Case Study 2
1. Title and Citation Future Solutions, Inc.
2. Facts of the Case
The RFQ contemplated award of a BPA for the procurement of office supplies, with an emphasis on environmentally preferable products (EPP) and products of organizations for the blind or other severely handicapped as authorized by the Javits- Wagner-O’Day Act, 41 U.S.C. § 46-48c (2000). These products will be provided to approximately 2,000 purchase cardholders, within approximately 70 EPA facilities, located in the contiguous United States. The vendor selected for award of the BPA was required to be a current holder of a contract under the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) 75 IIA, Office Supplies Products and Equipment. The items covered by the RFQ included all general office supplies offered under Special Item Number 75 200. The base term of the BPA was 1 year, with four 1-year options, and a maximum 15 months of award-term incentive options. In January 2003, the EPA obtained and evaluated the quotations and oral presentations of four large business FSS 75 IIA contractors. On May 22, the agency issued a “sources sought” notice seeking information on the capability of small business FSS 75 IIA contractors for consideration for the BPA. Capability statements were limited to 5 pages, and were to address the BPA’s statement of work and 10 other specific capabilities. EPA received capability statements from nine small business FSS contractors, including FSI. Based on her review, the contracting officer determined that none of the small business respondents would be able to perform the BPA’s requirements. Although the EPA’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) concurred with this determination, the OSDBU requested that the contracting officer participate in a teleconference with two of the small