Category: US GSA

Source: United States General Services Administration

September 16, 2022

Proposal gates open for HUBZone and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced the next round of solicitations for Polaris, the agency’s new small-business-focused governmentwide acquisition contract (GWAC). This second set of requests for proposals (RFPs) is specifically for the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) and Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone) pools.

“GSA places a high level of importance on supporting small and disadvantaged IT service providers as they form relationships and do business with the federal government,” said Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Sonny Hashmi. “Polaris will guide small businesses through the federal market, with pathways to grow into our other contracts.”

Polaris aligns with Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. With the two new additions, the contract will be the first of its kind to have four pools of industry partners – Small Businesses, Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB), HUBZone, and SDVOSB. (GSA released the Small Business and WOSB RFPs earlier this year.)

“GWACs serve as a springboard for small businesses to grow,” said Exodie C. Roe III, Associate Administrator for the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. “Building on the success of previous GWACs, Polaris will help GSA meet its small business goals and bring innovation to the small business community, federal agencies, and the acquisition workforce.”

Polaris will include a greater focus on emerging technologies, which represents another step forward for the next generation of IT services-based solutions from GSA.

“Emerging technologies are key enablers for a more efficient government. GSA will bring innovative small and socioeconomic small businesses into the contract so federal agencies can tap into their expertise to drive IT modernization and improve service delivery,” said Laura Stanton, Assistant Commissioner for the GSA Office of Information Technology Category.

There are several good-for-government key features of Polaris:

• Expanded Small Disadvantaged Business participation opportunities;
• Refreshment of the industrial base through on-ramps;
• Inclusion of a technical refresh clause that can be triggered as needed to adapt to customer needs;
• No contract ceiling; and
• No pricing at the contract level, which will enhance competition at the task order level.

Proposals for the SDVOSB and HUBZone pools are due by November 4th, 2022, at 4 p.m. EDT.

General questions related to the Polaris GWAC may be directed to Polaris@gsa.gov. Media inquiries should be sent to press@gsa.gov.

About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA

Source: United States General Services Administration

September 15, 2022

Inflation Reduction Act Will Further Bolster the Biden-Harris Administration’s Buy Clean Initiative

TOLEDO, OH – Today, U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Robin Carnahan joined White House officials and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in Ohio to highlight the Biden-Harris Administration’s Buy Clean Initiative. Administrator Carnahan discussed how GSA is working to catalyze markets for low-carbon construction materials and highlighted the successful use of clean construction materials at GSA’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-funded projects.

In March, GSA issued new standards for the concrete and asphalt used in nationwide GSA construction, modernization, and paving projects – the first standards in the U.S. to apply beyond a local jurisdiction. To date, GSA has completed seven Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-funded (BIL) paving projects using the new asphalt standards, all of which were awarded to and completed by small or disadvantaged businesses.

The historic passage of the Inflation Reduction Act provides a boost to these efforts with $3.375 billion that will allow GSA to invest in federal buildings with lower-carbon materials and sustainable technologies, and leverage emerging clean technologies that help achieve greater carbon reductions and catalyze American innovation. These investments help boost the competitiveness of American manufacturers developing sustainable materials and technologies.

“Using domestic, lower-carbon construction materials is a triple win – creating good-paying American jobs, reducing energy costs, and tackling climate change to ensure a healthy planet for the next generation,” said GSA Administrator Carnahan. “At GSA, we’ve already started deploying standards that help reduce emissions and advance sustainable projects across the country with little to no additional cost – while supporting small businesses along the way.”

GSA’s concrete and asphalt standards require construction contractors to provide a product-specific cradle-to-gate Type III environmental product declaration (EPD). An EPD is a third-party-verified summary of the primary environmental impacts associated with a product’s extraction, transportation, and manufacture. GSA’s asphalt standard requires at least two environmentally-preferable techniques or practices to be used during the material’s manufacture or installation. These options include bio-based or alternative binders, recycled content, and reduced mix temperatures — in other words, best practices that reduce fossil fuel use and environmental impacts.

Under GSA’s low embodied carbon concrete standard, contractors are asked to provide concrete that reflects a 20% reduction in the amount of GHG emissions, or “embodied carbon,” associated with its production. GSA’s first projects to use concrete since the standard’s March 2022 issuance anticipate compliance, including a BIL-funded land port of entry near Yuma, Arizona.

GSA will also issue a request for information next week to hear directly from manufacturers — including small businesses — on the availability of construction material and products with lower embodied carbon. Findings from that RFI will help the government understand industry trends and opportunities.

The investments enabled by the Inflation Reduction Act will reduce carbon emissions from the federal supply chain by millions of metric tons per year, save millions of dollars in energy costs, and support the achievement of GSA’s sustainability goals.

GSA’s Climate Action and Sustainability page provides more information on our leadership in tackling the climate crisis and investing in a more sustainable future.

About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.

