(a) General. A business case is required for the establishment of a new Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) (see definition at FAR 2.101) including the next generation of an existing GWAC.

(b) Timeframe for development. A business case shall generally be developed no less than 18-24 months prior to award (see FAR 17.502-1(b) for additional details). Prior to developing a business case, the contracting officer shall follow their Service-level procedures and the process in subpart 504.71 for purposes of notifying the SPE and, if applicable, scheduling an acquisition review.

(c) Coordination. The contracting officer shall coordinate with the applicable Service-level acquisition policy organization, category manager(s), and the OSDBU when developing a business case.

(d) Business case Content. A GWAC Business Case Analysis sample is available on the Category Management, AoAs & Business Cases page on the GSA Acquisition Portal at https://insite.gsa.gov/acquisitionportal and may be used for developing the respective business case. Each business case shall include, at a minimum, the following information:

(1) Identification of the document as a “Business Case Analysis for the Establishment a Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC)”;

(2) The name of the agency, the contracting activity, and requiring activity(ies);

(3) Description of the scope of the GWAC;

(4) The spend category(ies) and subcategory(ies) associated with the planned acquisition;

(5) The total contract value and spend;

(6) The anticipated contract tier;

(7) Identification of existing contracts, if applicable;

(8) The contract type, order type(s), product and service code(s), and North American Industry Classification Systems code(s);

(9) A discussion of the planned GWAC’s:

(i) Uniqueness;

(ii) Benefits;

(iii) Prices paid;

(iv) Small business opportunities;

(v) Anticipated demand;

(vi) Cost and fees;

(vii) Vendor management; and

(viii) Acquisition Gateway best practices.

(10) Any other information supporting the planned acquisition (e.g., service-level requirements); and

(11) Name(s) of key points of contacts for the planned acquisition.

(e) Approval. The SPE is the designated agency approving authority for business cases.