Alliant Small Business (SB) enables federal agencies to fulfill their IT services and services-based solutions requirements and at the same time meet or exceed socioeconomic goals through the utilization of small businesses.

Alliant SB is designed to provide worldwide IT solutions to federal agencies while strengthening opportunities in federal contracting for small businesses.

“We are helping agencies achieve their procurement preference goals to use small businesses, while at the same time giving them access to integrated IT solutions. They encompass essentially the entire gamut of IT", explained GSA’s Jim Ghiloni in a recent interview with 1105 Government Information Group Custom Media.

Like Alliant, Alliant SB is a pre-competed, multi-award contract featuring ways to shorten procurement lead time. 72 small businesses are vetted and are committed to serving you.

Like Alliant, the scope includes any and all components of an integrated IT solution, including all current and any new technology which may emerge during the contract’s  life cycle.  To use Alliant SB, an agency needs to get a Delegation of Procurement Authority from GSA. Alliant and Alliant SB training are given jointly. So if a DPA is granted for Alliant, it is also granted for Alliant SB at the same time.

Small Business Credits

Alliant SB has a 5-year base with one 5-year option, with ordering procedures based on fair opportunity and has a program ceiling of $15 billion. It provides the full gamut of contract types: Fixed Price, Cost Reimbursement, Labor Hour, and Time and Materials.

“Alliant SB allows you to earn small business credits and limits protests in accordance with NDAA2008,” Ghiloni said. 

Ghiloni said Alliant and Alliant SB are essentially identical. “The question really is this work appropriate for a small business and that’s a decision that’s usually made very early in the acquisition process before you even get down to picking a contract.”

So if it is appropriate for a small business, then Alliant SB is your choice. If you need a large business, then you use Alliant. “Either way, they are going to have a suite of highly qualified industry partners that are again prequalified by us and ready to go and meet the requirements.”

Why Use Alliant SB?

There are a lot of contracts out there but Alliant Small Business is unique in a few ways said Ghiloni.

“It’s by far the most comprehensive contract for IT services and solutions. There is nothing that is IT that is not within scope and in fact there are a number of ancillary services that support IT solutions that are in scope.”

“So you can get a total solution through a single purchase on Alliant Small Business and there are really – in my opinion – no other contracts out there that can offer the same comprehensive scope.”

It’s also incredibly flexible said Ghiloni.  COs have a lot of control and latitude operating in FAR Part 16 which is designed to streamline acquisition.

“There is also the ability to team,” added Ghiloni. There’s a lot of flexibility in subcontracting because the industry partners can build teams to meet particular requirements “without having to jump through a lot of extra hoops to set up pre-described teaming arrangements and there’s a lot of flexibility in subcontracting to really enable a company to pull together the right team for the requirements.”

“We are very confident that the industry partners we’ve brought to the table are the best and the brightest small business IT service providers,” Ghiloni said. “So customers get a very good, comprehensive solution in a very efficient manner that addresses their requirements.”

For a contract holders list, visit www.gsaelibrary.gsa.gov.  GSA associates visit the IT Solutions Shop (ITSS) http://itss.gsa.gov. Learn more at www.gsa.gov/alliantsb.