GSA purchasing extended to local and state govs
By Martha Entwistle
Updated Thu March 1, 2007
WASHINGTON--State and local governments may now purchase security products, before events occur, "to support recovery from major disasters and acts of terrorism" from the Federal Supply Schedules of the General Services Administration, the GSA announced Feb. 1.
Prior to Feb. 1, the contracts were available only to federal agencies, or to local and state governments after a major disaster or act of terrorism event actually happened.
Don Erickson, director of government affairs for the Security Industry Association, said SIA supported the "extension of the GSA cooperative purchasing agreement."
For companies who are not on the "multiple award schedule," the GSA is ready to assist, said Jon Anderson, GSA spokesman. The GSA web site, www.gsa.gov, has a section called "pathways to success" for contractors who want federal business.
"We want to help them get on the schedule and for those who are already on the schedule who want to qualify for additional schedules or additional services, we want to help them too."
Typically it takes GSA 120 days to look at and determine whether a vendor can be on the award schedule. The GSA now has a goal, Anderson said, of speeding that process up to 30 days. And for vendors who do not immediately qualify, the GSA will "let the vendor know where their [applications are] weak" and what they'll need to do to comply.
Comments