NASA has awarded spots on SEWP V, the much-anticipated, new version of its governmentwide acquisition contract, to 43 technology firms. It plans to add more names to that list within a few days. Agencies will be able to buy through SEWP V beginning next month.

SEWP V is a fixed price, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for items such as network equipment and other computer technology. It will run for five years, with an option to extend for another five. The total value of the contract is $20 billion over five years, according to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, which manages the program. The total contract ceiling for SEWP IV was $5.6 billion.

The first firms to be named are listed under SEWP V Groups A and D. NASA said it will announce within a few days vendors for Group B, set aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, and Group C, for other small businesses.

NASA had planned to make the awards last spring, but delayed its announcement to coincide with the beginning of the fiscal year, program manager Joanne Woytek told Federal News Radio at the time. SEWP V will include more program-support services and more information on products’ supply chains to help agencies avoid the risk of counterfeit or substandard parts, she said.

SEWP is known for the low fee it charges customers. It stands at 0.45 percent, compared to GSA’s 0.75 percent. SEWP IV listed 37 prime contractors.

NASA said all SEWP IV contracts, with the exception of Best Buy, will run through Oct. 31, and none of the contracts will reach its ceiling of $5.6 billion.

NASA has been working on SEWP V since May 2012 and released a draft RFP in February 2013.

According to market research firm, Deltek, between 2010 and 2013, agencies spent more than $9.7 billion through more than 12,000 task orders under SEWP IV. Deltek found the average task order was $196,000 and a majority of task orders were awarded in the fourth quarter of the federal fiscal year. Deltek also found small businesses did well under SEWP IV, earning more than $1 billion each year and garnering more task orders than large firms.

The Veterans Affairs Department has, by far, been the biggest user of SEWP IV, spending more than $2 billion between 2010-2013. The Defense Department spent $1.2 billion, followed by Justice at $783 million and Treasury at $535 million.

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