How OASIS+ Scoring Works: The 50-Credit Scorecard Explained

OASIS+ doesn't ask you to write a persuasive proposal. It asks you to prove a score. Each domain has a 50-credit scorecard, you score your own company against it, and GSA verifies every credit against your documentation.

That makes the scorecard the most important document in the whole effort. This guide explains how it's built, what the thresholds are, and how we approach scoring so the number holds up.

The thresholds

Each domain is scored out of 50 credits, and you need to meet the minimum for your pool:

Two things matter about these numbers. First, they're thresholds, not rankings: every offeror that meets the minimum can be awarded the domain. Second, what counts is your validated score, after GSA removes anything your documents don't support. A self-score of exactly 36 has no room for error.

Where the 50 credits come from

The exact split varies by domain and pool, and the official scorecard for each domain is in the solicitation's scorecard attachment (J.P-1). But every scorecard is built from the same main components.

Qualifying projects (most of the credits)

Qualifying projects, or QPs, carry the large majority of the credits. You can submit up to five per domain. Each QP is scored on elements such as:

• Relevance to the domain
• Scale, based on the project's average annual value or number of full-time equivalents
• Integrated experience, such as work spanning five or more labor categories or three or more functional areas
• Management and staffing elements
• Past performance on the project

Because QPs drive the score, choosing the right five projects is the most important decision in the submission. See OASIS+ Qualifying Projects for the rules.

Federal experience projects

Federal experience projects (FEPs) are optional but add credits. They must be federal prime awards for services with a minimum average annual value of $250,000 ($125,000 for protégés). The number allowed and how they're credited vary by domain. In the scorecards we've worked, credits have been tied to things like task orders won under multiple-award vehicles and work across several federal agencies.

Systems, clearances and certifications

The remaining credits recognize company infrastructure, such as:

• Approved business systems, like an accounting system
• A Secret or Top Secret facility clearance
• Certifications such as ISO 9001, ISO 27001, ISO 22301, CMMI, or CMMC Level 2 or higher

These credits are usually few but valuable, because they don't depend on any single project and are easy to document if you have them.

Domain-specific credits

Some domains include credits unique to the type of work. In one Facilities submission we prepared, for example, the scorecard awarded credits for emergency or urgent callout work and for specialized trades. These are easy to overlook if you score from a generic template instead of your domain's actual scorecard.

How we build a score that holds up

Our approach comes down to three principles: score against the exact scorecard for your domain and pool, claim only credits that are clearly proven in the documents, and build a cushion above the threshold. We've had submissions land at exactly 36, and in those cases we go looking for additional supportable credits before anything is submitted.

Finding the strongest defensible combination of projects, and knowing which credits will hold up in GSA's review, is where experience makes the biggest difference.

Common scoring mistakes

• Scoring against the wrong scorecard, such as a different pool's version or an outdated amendment
• Assuming a project's codes make it automatically relevant when they aren't on the solicitation's list
• Counting scale incorrectly, since average annual value is calculated by GSA's formula, not by total contract value
• Claiming subcontract work at the prime contract's scope instead of the subcontract's own scope
• Leaving easy credits unclaimed, like certifications or clearances the company already holds
• Landing exactly on the threshold with no cushion

Where to go from here

The scorecard is where OASIS+ submissions are won or lost. If you've drafted a self-score and want to know whether it will hold up, or you're close to the threshold and need a few more credits, that's exactly what our scorecard review is for.