Wonder how you would deal with setting minimum obligation under the IDIQ? If you hold back on the potential minimum (for possibility of additional "freshening"), how much do you lose in price advantages from original offerors, who price on a lower minimum guarantee?

By Stan Livingstone on Tuesday, February 22, 2000 - 07:41 am:

One potential problem area is consistency of evaluations and source selection rational over time. Changes in the marketplace, capabilities, technology, etc. can really alter what you might want. You didn't mention what you're buying, and whether you plan to not make awards to some of the offerors. If you intend to make limited awards based on some criteria, think everything through carefully.

GSA doesn't have this problem with FSS Schedules. They award to essentially everyone that is responsible. If a company offers the products or services commercially and appears stable enough to stay in business, they get a contract.

I can see another sticky issue with unsuccessful offerors. Will you allow someone you debriefed to apply again later?

By Vern Edwards on Monday, February 21, 2000 - 11:26 pm:

The new contracts would just be new awards based on the same terms as the first generation awards. I cannot think of any legal objection to that, especially if you notify the first generation contractors that you reserve the right to do it. I have not heard of anyone actually doing it, but I have heard people talk about doing it.

You might even be able to award the second generation contracts based on first generation offers if you don't wait too long and can get the first generation offerors to keep their offers open. Again, you would have to include notice of your intentions in the original RFP.

I'm not saying that I think this is a good idea; I'm just responding to the question of whether it could be done.

By Bl14x@nih.gov on Thursday, February 17, 2000 - 11:23 am:

Has anyone ever considered a multiple award IDIQ contract where, periodically, additional contractors were permitted to receive contracts after the basic awards were made? I'm thinking of something along the lines of the Federal Supply Schedules, where contracts are awarded upon receipt of an offer anywhere in the term of the schedule. Can this, or something like it be done in a multiple award IDIQ contract? (e.g., once a year during a multiple year contract, could an announcement be made in the CBD that the agency will consider other offerors and make additional awards)