WEXMAC is NAVSUP’s response to meet the Navy’s expeditionary requirements that are often demanding, unpredictable and usually performed in austere locations, requiring a contracting process that can be as agile to support the dynamic nature of expeditionary operations.

WEXMAC aligns with Naval Sustainment System-Supply (NSS-Supply), which is a combination of commercial best practices, process improvements, governance and oversight to maximize efficiencies and effectiveness within available means. With NAVSUP oversight, NSS-Supply will initiate a multi-year journey focusing on expanding competition with suppliers while deepening supplier partnerships and integrating existing supply chain resources toward a common goal.

“WEXMAC will increase predictability in the contracting realm. Not only will it expand competition with suppliers, it will take a standardized approach to capturing cost elements across the world,” said NAVSUP Assistant Commander for Contracting Mark Bennington. “While this contracting vehicle is a tremendous win for our contracting officers, its resulting efficiencies will effectively and affordably generate greater readiness to the Navy.”

“The Indo-Pacific area of responsibility is 14 times the size of the United States,” said Lt. Cmdr. Gilbert Uy, NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka contracts division director. “Once WEXMAC is in place, we will greatly increase our support to the expeditionary forces operating worldwide and most importantly in the Indo-Pacific region, thanks to the standardized process we are implementing aimed at rapidly meeting frequent and short-fused requirements from our mission partners.”

Services and supplies outlined in the WEXMAC are logistics, material handling equipment, lodging, force protection, communications, provisions, clothing, construction, fuel, logistics and medical items. The two Industry Days were widely attended by an estimated 50 commercial vendors operating worldwide.

“We took this as an opportunity to inform vendors of the demands in this contract,” said Erin Olenjack, NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka deployable contracting officer. “The demands are high, flexibility and mobility are key. We need responsive and skilled vendors because complex demands and requirements can arise with little notice.”

There was a good exchange of information between the vendors and the government during the question and answer portion of the Industry Days, a positive sign of high-level interests from commercial vendors. There were vendors attending that have never done business with the U.S. government. One of the goals during Industry Days is to attract new contractors into doing business with the U.S. government to maximize competition and expand the industrial base.

Because of the nature of WEXMAC, NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka thoroughly outlined the selection criteria during the Industry Days and ensured that commercial vendors understood what they can expect to see in the most important sections of a solicitation, in order for a contractor to receive an award with the U.S. government. In all cases, the U.S. government needs to work with contractors who have a satisfactory record of business integrity, adequate financial resources, established experience and technical skills.

“By the close of our sessions, vendors had a thorough understanding of what to expect when we put the official solicitation out and can prepare ahead of time. We want to see active participation from industry,” said Khuong Nguyen, NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka deployable contracting officer. “It was a successful meeting and our team looks forward to reviewing proposals.”

Missions performed by expeditionary units in the U.S. Pacific Fleet are dynamic, sometimes short-fused, and logistically challenging, calling for a contracting vehicle that can keep up with the aggressive nature of the expeditionary realm. The vision is that once WEXMAC launches, each region worldwide will have a good number of commercial vendors and have good competition. In addition, what used to take several weeks or months for contracting support can be reduced drastically to a few weeks or days—allowing critical supplies and services to be provided with a significantly reduced lead time—a big step in improving expeditionary readiness worldwide.

NAVSUP Contracting Division (N7) subject matter experts are reaching out to strategic partners to share with them the robust capabilities the WEXMAC will offer. For example, just last week, N7 briefed WEXMAC to Department of Defense logistics and transportation officials to put into words how WEXMAC will successfully support the Office of Management and Budget’s goals as a category management solution. “Through extensive data analysis, NAVSUP developed the WEXMAC to improve the way the Navy does business. Rather than executing thousands of tactical, duplicative contracts, NAVSUP created a strategic, worldwide multiple award contract. This innovative approach will allow the WEXMAC to achieve standardized cost elements and requirements definitions,” Bennington said. “By maximizing the Navy’s purchasing power, reducing administrative costs, expanding collection and sharing of government-wide buying data, the WEXMAC will be a valuable Category Management solution for years to come. Next, NAVSUP N7 will be briefing the WEXMAC at United States Special Operations Command’s Theater Special Operations Command conference in March.” 

Bennington went on to say, “Developing these partnerships is critical to maximizing WEXMAC’s potential. Our partners’ understanding and contributions are vital to our national defense, helping NAVSUP sustain naval forces worldwide.”

Following Industry Days, NAVSUP will conduct a contract review board and post the WEXMAC RFP by the end of February for a period of approximately 30 days. Afterward, all proposals will be evaluated and awarded to each qualifying offeror. Ordering is expected to begin in June 2021.

Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and employing a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel, NAVSUP's mission is to provide supplies, services, and quality-of-life support to the Navy and joint warfighter. Learn more at www.navsup.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/navsup and https://twitter.com/navsupsyscom