Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center

GSA takes next step towards consolidating multiple award schedules

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After receiving more than one thousand comments from industry and other stakeholders, on October 1, 2019, the General Services Administration (GSA) issued a solicitation for a single, consolidated Schedule as part of its project to combine its 24 existing Multiple Award Schedules (MAS), also referred to as Federal Supply Schedules (FSS), into one.  It is an important step towards the agency’s goal of simplifying and reducing duplication in its Schedules program, through which more than $30 billion is spent annually on commercial goods and services.  However, much work remains before such a goal can be realized.

This update provides an overview of GSA Schedules consolidation, the timeline for its implementation, and key areas that Schedule contractors should be prepared to track in the coming months.

Continue reading at:  Perkins Coie

Say goodbye to FedBizOpps!

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As some of you may already know, the Federal Business Opportunities website – commonly referred to as “FedBizOpps” or “FBO” – is not going to be around much longer.  The site will be decommissioned by November 8th of this year, with the site’s “critical functionality” being moved over to/merged with the System for Award Management (“SAM”) as early as first quarter 2020.  However, we are not talking about the same old SAM that contractors may be used to; FBO’s functions will be moved over to a new system at beta.SAM.gov

According to a fact sheet issued by the GSA, “one the transition is complete, beta.SAM.gov will have the same federal business opportunity capabilities that are found today in FBO.gov.”  You will still be able to follow contract opportunities, and save searches, but the processes used to do so (and the related terminology) might vary slightly.  The new system will also boast some improvements over the old flawed-but-familiar FedBizOpps, including…

Continue reading at:  GovCon Examiner

GSA to release consolidated MAS program schedule on first of October

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This week, GSA announced it is on track to debut its Consolidated Multiple Acquisition Schedule (MAS) Program Schedule Solicitation on October 1. GSA also gave federal contractors planning to bid on the MAS a head start on the process by releasing a final draft solicitation and an updated industry FAQs sheet. Let’s take a look at how to utilize this opportunity to prepare for the solicitation’s long-awaited debut.

GSA’s MAS Program “establishes long-term Government-wide contracts with commercial firms to provide government buyers with access to a wide variety of commercial supplies, services, and solutions.” GSA first announced its plan to modernize this Program “by consolidating its 24 Multiple Award Schedules into one single Schedule for products and services” on November 27, 2018. GSA aimed to “simplify the buying and selling experience for customers, suppliers, and acquisition professionals.” Over the past ten months, GSA conducted extensive market research and collected industry-wide feedback regarding its consolidation strategies, the new single solicitation format, and the streamlined terms and conditions.

GSA recently announced its plans to publish the Consolidated MAS Program Solicitation on FedBizOpps on October 1, so now’s the time to become familiar with the effects of the consolidation.

Continue reading at:  SmallGovCon 

Small architect/engineering firms are encouraged to respond to GSA’s ‘sources sought’ by Sept. 5th

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On August 14, 2019 GSA posted a Sources Sought Notice was posted to FedBizOpps to award a multiple award indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract.  This requirement is to perform architectural/engineering and related services for the facilities of customer agencies of the Special Programs Division (SPD) across the nation.  All small businesses are encouraged to respond.

Responses are due by September 5, 2019 at 4PM Central.

Details are available:  HERE

Consolidated GSA schedule will be out October 1, 2019

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GSA has posted an announcement of its intention to consolidate the current 24 Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) and release a new single Schedule for product, services, and solutions on October 1, 2019.  You can find more information on the GSA’s Interact website including what to expect after the consolidated schedule is released.

 On October 1, 2019, GSA will publish the new, consolidated, solicitation on FedBizOpps along with applicable attachments.  The FBO package will contain:

  • Solicitation
  • Available Offerings Summary Document
  • One Attachment for each Large Category
  • Regulations Incorporate by Reference
  • Significant Changes Document

You can read more on the GSA Interact website.

