What is a GWAC (Government-Wide Acquisition Contract)?
Also known as: Government-Wide Acquisition Contract
A GWAC is a pre-competed, multiple-award IDIQ contract for information technology that any federal agency can use to buy IT solutions. Examples include GSA's Alliant and 8(a) STARS vehicles, which streamline IT acquisition government-wide.
Why GWACs matter
GWACs let agencies skip a full open competition by ordering from vendors already vetted onto the vehicle. For contractors, holding a seat on a major GWAC provides access to high volumes of IT task orders across the entire government.
Some GWACs (like the 8(a) STARS family) are set aside for small or socio-economically designated firms, combining vehicle access with reduced competition.
Frequently asked questions
How is a GWAC different from a GSA Schedule?
Both are pre-competed vehicles, but a GWAC is a single IDIQ for IT with a fixed set of awardees and a ceiling, while the GSA Schedule (MAS) is a broad, continuously open catalog of commercial products and services across many categories.
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