U.S. General Services Administration
GSA Issues Solicitation for Participation in the Section 846 Commercial e-Commerce Portals Implementation
WASHINGTON — The U.S. General Services Administration issued a solicitation yesterday requesting proposals from e-marketplace portal providers for the initial proof of concept of the Commercial Platforms program. The Commercial Platforms program, a cornerstone of GSA’s Federal Marketplace Strategy (FMP) to simplify the federal buying and selling experience, will modernize how federal agencies buy commercial off-the-shelf products. The proof of concept is being implemented through partnerships with multiple commercial e-marketplace platform providers who offer business-to-business capabilities and will give federal agencies better visibility and insights into their online spend.
“As federal procurement continues to evolve, simplifying how we purchase basic commodities will allow agencies to focus more on work that directly serves their missions,” said GSA Administrator Emily Murphy. “Federal agencies spent approximately $260 million using online portals last year, and it is critical that we use the Commercial Platforms program to better understand and manage this spend.”
The proof of concept is GSA’s starting point for changing the way federal agencies buy commercial products via the open market, implementing the requirements of Section 846 in FY18 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). GSA spent the last year conducting significant market research and stakeholder outreach to understand this dynamic and complex market, resulting in the decision to start small and take an iterative program management approach to Commercial Platforms. This approach will allow GSA to get a stronger understanding of the capabilities, particularly as they apply to government, before scaling the program.
The solicitation will be open for 30 days, with implementation of the proof of concept expected to occur in early 2020. For more information, visit the Commercial Platforms Initiative group page on Interact.
About GSA: The mission of GSA is to deliver value and savings in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission-support services across government. One of its four strategic goals is to establish GSA as the premier provider of efficient and effective acquisition solutions across the government.
To learn more about GSA visit GSA.gov or join the conversation on social media at @USGSA, @GSAEmily, and @FAS_Outreach.
About Section 846: Section 846 of the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act directs GSA, in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget, to establish a program to procure commercial products through commercial e-commerce portals.
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