Although contractors are anxious to bid on GSA’s highly anticipated Alliant3 contract for IT solutions and continue doing business via what has been a successful program, no one should anticipate a quick Alliant3 ramp-up.  There are plenty of warning signs right now that point to some potentially lengthy delays unless the agency takes prompt corrective action.  First, the Alliant3 team states that its intent is to have 76 total awards.  It is unclear, however, what is unique about 76, other than it calling to mind The Music Man.  This relatively low number for a highly touted procurement practically invites protests as companies seek to gain the necessary leverage to make it to the top tier.  Several industry representatives are scratching their heads, wondering why the Alliant3 team doesn’t use a point cut line instead.  Next, there continue to be unsettled “medium size” business issues.  These include language in the most recent draft RFP that seems to limit the ability to team or offer joint venture solutions to small businesses.  What about teams from a combination of any-sized businesses that can collectively show the necessary experience?  Again, it is unclear whether there is anything specific about providing this option only to small companies.  Third is the decision to proceed with one, unified contract.  While the Polaris contract is supposed to essentially be the small business companion contract to Alliant3, many small businesses that missed out on Polaris now see obtaining an Alliant3 award as critical to their firms.  Recent history at GSA and NIH shows that the unitary approach provides unhappy small firms with the ability to tie a program in knots waiting for all protests to be resolved.  None of these issues need to be a problem. Most can be addressed quickly, though creating an Alliant3 small business companion contract would definitely take some time.  Nevertheless, GSA’s Alliant3 team should take a fresh look at its acquisition approach and see if it can remove identifiable hurdles before the RFP is released.