Solicitation for VETS 2 GWAC coming soon –- April 6, 2016, By Aaron Boyd, Federal Times Veterans interested in selling IT services to federal agencies should get ready to compete for a spot on the $5 billion VETS 2, the second generation of the General Services Administration’s governmentwide acquisitionesses. The current Veterans Technology Services (VETS) GWAC is set to expire in 2017 after a 10-year run. Based off the success of the original vehicle, GSA has been planning the follow-up since late 2014. Download: VETS 2 Draft RFP "Look at the number of companies that were able to outgrow the small business size standard as a result of being on this contract," Steve Triplett, small business director at GSA GWAC Center, told Federal Times in December 2014. "I believe it was successful, it is successful and it will be even more successful in the future." Success of VETS GWAC spurs development of VETS II Sales on VETS hit a high of $386 million in 2011, followed by a steady decline after Veterans Affairs launched its Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology (T4) contract that summer. The vehicle is still getting used, though, with $137 million in sales in 2015 and just shy of $34 million to-date in 2016…... G2X TAKE: One key part of the strategy for growth at GSA is the impending VETS 2 GWAC, a government wide contract vehicle specifically geared for SDVOSBs. While it is easy to appreciate the optimism, a $5B ceiling does seem a bit ambitious given the most recent fiscal year spend was a mere $137M and the biggest supporter of the Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business community, the Department of Veterans Affairs, just awarded their own $22.3B 10-year multiple award contract last month. Regardless, if you are a SDVOSB, you absolutely have to take a long look at this as contract vehicles remain king and the opportunity to drive work to a limited competition option can be invaluable. In addition, the pendulum is always swinging and all it takes is for T4NG or the TAC to fall out of favor for this vehicle to once again be front and center.