How to Partner with Five Rivers Services

FRS customers rely on us to solve complex technical and operational challenges critical to their mission success. FRS alliances with industry-leading companies allow us to offer cutting edge technologies. Our commitment to our partners is as strong as our commitment to our employees. We are selective in our partnerships, ensuring that we create mutually beneficial opportunities that bring elevated product and service offerings to our customers.

We are constantly seeking new opportunities to work together; we encourage you to explore our website and contact us at frs@fiveriversservices.com

Our 8(a) Alaska Native Corporation (ANC) Status, Your Advantage

FRS’ unique designation as an Alaska Native Corporation (ANC) and SBA 8(a) disadvantaged company delivers solid benefits that translate into federal contracting advantages:

• Eligible to receive sole source “direct award” contracts regardless of dollar amount.
• Direct award contracts can be openly negotiated, allowing the government agency to receive a customized solution. This streamlined process eliminates rounds of questions and answers presented by multiple bidders, and the time-consuming source selection and evaluation process involved in a competitive selection. In many cases, directly negotiated contracts can be completed in less than a couple of weeks.
• ANC 8(a) companies are not subject to the same $3 million limitation on sole source contracts as are other 8(a) companies without ANC status. Furthermore, sole source contracts, regardless of dollar amount, may not be challenged or protested.
• FRS clients are able to claim Small Disadvantaged Business and Native American credits
• Prime contractors that contract with FRS may be eligible for 5% of the amount paid to FRS under the DoD Indian Incentive Program

Tribal 8(a) Program

Since 1952 the federal government has granted special privileges to businesses owned by disadvantaged minorities, including: Latinos, African-Americans, and Native Americans. Federal agencies have goals to conduct a certain percentage of their business with firms owned by traditionally under-served communities. In previous years, individual contracts with small disadvantaged businesses were limited to $3 million dollars per contract. Recently the financial restrictions on the size of the contracts were lifted for all Native American corporations; due to the fact that a program designed for a small business owned by a family or individual never worked well for Native American groups, including Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians. These Native American corporations have hundreds or thousands of members or shareholders, most of them subsistence low-income. The ultimate test of the SBA’s 8(a) program is that our customers, the federal agencies we work for, are pleased with our performance and continued success. Once a contract is awarded, we are treated like any other company. We develop our companies to “graduate” from the 8(a) program and compete fully on the open market, which is the eventual goal of the program.

Federal Acquisition Regulations provide a seamless, efficient process for contracting with a Tribal 8(a) small business.

13 CFR 124.3 defines all Alaska Native Corporations (ANC) as Indian Tribes for purposes of eligibility for special programs.
FAR 19.805-1(b)(2) and 13 CFR 124.506(b) exempts Indian Tribal 8(a) companies from the competitive threshold of $3 million for service contracts and $5 million for manufacturing contracts. This means that ANC’s are able to receive ‘direct’ awards of any sized contract.
FAR 26.102 dictates that “Indian organizations and Indian-owned economic enterprises shall have the maximum practicable opportunity to participate in performing contracts awarded by Federal agencies.”

For more information about 8(a) designation, please visit the Small Business Administration at http://www.sba.gov/8abd.