PART 10 – MARKET RESEARCH
(b) All Sources Sought announcements and Requests for Information (RFI) for acquisitions with an estimated value exceeding $5M, shall be forwarded to OSBP for review to ensure potential sources are not requested to submit more than the minimum information necessary.
(a)(ii)(B) The program office or the requiring activity must address whether the acquisition can be set-aside for small businesses and if not, why not, in the Market Research Report.
The contracting officer will use the results of the market research to determine whether the criteria are met for setting aside the acquisition for small business or, for a task or delivery order, whether there are a sufficient number of qualified small business concerns available to justify limiting competition under the terms of the contract.
(S-90) The contracting officer will document and attach the results of a query of the SBA Dynamic Small Business Search tool at http://dsbs.sba.gov/dsbs/search/dsp_dsbs.cfm to the Market Research Report and forward with the DD Form 2579 to OSBP for review (See DARS
19.201 (S-92) (c)).
(S-91) The contracting officer shall conduct their own independent market research and document the findings within the market research report.
The contracting officer will certify by signature on the market research report whether or not the results support setting aside the acquisition. If the resulting acquisition strategy does not include a small business set-aside, market research documentation should explicitly explain why a set-aside is not appropriate.
The contracting officer will fully document and detail market research with respect to small business participation. Market research must document to what extent the small business community, as a whole, has or does not have the ability to support the requirement.
When market research indicates that the small business community, as a whole, does not possess the required capability or capacity to perform as a prime contractor, consideration should be given to small business subcontracting. The market research report should include subcontracting opportunities for small businesses under “Consideration of Small Business Opportunities”.
(S-92) Methods of market research include, but are not limited to, the use of a Sources Sought Announcement or a Request for Information (RFI). (See DARS 19.202 (S-93)(2)(3). Each is used for different reasons. A Sources Sought Announcement is used when there is a known requirement with a previous procurement history, or a well-defined new requirement. A Request for Information (RFI) is used to develop requirements and make decisions regarding acquisition strategies when limited or no acquisition history is available and when industry input is required. Additionally, assistance is available from the Office of Small Business Programs when seeking potential sources.
When a Sources Sought Announcement is planned, allow for the following:
● Posting on FedBizOpps for a minimum of 15 business days ensures maximum feedback.
● Use the approved DISA Sources Sought template: https://www.ditco.disa.mil/DITCOContractingTemplates/docs/disa_sources_sought_annoucement_template.docx
When an RFI is planned, allow for the following:
● RFI’s should remain posted on FedBizOpps for at least 20 business days to ensure maximum participation by small business concerns.
● Use the approved DISA RFI template: https://www.ditco.disa.mil/download.asp?/DITCOContractingTemplates/docs/Request for Information Template.docx
(S-93) The contracting officer shall notify the Office of Small Business Programs of all industry days, including date, time and location of event using the following title “Industry Day Notification” and send a notification to the following email account: disa.meade.osbp.mbx.ditco-small-business-office@mail.mil.
(b)(1) The contracting officer’s discretion to the use of market research conducted within 18 months before award is limited to task orders or delivery orders only.
(S-90) Except for the issuance of a Sources Sought announcement or RFI, market research is primarily the responsibility of the program office or the requiring activity. Requirement statements must reflect any available commercial solutions.
Market research documentation must be complete, unbiased, and supported by facts, not more than 12 months old and provided as part of the requisition package. All awards shall include documentation that market research was conducted.
(S-91) Market Research Report (MRR) template
Table 10-1 MRR Template Type
Dollar Threshold |
Procurement Action |
Template Type |
Template Location |
>$150K |
All Service Procurements |
Market Research Report Template (Ordering Instructions Enclosure 17a) |
|
<$150K |
Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP) |
SAP Market Research Report Template (Ordering Instructions Enclosure 17d) |
https://www.ditco.disa.mil/download.asp?/DITCOContractingTemplates/docs/SAP Market Research Report for $150K or less.docx |
<$6.5M |
SAP/Equipment Purchases Only. (Shall not be used for services) |
SAP or Equipment Purchases Market Research Report/Commerciality Determination (Ordering Instructions Enclosure 17b) |
|
Exercising an Option |
Prior to Exercising ALL Options. |
Market Research Report for Option Exercise (Ordering Instructions Enclosure 17c) |
https://www.ditco.disa.mil/download.asp?/DITCOContractingTemplates/docs/Sample Market Research for Option Exercise.docx |
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