Working with DHS
Department of Homeland Security - Forecast of Contract Opportunities

September 2006

 

The Business Opportunity Development Reform Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-656) amended the Small Business Act to emphasize acquisition planning. The law requires agencies to compile and make available projections of contracting opportunities that small businesses, including minority, women-owned, HUBZone, veteran-owned, and service-disabled veteran-owned, may be able to perform.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Forecast of Contract Opportunities includes projections of all anticipated contract actions above $100,000 that small businesses may be able to perform under direct contracts with DHS, or perform part of the effort through subcontract arrangements with the Department’s Direct at: large business prime contractors. For additional information on procurements not expected to exceed $100,000, please contact the appropriate Department’s Direct at: Small Business Specialist for each Organizational Element.

Homeland Security purchases a wide variety of goods and services and is committed to small business participation in the acquisition program. Helping firms identify procurement opportunities as early in the acquisition process as possible improves communication with industry and assists the small business community with its marketing efforts.

The procurements described in this forecast are expected to have a solicitation released in fiscal year 2006 and subsequent fiscal years as indicated for each action. The item descriptions are based on the best information available at the time of publication. Updates to the forecast will be made at Direct at: Open for Business and the hard-copy document, when reprinted.

All projected procurements are subject to revision or cancellation. Final decisions on the extent of competition, small business participation, estimated value, or any aspect of the procurement action will not be made until each procurement is initiated. The forecast data is for planning purposes, does not represent a pre-solicitation synopsis, does not constitute an invitation for bid or request for proposal, and is not a commitment by the government to purchase the desired products and services.

The forecast is divided by organizational elements and sorted by Direct at: North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code. Actual solicitation notices will be posted on Direct at: FedBizOpps.

This publication, including updates, and other marketing information, is also available on Direct at: Open for Business.

The purpose of publishing the small business FY 2006 Forecast of Contracting Opportunities to the general public is to make the reader aware of:

• The scope and depth of the government’s dependence on the private sector for goods and services, and
• New initiatives where the government intends to seek participation of private sector firms for goods and services.

The majority of contracting actions, described in the forecast, reflect ongoing contracts and associated activities. In cases where the contractor’s performance is satisfactory and the contracts have remaining option years to exercise, there will be no opportunities for third party firms during a given fiscal year.

In cases where the government agency is initiating a new contracting action during the fiscal year, the agency may choose to:

• Use existing government contracts in place at another agency,
• Use firms already listed as a part of the Direct at: Federal Supply Schedule,
• Set aside the opportunity for a specific category of firms, e.g., small businesses, service disabled veteran-owned small businesses, 8(a) small businesses, or HUBZone small businesses,
• Use a full and open competition technique wherein any interested firms may consider participating in the acquisition process.

Vendors using this forecast are advised to learn as much as possible about a potential agency customer through information already in the public domain (e.g. government Web sites, news articles, conferences, ) before contacting the individuals listed for each advanced acquisition item. Consider participating in governmental Direct at: vendor outreach sessions as a primary marketing technique.

DHS Agency Forecast: Direct at: http://www.fido.gov/dhs/aap/publicviewsb.asp