ANC Advantage

ASRC Industrial (AIS) was formed in 2016 as a wholly owned operating company of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC), an Alaska Native Corporation (ANC).

ASRC is one of 13 Alaska Native regional corporations established by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971. ASRC represents Alaska Native people who have ties to the North Slope region. ASRC is 100% owned and controlled by over 13,000 Alaska Native (primarily Iñupiat) shareholders. Section 1626(e) of ANCSA states:

For all purposes of Federal law, direct and indirect subsidiary corporations, joint ventures, and partnerships of a Native Corporation shall be considered to be entities owned and controlled by Natives and a minority and economically disadvantaged business enterprise if the shares of stock or other units of ownership interest in any such entity held by such Native Corporation and by the holders of its Settlement Common Stock represent a majority of both.

In accordance with this provision, AIS and its operating companies can certify the following designations:

• Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)
• Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)
• Small Business (SB)
• Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), and
• 8(a) Small Disadvantaged Business

AIS Operating Companies’ ANC ownership also grants unique subcontracting opportunities in the federal procurement process. Specifically, all AIS Operating Companies, regardless of size, are considered Small Disadvantaged Business when subcontracting on a federal government contract and will count toward the prime contractor’s Small Disadvantaged Business subcontracting goal.

AIS and its operating companies self-certify as Minority Business Enterprise. In addition to self-certification, all ASRC Industrial operating companies are certified as MBEs by the National Minority Supplier Diversity Council (NMSDC). Learn more about the NMSDC by visiting: www.nmsdc.org.

By virtue of ownership by ASRC shareholders, certain members of the AIS family are eligible to self-certify as Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, and participate in the Small Business Administration 8(a) program and the Department of Transportation Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program, respectively.

Alaska Native Corporation 8(a) federal Government Sole Source

Ownership by ASRC allows AIS operating companies who are Small Business Administration (SBA) ANC 8(a) certified to offer a unique, flexible, and streamlined sole source procurement option to our federal government customers. Available through all SBA certified 8(a) subsidiaries within the AIS family of companies, sole source contracting with AIS provides the federal government with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) provisioned methods to maximize performance flexibility, mission continuity, and small business goal achievement.

ANC 8(a) Contracting Advantages

• Significantly Accelerated Procurement Timeline – without the disruptions and delays resulting from complex evaluations and resulting protests.
• Flexibility and Reliability – through direct negotiations per 13 CFR 124.503, competitive threshold exemptions per 48 CFR 19.805-1, and common management and administrative services between all AIS operating companies.
• 8(a) Sole Source Awards Cannot Be Protested – 13 C.F.R. 124.517(a): ANC 8(a) companies eligible for a sole source or competitive 8(a) requirement may not be challenged by another participant or any other party, either to SBA or any administrative forum as part of a bid or other contract protest.
• Unlimited Sole Source Ceiling – ANC’s, unlike other 8(a) companies – provide the Government with a virtually unlimited sole source ceiling per 48 CFR 6.303-1.
• 8(a) Subcontracting – Because 8(a) companies may subcontract portions of the work to other firms, EQMS is able to assemble a perfect team for any particular project with other AIS operating companies.

The SBA ANC 8(a) contracting method avoids a long, expensive, and complex procurement cycle and is significantly faster than any other means of contracting. When using the ANC 8(a) contracting method, a government customer can simply select AIS as a suggested source and submit a request to the SBA District Office, asking that the procurement be pursued under the 8(a) program. The often lengthy, expensive, and tedious process of justifying source selection is thereby avoided. Additionally, because 8(a) companies may subcontract portions of the work to other firms, ASRC Industrial is able to assemble a perfect team for any particular project.

Open discussion between the government and the ANC during all phases of the procurement allows government project managers the discretion to define a scope of work and to hand pick the contractor to perform the work.