How do the functional areas work?
8(a) STARS has eight functional areas based on codes found in the North American Industrial Classification System, or NAICS. Contract awards were made on a best value basis to companies who met the qualifications unique to the respective functional areas. The ordering contracting officer must make a determination that the predominant scope of the requirement rests in one particular funtional area. Once that determination is made, the requirement (if over the $3 million competitive threshold) is competed among all of the companies in that functional area. For more information on NAICS codes, please visit the 8(a) STARS web page at www.gsa.gov/8astars and click on the Census Bureau-NAICS Definition link.
