Recent FirstNet contracts clarified

FirstNet recently announced that contracts worth up to $67.3 million over two years have been awarded to four service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs). These firms will provide technical, acquisition and general program support, FirstNet officials recently told IWCE’s Urgent Communications.

The four SDVOSBs are Information Management Resources, Redhorse, The Costas Group, and e-9 Corporation. All requirements for FirstNet support services—and associated job openings at each—are posted on the respective company Web pages, according to the announcement about the agreement.

“That will be the continuation of our staffing for the technical organization” FirstNet General Manager Bill D’Agostino said during an interview with at the LTE North America conference held recently in Dallas. “So, those are the work functions around our key strategic areas of looking at our mobile concepts, looking at our handsets, looking at the network design and doing our state-outreach staffing, to some degree.

“Those contracts will only be for those functions. We’re still going to staff over and above that with government employees and build our organization that way.”

There was some initial confusion about the contracts, as wording on FirstNet’s Website seemed to indicate that each of the firms would receive $67.3 million. However, D’Agostino emphasized that the $67.3 million is the maximum amount that will paid to the four firms combined.

FirstNet awarded the contracts to Information Management Resources, Redhorse and The Costas Group. As for the agreement with e-9 Corporation, that is part of an existing federal-government agreement, according to FirstNet board member Craig Farrill.

“The E-9 contract is a Department of Commerce contract; it’s not focused on us only, but we can use it,” Farrill said.