Category: US GSA

Source: United States General Services Administration

May 10, 2023

Inflation Reduction Act funding will enable hundreds of millions of dollars in energy and cost-saving improvements at 41 facilities

WASHINGTON – The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) issued its largest ever notice of opportunity under its National Deep Energy Retrofit program this week, announcing its intent to leverage funding from the Inflation Reduction Act for projects in four states and the District of Columbia. The projects will accelerate the agency’s efforts to achieve President Biden’s goal to achieve net-zero emissions in the federal buildings portfolio by 2045, and are part of his Investing In America agenda to rebuild the economy, create good-paying jobs, and accelerate the deployment of clean energy.

Through Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs), GSA intends to use Inflation Reduction Act funding to bring energy and cost-saving improvements to 41 facilities, including 17 in the DC area and 24 across Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The projects, with an estimated value of more than $300 million, will aim to convert facilities to all-electric, rather than relying on onsite fossil fuels equipment, and promote opportunities to achieve net zero operations.

“This historic call for proposals is another example of how GSA is making meaningful progress towards decarbonization and net zero buildings – while delivering savings to taxpayers and a healthier future for the next generation,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “We’re excited to partner with innovative energy service companies to rapidly accelerate our progress toward achieving a net zero federal footprint – and create good-paying jobs along the way.”

As part of the White House’s Climate Smart Buildings Initiative, GSA’s National Deep Energy Retrofit program helps modernize federal buildings to cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce site energy consumption by renovating buildings to maximize reductions in onsite energy use. These projects will also help support GSA’s efforts to meet the recently released Federal Building Performance Standard and convert buildings to all-electric buildings in which none of the equipment will use onsite fossil fuel combustion.

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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

May 8, 2023

WASHINGTON — The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently launched two resources for federal agencies to advance equity in procurement: the Government-wide Procurement Equity Tool (government account required) and the Supplier Base Dashboard. These tools, which launched earlier this spring, help agencies find businesses that are new to the federal marketplace, identify qualified vendors, and track their progress toward equity in procurement goals.

“These two tools are going to help agencies make more connections with the diverse array of businesses offering their products in the federal marketplace. We’re creating a better user experience while helping ensure the government can procure the highest quality goods and services with the best value,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “By providing our federal partners with more information when they make procurement decisions, we’re better able to set ourselves up to achieve our contracting goals and create more equity in the marketplace for everyone.”

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the federal contract spend goal for small disadvantaged businesses has been increased to 15% by 2025. These tools will support achieving that goal by enhancing access to procurement opportunities for:

• Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDBs)
• Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs),
• Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs), and
• Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Small Businesses

“We’re committed to helping the acquisition workforce strengthen stewardship and efficiency in the federal procurement process while simultaneously advancing equity,” said OMB’s Associate Administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Mathew Blum. “We can maximize the power of procurement as a catalyst to help address our nation’s top priorities.”

The two new tools support Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government; Executive Order 14091, Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government; OMB Memo M-22-03, Advancing Equity in Federal Procurement; and OMB Memo M-23-11, Creating a More Diverse and Resilient Federal Marketplace through Increased Participation of New and Recent Entrants.

Tool summaries:

• The Government-wide Procurement Equity Tool uses dynamic data from SAM.gov and the Federal Procurement Data System to support market research that focuses on SDBs. Federal customers can use the tool to find SDBs by location, business type, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code, and Product Services Code. Agencies can also find potential new entrants such as SDBs that have registered in SAM.gov but have not yet received a federal award. GSA developed the Government-wide Procurement Equity Tool using human-centered design and agile methodology. Based on feedback from users, several enhancements have been added to improve functionality and usability, such as list-based views and more context for data elements.

• The Supplier Base Dashboard tracks the total number of entities that have done business with an agency; their size and socio-economic status; and the number of new, recent, and established vendors in the supplier base and in market categories and subcategories of interest. This helps federal managers grow the economy from the bottom up and the middle out by measuring their progress in increasing the number of new entrants to the federal marketplace. It also capitalizes on our nation’s entrepreneurial spirit, which has brought applications for new small businesses in the U.S. to an all-time high.

“Small businesses bring incredible value to GSA by helping us deliver efficiently and effectively for the American people,” said GSA’s Associate Administrator for the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Exodie C. Roe III. “We must continue supporting them by making sure small businesses in underserved and disadvantaged communities can access the opportunities they deserve in federal procurement, and these tools will help make that happen.”

Both tools have user guides and workshops so agencies can learn and share ideas on ways to use them. Federal agencies can provide feedback on the tools through this survey form.

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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

May 4, 2023

New roadway to reduce traffic congestion and support CBP Officer safety and operations

CALEXICO, Calif. ㅡ The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announces the opening of the new, permanent southbound roadway at the Calexico West Land Port of Entry (LPOE) on May 8, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. Part of Phase 2A of the port’s larger modernization and expansion project, the new roadway to Mexico supports U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) security mission while providing the traveling public with an expanded and modern border crossing facility with five southbound vehicle inspection lanes and booths. The entrance to the permanent roadway remains at the intersection of West Second Street and Cesar Chavez Boulevard.

