Question concerning the requirement to evaluate, during source selection, the extent of participation of small businesses in performance of the contract. Should the extent of participation of Hubzone small businesses be included in this evaluation? FAR 19.12 and 15.304 provide guidance for evaluating the extent of SDB involvement, and DFARS 215.304(c)(i) expands this evaluation to include "... the extent of participation of SB and HBCU/MI in performance of the contract." DFARS 215.304(c)(i)(C) goes on to say that "... the extent of SB, HBCU/MI, and women-owned SB considered in the evaluation shall be listed...." This paragraph does not address Hubzone SB's and seems to imply that the SB's to be included are the "regular" SB's and the WOSB's.

If that interpretation is not correct & Hubzone SB's should be included in the participation evaluation, are the Hubzone SB's entitled to both the participation credit and the Hubzone Price Evaluation Preference? FAR 19.12 provides guidance on SDB's & advises that an SDB concern cannot receive both a participation credit and a price evaluation preference (although this is not an issue for DoD since the price evaluation preference is currently suspended). However, there does not appear to be any guidance regarding Hubzones.

Any thoughts/add'l guidance available?

By dj on Wednesday, September 20, 2000 - 08:35 pm:

Still looking for any advice that may be available.

By CAPT MERCY on Thursday, September 21, 2000 - 09:19 am:

I THINK THE REASON HBZSB ARE NOT INCLUDED IS BECAUSE THERE IS NO HISTORY ....EG PAST PERFORMANCE. THEY ARE INCLUDED IN SUB PLANS UNDER 52.219-9 BUT OTHERWISE THERE IS NOTHING TO EVALUATE.

By Anonymous on Thursday, September 21, 2000 - 05:00 pm:

Read FAR 19.307(d) and see if that helps!!!

By dj on Friday, September 22, 2000 - 01:44 pm:

FAR 19.[1307](d) addresses a Hubzone firm's entitlement to both the SDB "price" evaluation adjustment and the Hubzone "price" evaluation adjustment. My question concerns the "extent of participation" evaluation factor (FAR 19.12/DFARS 15.304). FAR 19.12 makes it clear that an offer from a qualifying SDB cannot receive both the "price" evaluation preference & the "participation" credit ... but I cannot find any comparable language regarding Hubzones.

By Fred Weatherill on Monday, October 02, 2000 - 02:28 pm:

Annon.

There are two CG decisions that may be helpful in dealing with the evaluations of offers regarding SDBs etc. They are B-223059 and B-223243.