OASIS+ Ordering Guide: How to Buy from Small Business Contractors

The OASIS+ contract vehicle represents the next generation of the General Services Administration’s (GSA) best-in-class solution for professional services. For contracting officers seeking to procure complex IT, engineering, and technical services from qualified small businesses, OASIS+ provides a streamlined acquisition pathway with pre-vetted contractors ready to deliver. This guide walks you through the ordering process, fair opportunity requirements, and practical steps to issue task orders under OASIS+.

Understanding OASIS+ Structure

OASIS+ is a multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (MA-IDIQ) contract with several distinct pools. The Total Small Business (TSB) pool is open to all small business designations, while the 8(a) pool is specifically reserved for firms that hold or have held 8(a) certification through the Small Business Administration. Both pools cover the full spectrum of professional services across multiple domains, including IT services, engineering, research and development, intelligence analysis, and program management.

Unlike legacy vehicles, OASIS+ consolidates service domains under a unified contract structure. The ceiling is virtually unlimited, and the period of performance extends through 2034 with options. This makes it one of the most flexible and powerful vehicles available to federal acquisition professionals today.

Step-by-Step Ordering Procedures

Step 1: Determine Scope. Verify that your requirement falls within the OASIS+ scope. The vehicle covers professional services as defined by NAICS codes across multiple service domains. If your requirement is primarily for products or commodities, OASIS+ is not the appropriate vehicle.

Step 2: Select the Appropriate Pool. Choose between the unrestricted pool, Total Small Business pool, 8(a) pool, HUBZone pool, Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) pool, or Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) pool based on your set-aside strategy and acquisition planning.

Step 3: Issue a Fair Opportunity Notice. Under FAR 16.505, ordering activities must provide all contract holders in the selected pool a fair opportunity to compete for each task order, unless an exception applies. Post your requirement on the OASIS+ ordering platform and allow adequate response time for offerors to prepare proposals.

Step 4: Evaluate Proposals. Develop evaluation criteria appropriate for your requirement. OASIS+ allows flexibility in evaluation methodology—you may use best value tradeoff, lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA), or other approaches consistent with FAR Part 15 or simplified acquisition procedures.

Step 5: Award the Task Order. Issue the task order to the selected contractor. The ordering contracting officer (OCO) maintains full authority over task order administration, including modifications, option exercises, and closeout.

Fair Opportunity and Exceptions

The fair opportunity process is a cornerstone of OASIS+ ordering. FAR 16.505(b)(2) provides limited exceptions where an ordering activity may restrict consideration to fewer than all contract holders. These exceptions include: urgent requirements that cannot accommodate the fair opportunity process; requirements where only one contractor can perform the work; requirements that follow a logical sequence from a previously awarded task order; and requirements where a minimum guarantee must be satisfied.

Contracting officers should document their rationale thoroughly when invoking any exception. GSA monitors ordering activity compliance and may request justification documentation during periodic reviews.

Task Order Types and Flexibility

OASIS+ supports a wide range of task order types, including firm-fixed-price (FFP), time-and-materials (T&M), labor-hour (LH), cost-reimbursement, and hybrid arrangements. This flexibility allows contracting officers to match the contract type to the risk profile and requirements of each individual task order.

For complex requirements such as intelligence analysis, cybersecurity operations, or software development in classified environments, hybrid task orders combining fixed-price deliverables with time-and-materials surge capacity have proven particularly effective. The key is aligning the contract type with your ability to define requirements and manage risk.

Working with Qualified OASIS+ Contractors

One of the primary advantages of OASIS+ is that all contract holders have been pre-vetted for relevant experience, past performance, and organizational capability. This significantly reduces acquisition risk and timeline compared to full and open competition.

Zapata Technology holds two OASIS+ contracts: Contract 47QRCA25DS585 under the Total Small Business pool and Contract 47QRCA25DA204 under the 8(a) pool. As a veteran-owned small business with over 17 years of experience supporting Department of War intelligence and cyber operations, Zapata brings deep domain expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, data engineering, DevSecOps, and cybersecurity—all within classified environments up to TS/SCI.

Contracting officers looking to leverage OASIS+ for Army intelligence, cyber, or IT modernization requirements can review Zapata Technology’s contract vehicles page for complete details on our pool assignments, NAICS codes, and service domain coverage.

Teaming and Subcontracting Under OASIS+

OASIS+ encourages contractor teaming to bring the best capabilities to each task order. Prime contractors may team with other OASIS+ holders or with non-OASIS+ firms to assemble the right mix of expertise for complex requirements. For small business pools, the prime contractor must comply with SBA’s limitations on subcontracting rules, ensuring that small businesses perform a significant portion of the work.

If your organization is interested in teaming with Zapata Technology on upcoming OASIS+ opportunities, visit our teaming page to learn about our partnership model and current areas of focus.

Best Practices for Contracting Officers

To maximize the value of OASIS+ and ensure successful outcomes, consider these best practices. First, engage with industry early through Requests for Information (RFIs) and industry days to refine requirements before issuing the formal solicitation. Second, structure evaluations to emphasize relevant experience and technical approach rather than defaulting to LPTA for complex services. Third, allow adequate proposal preparation time—compressed timelines often result in lower-quality proposals and reduced competition. Finally, leverage the OASIS+ Contracting Officer Representative (COR) resources and GSA’s support team for guidance on vehicle-specific procedures.

OASIS+ represents a significant improvement in how the federal government procures professional services. By understanding the ordering process and leveraging the pre-qualified contractor pool, acquisition professionals can deliver better outcomes for their agencies while meeting small business goals and streamlining the procurement timeline.