Source: United States General Services Administration

September 8, 2022

NEW YORK CITY – The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is hosting an informational webinar about the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Art in Architecture program and upcoming opportunities on Tuesday, September 13, at 1 p.m. ET.

The Art in Architecture Program oversees the commissioning of artworks for GSA-controlled Federal buildings nationwide. These artworks enhance the civic meaning of Federal architecture and showcase the vibrancy of American visual arts. GSA and NEA are collaborating to increase awareness for this program and promote relevant opportunities to artists that reflect the diverse communities of the nation.

Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, two public art opportunities will be associated with two border station projects currently underway in the GSA’s Northeast and Caribbean Region. These opportunities are in New York state.

The Land Port of Entry projects are:

• Rouses Point
• Trout River

As part of the webinar, attendees will learn:

• The history and goals of the GSA Art in Architecture program.
• How you can be considered for upcoming project opportunities
• How to join the National Artist Registry
• What to expect if you are selected

GSA’s Art in Architecture Program was created in 1972 and has commissioned more than 500 artworks by American artists, pieces that are permanently installed in Federal buildings throughout the United States.

For more information about GSA’s Art in Architecture program, please visit: www.gsa.gov/real-estate/design-and-construction/art-in-architecturefine-arts/art-in-architecture-program

Webinar Details:

When: Sept. 13

Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET

Closed captioning will be available. Should you need other reasonable accommodations, please send a request to events@arts.gov

To register in advance for this webinar, visit: Webinar Registration – Zoom (zoomgov.com)

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

About GSA:
GSA provides centralized procurement for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet and overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services across government, in support of the Biden-Harris administration’s priorities. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.

About the National Endowment for the Arts

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States. To learn more, visit arts.gov or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Source: United States General Services Administration

September 7, 2022

Site will be used to expand and modernize the San Luis I Land Port of Entry

SAN LUIS, Ariz. – The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announces the planned closure of the formerly Friendship Park site in preparation for the modernization and expansion construction project at the San Luis I Land Port of Entry (LPOE). Fencing will be installed on September 8 2022 to ensure public safety and allow GSA to proceed with its planned construction for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funded project.

In 2021, the city of San Luis relinquished its use of the Friendship Park site to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) who granted the site to the city. In 2022, the site was transferred from BLM to the General Services Administration in furtherance of the modernization of the San Luis I LPOE. The acquisition provides additional land for improvements and expansion of the existing port. The approximately 6 acre former park land will allow GSA to double the number of northbound vehicle lanes from eight to 16 and install four more pedestrian inspection booths for a total of 14. These improvements will provide the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with necessary infrastructure to increase processing capacity and to reduce traveler wait times.

“We are grateful for the relinquishment of the park to the federal government,” said Region 9 LPOE Program Manager Anthony Kleppe. “With this land now in GSA’s possession, we’re excited about the future transformation of the site into a portion of the modernized and expanded San Luis I Land Port of Entry that will serve the region’s binational community for the coming decades.”

Built in 1984, the San Luis I LPOE is the second busiest non-commercial LPOE in Arizona, processing more than 3 million vehicles and 2.5 million pedestrians each year. Originally, the port processed both commercial and non-commercial traffic. In 2010, commercial operations shifted to a new port referred to as the San Luis II LPOE, located approximately eight miles east of San Luis I.

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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.

Source: United States General Services Administration

August 18, 2022

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced Charles (Chuck) Hardy as GSA’s next Chief Architect, effective August 14, 2022.

A licensed architect, workplace strategist, and certified construction manager, Mr. Hardy’s career with GSA spans more than 31 years, beginning in GSA’s Great Lakes Region as an architect and project manager. He has since spent time in a variety of leadership positions in the Great Lakes Region and GSA’s Central Office in Washington, DC, including as Director of Design and Construction, and most recently, as GSA’s Acting Chief Architect.

As Chief Architect, Mr. Hardy will serve as a Senior Advisor to GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan, as well as to Public Buildings Service (PBS) Commissioner Nina Albert, on all matters related to federal architecture and design for GSA’s capital construction program. Additionally, Mr. Hardy’s role will include administering GSA’s Design Excellence, historic preservation, and art-in-architecture programs.

“GSA’s Chief Architect is one of the most influential architectural roles in Government, and we are thrilled to have Chuck serve in this position,” said PBS Commissioner Nina Albert. “He brings the leadership and vision necessary to deliver on GSA’s mission of providing high-quality buildings and effective, sustainable workplaces to Federal agencies at the best value for the American taxpayer.”

Prior to joining GSA, Mr. Hardy was a practicing architect with firms in Florida, Colorado, and Illinois. He earned his professional degrees in architecture and environmental design from the University of Minnesota and holds certificates from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and The University of Texas McCombs School of Business. Mr. Hardy is also a retired officer of the U.S. Air Force, where he served as an intelligence officer.

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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.