OASIS+ 8(a) is a specialized pool within the General Services Administration’s (GSA) OASIS+ multiple-award contract vehicle, designed to facilitate the procurement of professional services from firms that hold or have held Small Business Administration 8(a) Business Development Program certification. For contracting officers seeking to meet 8(a) set-aside requirements while accessing pre-qualified professional services contractors, OASIS+ 8(a) offers a powerful and streamlined acquisition pathway.
What Makes OASIS+ 8(a) Different?
The 8(a) pool within OASIS+ serves a distinct purpose from the Total Small Business or unrestricted pools. It is specifically reserved for task orders that are set aside for 8(a) firms, enabling contracting officers to direct awards to 8(a) contractors while leveraging the full scope and flexibility of the OASIS+ vehicle. This dual benefit—streamlined acquisition combined with targeted small business participation—makes OASIS+ 8(a) an essential tool in the federal acquisition toolkit.
It is important to note that contractors holding OASIS+ 8(a) contracts may include firms that are currently in the 8(a) program as well as firms that have graduated from the program. Under OASIS+ rules, once a contract is awarded to an 8(a) pool holder, that firm remains eligible to compete for 8(a) task orders throughout the life of the contract, regardless of their current 8(a) certification status. This ensures continuity and stability for both the government and the contractor workforce.
Contract Scope and Service Domains
OASIS+ 8(a) covers the same broad scope of professional services as other OASIS+ pools. Service domains include management and advisory services, technical and engineering services, research and development, intelligence services, environmental services, facilities services, logistics services, and enterprise solutions. This comprehensive scope means that virtually any professional services requirement can be fulfilled through OASIS+ 8(a), provided the requirement aligns with the covered NAICS codes and service domains.
The contract ceiling is essentially unlimited, and the period of performance extends through 2034 with option periods. Individual task orders can span multiple years and incorporate various contract types, providing maximum flexibility for complex, evolving requirements.
Ordering Procedures for Contracting Officers
Contracting officers follow a structured process when issuing task orders under OASIS+ 8(a):
Delegation of Procurement Authority (DPA): Before issuing a task order, the ordering agency must obtain a DPA from GSA. This is a streamlined process that confirms the ordering activity’s authority to use the OASIS+ vehicle and ensures compliance with vehicle-specific ordering procedures.
Fair Opportunity: All OASIS+ 8(a) pool holders must receive fair opportunity to compete for each task order, consistent with FAR 16.505. The ordering contracting officer posts the requirement, establishes evaluation criteria, evaluates proposals, and awards the task order. The process mirrors standard IDIQ ordering procedures but operates within the pre-competed OASIS+ framework, significantly reducing acquisition lead time.
Sole Source Considerations: For 8(a) sole source task orders, contracting officers should be aware that the standard 8(a) sole source thresholds apply. Requirements exceeding $4.5 million for services must be competed among the 8(a) pool holders rather than directed to a single firm. This threshold makes OASIS+ 8(a) particularly well-suited for larger professional services requirements that might otherwise be difficult to sole-source.
Task Order Types: OASIS+ 8(a) supports firm-fixed-price, time-and-materials, labor-hour, cost-reimbursement, and hybrid contract types at the task order level. This flexibility allows contracting officers to select the appropriate contract type based on the nature of each requirement.
Advantages for Federal Agencies
OASIS+ 8(a) delivers several distinct advantages over standalone 8(a) competitive procurements. Reduced acquisition timeline: Because the contract holders are pre-qualified, the task order competition can focus solely on technical approach, staffing, and pricing for the specific requirement. Lower protest risk: Task order awards under $25 million are generally not subject to GAO bid protests, providing greater acquisition certainty. Simplified compliance: GSA manages the contract-level administration, including contractor eligibility and compliance monitoring, reducing the administrative burden on ordering activities. Pre-vetted contractors: All pool holders have demonstrated relevant experience, past performance, and financial stability during the OASIS+ on-ramping process.
Zapata Technology’s OASIS+ 8(a) Contract
Zapata Technology holds OASIS+ 8(a) Contract 47QRCA25DA204, providing contracting officers access to our full range of professional services through the 8(a) pool. While Zapata Technology has graduated from the 8(a) program, our OASIS+ 8(a) contract vehicle remains fully active and available for task order competition throughout the life of the contract.
Our core capabilities align with the Department of War’s highest-priority mission areas: artificial intelligence and machine learning, data engineering, cybersecurity and CMMC compliance, DevSecOps, and intelligence analysis support. With over 17 years of performance supporting Army intelligence and cyber operations—primarily at the classified level—Zapata brings proven past performance that contracting officers can verify through CPARS and our OASIS+ contractor profile.
How to Find OASIS+ 8(a) Contractors
GSA maintains the OASIS+ marketplace where contracting officers can search for pool holders by service domain, NAICS code, geographic location, and other criteria. For additional information about Zapata Technology’s OASIS+ capabilities and to explore potential requirements, visit our contracts page or review our federal contracting FAQ for common questions about working with small business contractors through GSA vehicles.
Whether you are a contracting officer exploring acquisition strategies or a program manager seeking qualified 8(a) contractors for professional services, OASIS+ 8(a) provides a best-in-class vehicle that combines the benefits of small business participation with the efficiency and flexibility of a pre-competed GWAC. The result is faster procurement, reduced risk, and access to contractors with demonstrated capability in the most demanding professional services domains.