FEMA Reminds Texas Small and Small Disadvantaged Businesses of Seminar in Houston

The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Agency (FEMA) reminds Texas small and small disadvantaged businesses interested in contracts with FEMA for housing maintenance and deactivation work, that they are invited to attend the pre-proposal conference hosted by FEMA in Houston Friday, Dec. 9 at 1200 Louisiana Street from 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. CST. Attendance at the pre-proposal conference is not required for submitting a proposal to FEMA.

“Local, small and minority-owned businesses are playing a critical role in rebuilding the Gulf Coast,” said Acting FEMA Director David Paulison. “Getting local businesses more heavily involved in the long-term recovery efforts will also contribute to the overall economic recovery of the region.”

Eight Requests For Proposal (RFP’s), intended to result in 15, five-year contracts, with a value of up to $100 million each have been released and companies are invited to submit proposals. Two separate announcements are posted at FedBizOpps at www.fbo.gov. One announcement is for small, disadvantaged businesses (certified as 8(a) firms by the Small Business Administration) and one is for small businesses. Each announcement contains four RFP’s, one for each affected state – Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. FEMA expects to award seven small business and eight 8(a) contracts by February 2006.

FEMA set aside $1.5 billion for maintenance and deactivation of roughly 100,000 temporary housing units, which amounts to approximately 6,700 units per contract. These indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts will be awarded to local, small and small disadvantaged businesses in order to increase their contribution to the recovery efforts following the Gulf Coast hurricanes. FEMA will evaluate all proposals submitted, working with the SBA to confirm “small business” and Section 8(a) status of the companies, and preference will be given to contractors based in the Gulf Coast states.

Small businesses are those firms that do not exceed an average of $30 million in annual gross receipts over the past three years. Small disadvantaged businesses are 8(a) firms certified by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act. For more information on Section 8(a) businesses go to www.sba.gov/8abd.

All interested companies may go to Rebuilding the Gulf Coast at www.rebuildingthegulfcoast.gov to find the Requests for Proposal (RFP) or FedBizOpps at www.fbo.gov. For those without Internet capabilities, written requests for an RFP can be made by faxing Nancy Costello at (202) 646-3846. Or if you are online, e-mail nancy.costello@dhs.gov.