been designated Best-in-Class. BIC indicates that it is a preferred government-wide solution because it provides an opportunity to use the federal government’s buying power. SATCOM contracts include the MAS Information Technology Special Item Numbers 132-54 and 132-55, and the Complex Commercial SATCOM Solutions IDIQ contract.
CS3 allows federal agencies to build large, complex, customsatellite solutions. Solutions include satellite transport (bandwidth), fixed or mobile satellite service, and service-enabling components such as terminals, handsets, and tail circuits with engineering services to integrate, operate, and maintain the solution.
CS3 contract features
Type of contract: Multiple award, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity
Period of performance: The CS3 period of performance is effective as of October 16, 2017. It has a five-year base period of performance with one three-year and one two-year option periods.
Lineage: Include lessons learned from the CS2 and CS2-SB contracts, the CS3 contract allows single task orders to continue for up to five years past the basic contract end date.
Ceiling: $2.5 Billion
Emphasis: CS3 focuses on complex SATCOM solutions, as opposed to end-to-end solutions, while still providing access to the complete spectrum of COMSATCOM Industry services.
Comprehensive features
- Cost savings by reduction of acquisition requirements for separate contracting organizations and improvement of customers’ bargaining power.
- Pre-vetted industry partners that deliver vendor compliance to information assurance and protection requirements.
- Flexibility to incorporate emerging technologies as they become available to the commercial marketplace and to address agency-unique needs.
- Easy access to leading satellite technologies aligned with government parameters, interfaces, and standards.
Benefits
CS3 is prepared for the federal government’s COMSATCOM requirements.
The CS3 vehicle provides solutions in support of multiple types of requirements, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Interactive services: the ability to connect multiple locations into a real-time two-way interactive network.
- Continuity of operations: the pre-planned establishment and deployment of a backup or alternative communications infrastructure in anticipation that the normal, primary communications infrastructure is disabled due to natural or man-made hazard.
- Broadcast satellite services: the collection of voice, video, or data singularly or together into one central site and subsequent distribution of that information to multiple fixed or mobile locations.
- Fleet and asset tracking and reporting services: the ability for deployed equipment (e.g., sensors) to send real-time location and status information; also the ability to send messages or other data to fleet equipment or other assets.
- Emergency responder operations: the ability to establish or reconstitute a communications infrastructure in response to a natural or human-caused event that disrupts or destroys the normal, pre-existing communications infrastructure.
- Steady state operations: the capability to provide complete, customized engineering solutions to support requirements which are generally long duration, sustaining base communications services and infrastructure to support enduring user requirements.
- Direct customer operations: the ability to create a satellite-based communications infrastructure to support specific customer operations.
Expanding opportunities for small businesses
CS3 is committed to promoting small business participation. Its provisions include an option to add additional small businesses to the contract through an open season and ensure their adequate inclusion throughout its lifetime. Moreover, the CS3 proposal process requires large businesses to submit small business subcontracting plans as part of their proposals. At the Task Order level, ordering activities can set-aside requirements exclusively for small businesses. Historically with CS2 and CS3-SB, approximately 75 percent of the total awarded task orders went to small businesses.