This week, AFCEA's NOVA chapter held a breakfast event on Air Force's NETCENTS 2 program, the $9 billion Air Force IT products and services procurement which is a follow-on to the NETCENTS program.

The breakfast provided a rare opportunity for the DC-based sales and business development throng to hear first hand from the Air Force's program and contract officials managing the program, who happen to be based at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base in Alabama.

While the event was very well attended and very interesting, I think many left feeling like they didn't quite get what they expected. The audience of companies left without much more information than what they knew when they arrived. And the government officials left not getting much more insight on how industry feels the program should be shaped. However, I applaud both for the effort to reach out and work collaboratively on developing the right procurement.

There were a few things we did learn:

• The Air Force is still very much uncertain as to how the program will take shape.
• In an effort to give industry more time to comment, they extended the timeframe for vendors to submit comments on the latest RFI until April 4.
• They are leaning towards more than 8 awards, which is fantastic news for the small business community.
• The Air Force is expecting to host a NETCENTS 2 Industry Day in conjunction with the Montgomery Information Technology Summit 2008 on May 19-21, 2008.

INPUT's Take on AF NETCENTS 2

• Time Is Running Out on NETCENTS – With the existing NETCENTS contracts scheduled to expire in September, 2009, the contracting office is going to be hard pressed to get the NETCENTS 2 contract awarded in time to provide continuity let alone allow for margin of error in case of a protest.
• Spending on the Existing NETCENTS Program is Likely to Wind Down – These types of programs have a life cycle, with 18 months left to expiration, NetCents is past its peak. Look for users of the contract to starting moving their requirements to other contract vehicles that can give them more flexibility to award longer term task orders.
• Look for NETCENTS 2 to be bigger than NETCENTS – NETCENTS is shaping up to be a $4-5 billion program when all is said and done. As government agencies move more and more of their money to these types of vehicles, look for NETCENTS 2 to be 20-40% bigger than NETCENTS, all other things being equal.