NASA’s decision to use a revenue-based code under the North American Industry Classification System for its procurement contracts will limit opportunities for small businesses to participate in the space agency’s project solicitations, said Reps. Roger Williams, R-Texas, and Nick LaLota, R-N.Y.
In a letter sent on Thursday to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Williams and LaLota expressed concern about the use of NAICS codes 541512 and 541519 for acquiring computer products and services under the sixth iteration of the Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts vehicle.
Williams, chairman of the House Committee on Small Business, and LaLota, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure, wrote that the previous iteration of SEWP led NASA to award 80 percent of its contract dollars to small businesses. They said that SEWP VI “limits small business’ ability to service task orders without compromising their size status.”
The lawmakers called of a staff level briefing no later than Jan. 18 to justify the use of revenue-based NAICS codes 541512 and 541519 for the contract vehicle.
A spokesperson for the space agency said that they are reviewing the congressmen’s letter and that they are aiming to award “more than 60% of SEWP VI award dollars to small businesses.”