FedBizOpps will retire on Nov. 8 2019, and move to beta.SAM.gov

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GSA has announced recently that FedBizOpps.gov (FBO.gov) will be decommissioned and its critical functionality will be transitioned into beta.SAM.gov on November 8, 2019.  GSA has published a fact sheet with important information about the transition.  You can access and download the fact sheet here:

FBO to beta.SAM.gov Fact Sheet

GSA plans to remove refurbished technology SIN during schedules consolidation

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The General Services Administration plans to remove a special contract category for agencies’ purchase of used or refurbished technology during its ongoing schedules consolidation.

The problem with the category — which GSA refers to as a special item number or SIN — for reselling tech is twofold.  Fraudsters are impersonating agencies placing IT orders, spoofing small businesses into sending used hardware to empty warehouses where the equipment is intercepted and sold on the black market without the bill ever being paid.

There have also been cases where the used or refurbished tech, although sold properly through the category, is counterfeit or has been altered in some way that doesn’t meet government standards, leaving agencies open to supply chain risks

There are “clear signs” small businesses are being phished by fraudsters, Lawrence Hale, a director within the GSA Federal Acquisition Service, said at the 930gov conference Tuesday.  In the latter case, he said, it’s “essentially a supply chain attack.”

GSA’s best course of action, Hale said, is to shut the SIN down.

Continue reading at:  Fedscoop

GSA announces STARS III IT contract for small businesses

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The General Services Administration released a draft solicitation Friday to replace an expiring governmentwide acquisition contract (GWAC) for small IT businesses.

The 8(a) Streamlined Technology Acquisition Resource for Services (STARS) III GWAC will replace its predecessor, 8(a) STARS II, when that ends Aug. 30, 2021.

Agencies will issue task order requests via 8(a) STARS III for information technology services from active participants in the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development program for startups.

Continue reading at:  Fedscoop

Accept no imitations: Contractor cannot recover for claim based on brand name products

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When a contractor delivers goods to the government that do not conform to the precise requirements of the contract, the results are usually . . . not good.  When the agency specifies certain products in the contract, the contractor should plan to satisfy the exact specifications (or prepare to suffer the consequences).

A straightforward example arose recently on a GSA construction contract.  The contract called for the installation of products from specifically named manufactures (with limited sources identified).  The contract also expressly called out that the agency would not permit substitutions for those named products.

After award, the contractor proposed substitutions for what it considered “equivalent” products from a manufacturer that did not appear on the agency’s approved source list.  The agency declined to consider the contractor’s requested exceptions.

The contractor wisely proceeded to provide the brand name products – but also filed claims seeking the excess costs associated with those products (as compared to the lower-priced equivalents that it suggested to the agency).  The contractor argued that the agency improperly rejected the substitution.

Not surprisingly, the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals granted the agency’s motion to dismiss.  The Board found that the contract language clearly did not provide for substitutions – and that GSA did not breach the contract by refusing to consider the contractor’s proposed equivalents.

Continue reading at:  Fox Rothschild

FedBizOpps will be gone before the end of the year

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The Federal Business Opportunities, or FedBizOpps, website will be shutting down before the end of 2019, as the comprehensive database of government contracting opportunities moves to a new location.

By the end of next year, 10 acquisition-focused websites managed by the General Services Administration will be merged together under the new SAM.gov.  Those sites include FedBizOpps, as well as the current System for Award Management, or SAM; the Federal Procurement Data System, FPDS; the grants site Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, CFDA; Wage Determinations Online, WDOL; Electronic Subcontracting Reporting System, eSRS; the past performance databases, the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System, FAPIIS; Contractor Performance Assessment Reports System, CPARS; and Past Performance Information Retrieval System, PPIRS; and the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, FFATA.

“Once the modernization is complete, we will have one homepage with a single sign-on, one powerful search tool, one robust reporting tool and one workspace where users can access the information and tools they need to make, receive and manage federal awards,” according to the new SAM.gov, which is currently in beta.

Three sites have already made the jump: CFDA, WDOL and SAM. The PPIRS site was decommissioned, as its functionality is covered by CPARS.

FedBizOpps is scheduled to make the migration in the first quarter of fiscal 2020—or before the end of the calendar year—along with FPDS and remaining capabilities under the old SAM.gov.  Once on the new SAM.gov, the FedBizOpps name will go away, replaced by a section of the site titled “Contract Opportunities.”

Continue reading at:  Nextgov

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