The General Services Administration (GSA) announced a new batch of awards for the Polaris Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) on June 23, 2026. This latest round identified 17 additional apparently successful offerors within the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) pool.
These 17 additions bring the total number of awardees in the Polaris SDVOSB pool to 44. The GSA said this phased approach allows the agency to continue evaluating proposals while providing early access to the market for qualified firms.
The Polaris program is designed to provide federal agencies with streamlined access to customized information technology services and IT services-based solutions. Officials said the contract vehicle prioritizes small businesses and veteran-owned entities to foster diversity in the federal supply chain.
The Latest List of 17 SDVOSB Awardees
The June 2026 announcement identified a diverse group of firms specializing in systems design, cybersecurity, and cloud integration. The GSA named the following companies as the latest awardees for the Polaris SDVOSB pool:
- 2TechJV (A joint venture between TechAnax and OBXtek)
- Alpha Communications Services LLC
- ARK Technology Solutions, LLC
- BGE Technology (A joint venture between Emerge Solutions Group and Beacon Systems)
- Centuria Corporation
- Clear Vantage Point Solutions JV (A joint venture between PingWind and Peraton)
- Competitive Range Solutions
- E3 Veterans Group (A joint venture between Core Government Services and Karthik Consulting)
- HagerV3 (A joint venture between Hager Development Group and V3Gate)
- ITEK Joint Solutions
- Management Support Technology
- MicroHealth LLC
- Patronus Consulting Group
- Strategic Operational Solutions
- TechSol
- Teracore, Inc.
- VQ Feather
GSA officials said these firms will become eligible for task orders once the agency issues their formal notices to proceed. This follows the resolution of any potential size or status protests handled via the Small Business Administration (SBA).
Understanding the Polaris GWAC Framework
The Polaris GWAC is a multiple-award, Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract. It is intended to replace the previous Alliant 2 Small Business contract and expand the government’s reach into emerging technologies.
The scope of work for Polaris is broad, covering traditional IT services as well as advanced solutions. The GSA said the contract includes support for cloud services, cybersecurity, data management, and software development.
Furthermore, the vehicle explicitly covers innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence, distributed ledger technology, and edge computing. These categories allow federal agencies to modernize their infrastructure through agile and veteran-led small businesses.
According to GSA documentation, the Polaris contract is structured with no overall ceiling, meaning there is no cap on the total value of task orders that can be issued across the entire program. This provides unlimited potential for government contracts to be awarded to participating firms over the next decade.
The Significance of the SDVOSB Pool
The SDVOSB pool is a critical component of the Polaris program, specifically aimed at increasing participation from veterans who were disabled during their military service. The federal government has a statutory goal to award at least 3% of all federal contracting dollars to SDVOSBs each year.
The GSA said that by creating a dedicated pool for these businesses, the Polaris GWAC helps agencies meet their socioeconomic goals. This ensures that veteran-owned businesses are not just participants but leaders in the federal IT marketplace.
To qualify for this pool, companies must be verified as SDVOSBs by the Small Business Administration. Many of the awardees in the latest batch are joint ventures, which GSA said allows smaller firms to pool resources and technical expertise to handle large-scale federal projects.
The inclusion of firms like Centuria Corporation and MicroHealth LLC highlights the technical depth of the SDVOSB community. These companies have previously demonstrated capabilities in electronic health records and federal cybersecurity, according to industry reports.
Phased Award Strategy and Procurement Timeline
The GSA has utilized a phased award strategy for Polaris to mitigate the impact of legal protests and administrative delays. The first phase of SDVOSB awards was announced in late 2025, with 27 firms initially identified.
The June 2026 announcement of 17 additional firms marks the second major phase for this pool. GSA officials said they anticipate eventually awarding approximately 70 contracts within the SDVOSB pool once all evaluations are complete.
"This phased approach ensures that we can begin providing services to our agency partners as soon as possible while remaining fair to all offerors," the GSA stated in a recent update. This strategy also allows for the adjudication of protests on a rolling basis rather than halting the entire program.
The Polaris contract features a five-year base period, which began for the initial awardees in December 2025. It also includes a five-year option period, creating a potential 10-year ordering window for federal agencies through 2035.
Technical Capabilities and Task Order Opportunities
Once the 17 new awardees receive their notices to proceed, they will compete for task orders issued by various federal agencies. The GSA schedule and GWACs like Polaris are preferred by many agency procurement officers due to their pre-vetted nature.
Task orders under Polaris can be structured as Firm-Fixed-Price, Cost-Reimbursement, Labor-Hour, or Time-and-Materials. This flexibility allows agencies to tailor their procurement strategies to specific project needs, whether they are procuring a simple software update or a complex system overhaul.
The primary NAICS code for Polaris is 541512 (Computer Systems Design Services), but it also covers other areas such as:
- 541511 (Custom Computer Programming Services)
- 541513 (Computer Facilities Management Services)
- 541519 (Other Computer Related Services)
- 518210 (Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services)
The GSA said these classifications ensure that the contract can address almost any IT requirement across the civilian and defense sectors.
Impact on Veterans Affairs and Federal Modernization
The Polaris SDVOSB pool has direct implications for veterans affairs news and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA is one of the largest consumers of IT services in the federal government and frequently uses SDVOSB set-asides for its modernization efforts.
By expanding the list of qualified SDVOSB vendors, the GSA provides the VA and other agencies with a wider selection of veteran-led firms. This competition is expected to drive innovation and lower costs for taxpayers.
The Polaris program also supports the broader "Made in America" and "Buy Veteran" initiatives. Officials said that supporting these businesses strengthens the economic foundation of the veteran community while providing the government with dedicated, mission-oriented service providers.
Industry experts said the latest batch of awards is a positive sign for the health of the Polaris program. After years of delays and litigation, the steady rollout of awardees indicates that the GSA is successfully moving the vehicle toward full operational status.
Future Outlook for the Polaris Program
As the GSA moves forward with the SDVOSB pool, evaluations for other Polaris pools: including the Small Business and Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) pools: are ongoing. The agency said it will continue to release batches of awards as evaluations are finalized.
For the 17 new awardees, the next steps include setting up their internal Polaris project management offices and participating in GSA-led training sessions. The GSA provides a centralized email alias for agencies to reach out to all awardees in the pool, facilitating market research and competition.
The GSA said it will maintain an official Polaris industry partner spreadsheet to provide real-time updates on the status of all awardees. This transparency is intended to help federal agencies quickly identify partners for upcoming US government contracts.
The successful expansion of the SDVOSB pool to 44 awardees demonstrates the government's continued reliance on small businesses for critical IT infrastructure. The GSA said it remains committed to finishing the evaluation process for the remaining offerors in the coming months.
