12 Mar CDW-G issues RFP seeking small business partners
Company Seeks Services Firms to Partner on Federal Information Technology Contracts
VERNON HILLS, Ill.–CDW Government, Inc. (CDW-G), a wholly owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation and leading source of Information Technology (IT) solutions to governments and educators, today announced the immediate availability of a request for proposals (RFP) soliciting small businesses to partner with CDW-G on Federal business opportunities.
Successful respondents will join CDW-G’s Small Business Partner Consortium, which was established in 2003 to help small businesses win IT contracts with Federal agencies by allowing the businesses to use CDW-G’s e-commerce, service and distribution capabilities. Since the inception of the consortium, members have been awarded more than $125 million in Federal contracts. Members can also pursue opportunities with CDW across its entire spectrum of government and commercial business customers.
“The amount of Federal contract business going to the Small Business Partner Consortium members in 2008 grew almost 30 percent over 2007, marking the consortium’s most productive year ever,” said Chris Rother, group vice president for CDW-G. “The remarkable growth highlights the success of this approach to partnership. The consortium aids Federal agencies in achieving their small business contracting goals and enables our small business partners to expand their relationships with Federal agencies – and, increasingly, with state and local government agencies, educational institutions and commercial businesses as well. CDW-G, in turn, expands both its Federal contracts base and its roster of superior IT services companies.”
The Small Business Partner Consortium currently includes 14 companies that can bid for contracts with CDW-G as a part of their team. Defense and civilian agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps, have taken advantage of the consortium to purchase technology products and services.
Through its RFP, CDW-G aims to enhance the consortium by awarding new partnership agreements to several small businesses. Under the agreements, these partners may issue purchase orders to CDW-G to fulfill contract requirements.
The Small Business Act set goals for Federal contracting with small businesses. For example, 3 percent of prime contract dollars are designated for companies owned by veterans who were disabled in the course of their military service, and 5 percent of prime contract dollars are slated for small disadvantaged businesses. Overall, 23 percent of prime contract dollars are designated for small businesses.
In fiscal year 2007, 22 percent of Federal prime contracting dollars were awarded to small businesses, just short of the 23 percent governmentwide goal, according to the Small Business Administration (SBA). Small businesses did approximately $83 billion in business with the Federal government as prime contractors that year, an increase of nearly $6 billion over 2006, SBA data shows.
CDW-G’s RFP and any amendments to the RFP are posted online for download at www.cdwg.com/smallbizrfp. Small businesses are encouraged to monitor this Web site to ensure their proposals meet the requirements of the RFP and any amendments. Responses are due by 4 p.m. Central Time on April 17, 2009.
About CDW-G
A wholly owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation, ranked No. 34 on Forbes’ list of America’s Largest Private Companies, CDW Government, Inc. (CDW-G) is a leading provider of technology solutions for federal, state and local government agencies, as well as educational institutions at all levels. The company features dedicated account managers who help customers choose the right technology products and services to meet their needs. The company’s technology specialists and engineers offer expertise in designing customized solutions, while its advanced technology engineers can assist customers with the implementation and long-term management of those solutions. Areas of focus include notebooks, desktops, printers, servers and storage, unified communications, security, wireless, power and cooling, networking, software licensing and mobility solutions.
For more information about CDW-G product offerings, procurement options, service and solutions, call 1.800.808.4239, email cdwgsales@cdwg.com or visit the CDW-G Web site at CDWG.com.
About the CDW-G Small Business Partner Consortium
The Small Business Partner Consortium was established in 2003 to help small businesses win IT contracts with federal, state and local government agencies by allowing the small businesses to use CDW-G’s e-commerce, service and distribution capabilities. Vendors go through a competitive bidding process to be selected for the consortium. Successful bidders sign an annual CDW-G partnership contract that is not limited to any specific project. As consortium members pursue government contracts, they work directly with the customer and involve CDW-G when they need products to support their service engagements or when they want to offer their customers CDW-G’s many value-adding offerings, such as custom PC configuration, asset tagging and software license tracking. CDW-G also refers business to member companies and conducts sales and marketing activities with consortium members.