“The project team is happy to complete work on this critical phase of construction and wish to thank the greater Calexico-Mexicali community for their patience during construction,” said Dan Brown, GSA Region 9 Public Buildings Service Commissioner. “I want to recognize the collective efforts of everyone in the community, the project team and everyone involved with the construction for working through the challenges and not losing sight of the long term improvement. We expect that the five new inspection booths, increased queuing capacity, and new bridge will significantly enhance the traveling experience.”

Work on Phase 2A continues with the installation of a pre-primary vehicle inspection area shade canopy, a new administration building, employee parking area, and six additional northbound vehicle inspection lanes.

CBP anticipates higher than normal northbound border crossing wait times through the duration of Phase 2A construction work, and advises travelers to prepare for potential delays, or consider Calexico East as an alternative. Border wait times can be monitored 24/7 at https://bwt.cbp.gov/.

For more information about the Calexico West LPOE reconfiguration and expansion project, visit the Calexico West project page.

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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

May 3, 2023

I watch “Abbott Elementary”, a TV show about teachers in an underfunded school district. The characters often complain about trying to do their best while not having the tools they need to do their jobs. I admire how they come up with solutions and appreciate their resilience.

The reality is worse.

Here in the National Capital Region—our nation’s capital—many students and teachers don’t have chairs to sit in or desks to put their books and notebooks on. In many schools, students sit on the vents along the wall. I can’t imagine how they concentrate enough to learn every day.

Afra Brown of the Prince George’s County Office of School Health explained that some teachers had been injured by splintered desks and unstable chairs.

Here’s where GSA comes in.

Our Federal Acquisition Service initiatives, like the Personal Property Management Program’s Computers for Learning and Furniture for Schools, help local teachers and students.

On Thursday, April 20, local teachers and school administrators met at the GSA Personal Property Center warehouse in Springfield, Virginia. They were able to get

• 60 laptop computers;
• basic school supplies like copy paper, pens, and paper clips; and
• all of the desks and chairs they could transport.

NCR Regional Administrator Elliot Doomes was there to talk to the teachers and administrators. Doomes explained he was excited about distributing furniture and supplies. These GSA programs increase children’s chances of getting an education: “Education is key, and providing children access to technology prepares them, our future leaders, for success.”

FAS Regional Commissioner Darrick Early echoed Doomes sentiments, saying , “Transferring computers to schools like the ones you work for gives students the resources they need to

succeed. The goal of CFL is to make modern computer technology an integral part of every classroom so that every child has the opportunity to be educated to his or her full potential.”

Tamala Jones, Property Disposal Specialist, announced that each teacher would receive 60 laptops and a collection of basic school supplies. They could then choose from the vast array of desks, and the sea of chairs that crowded the entire warehouse.

All the teachers had to do was simply add the name of their school to the items. GSA warehouse staff then loaded the furniture into the teachers’ vehicles. Some teachers used their personal money to rent a vehicle to move the furniture.

Helen Compton of the Richard Wright DC Public Chartered School spoke of a recent social and emotional learning directive requiring her district to create a “calm space for teachers” as a part of their commitment to wellness. “If it were not for GSA, we would not be able to comply with this order.”

They were grateful for GSA’s donations and happy to be back in business, teaching students who want to learn.

The recurring sentiment was gratitude when asked if the teachers wanted GSA to know anything.

Source: United States General Services Administration

May 1, 2023

WASHINGTON — The U.S. General Services Administration is piloting a modern web-based platform to give federal contractors quick and easy access to update their catalogs on GSA’s central purchasing website, GSA Advantage!.

The new FAS Catalog Platform (FCP) is designed to make it significantly simpler for Multiple Award Schedule contractors to access and manage product and service details. This new platform is a long-awaited replacement for the Schedule Input Program.

“The FCP will help contractors keep their catalogs current, compliant, and competitive,” said Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Sonny Hashmi. “This new application promotes a strong federal marketplace for our customers and is a huge improvement for our industry partners.”

The FCP reduces data entry needs and improves data integrity by integrating with GSA contract writing systems. This ensures GSA Advantage! receives timely updates to catalog information for customers making purchasing decisions. The FCP also automatically provides a new Compliance & Pricing Report directly to contractors, promoting the development of competitive and compliant catalogs.

The FCP has modern features designed to make it easier for contractors to develop and maintain high quality catalogs, such as:

• Automated data validation checks.
• A central hub to review all catalog actions and statuses.
• Access to catalog history.

GSA started the FCP pilot with contractors holding the Office Supplies 4th Generation Special Item Number. The agency anticipates onboarding additional MAS product catalog contractors starting October 2023 and will continue in phases until all vendors are using the FCP.

Industry partners looking to learn more should visit the GSA Catalog Management Interact page.

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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.