Who Can Buy Off Gsa Schedule
We recently learned that these items are available from the GSA schedule. I received the GSA contract. We did a cost/price analysis and determined that it would be to our benefit to purchase these brand name items from the GSA contract versus going out for bid (brand name or approved equal). Does FTA allow procurements from GSA contract?
who can buy off gsa schedule
A. We would agree with you that the best possible outcome in choosing a contractor would be through a competitive RFP process, rather than selecting a contractor that is the only one on the GSA schedule, and thus excluding other capable firms that might very well offer you a better value outcome considering both technical capabilities and price. There is nothing in the FTA Best Practices Procurement Manual that addresses the scenario you describe. (Posted: August, 2013)
A. The requirements related to Buy America and DBE would apply to any contracts above $100,000 awarded by a FTA grantee through the Federal GSA schedules. The use of a GSA schedule as a procurement method would not affect other applicable laws and regulations. (Posted: November, 2014)
A. FTA Circular 4220.1F, Chapter V paragraph 6 discusses the use of GSA Supply Schedules by grantees. It specifically authorizes the acquisition of IT technology, but no other type of acquisition is authorized. Thus the grantee cannot acquire furniture from the GSA schedules, and will have to conduct a new competitive (advertised) procurement for the furniture. Paragraph 6. d. also requires grantees to seek offers from at least three sources on the GSA IT Schedule in order to fulfill FTA competition requirements. (Posted: December, 2014)
If a grantee wishes to choose equipment from a single source and not allow or consider equipment offered by other vendors, the grantee must process a sole source justification through official management channels within the grantee agency, explaining why only one brand can meet the grantee's operational requirements. The best possible outcome in choosing a contractor would be through a competitive RFP process, rather than selecting a contractor that is the only one on the GSA schedule, and thus excluding other capable firms that might very well offer a better value outcome considering both technical capabilities and price. (Posted: November, 2015)
The success of your GSA Schedule comes down to one key ingredient - SALES! Right before or soon after GSA awards your GSA contract, you should prepare your sales force to hit the ground running by providing sales training so that they understand what a GSA schedule is and how they can sell to agencies.
Green purchasing is required by law or executive order unless the products do not meet your performance needs, are not reasonably available, or are only available at an unreasonable price. However, most green products are commercially available off-the-shelf items and can be purchased through the GSA stock and schedule programs, Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative solutions, the Defense Logistic Agency, mandatory sources such as the National Industries for the Blind, and commercial open market sources.
GSA Advantage! is the online shopping and ordering system that provides access to thousands of contractors and millions of supplies (products) and services. Anyone may browse on GSAAdvantage! to view and compare the variety of products and services offered State and local governments may use GSA Advantage to purchase products under Cooperative Purchasing and Disaster Recovery Programs. GSA eLibrary is the online source for the latest contract award information for GSA schedules, access to information on millions of supplies (products) and services, links to contractor websites, email addresses, and text files containing contract terms and conditions, identification of schedule contractors participating in Cooperative Purchasing and/or Disaster Recovery Purchasing.
VA manages nine (9) supply schedules containing commodities, pharmaceuticals, and services, for use by VA medical centers, related facilities, specific State Veterans Homes, and other federal facilities.
If for some reason; such as the product is out of stock andyou are in the process of removing the item from your schedule, the informationon the PO is incorrect, or other valid issues, you can send notice to thepurchaser and state your case for not fulfilling the order. The buyer willlikely accept your denial and purchase from another vendor and may rememberthis transaction in future purchases.
Your company needs to be registered in the System for Acquisition Management (SAM). If you are providing services, many schedules require that your company be in business for at least two years. If you are not already in the federal market, you should have a plan for entry. We can help you with that through competitive analysis, strategic positioning, and marketing messages.
A: The auction close time could change due to either (a) Extensions due to inactivity logic or (b) Extensions due to technical difficulties. (a) Extensions due to inactivity logic: The auction close time can change due to the "inactivity period" which is displayed under "bidding details" and refers to the amount of time that must pass without bidding before the auction is over. The auction will close in one of two ways: Either at its actual scheduled close time, or after the inactivity period. Modifying your Proxy bid during the inactivity period will also reset the time of the auction.(b) Extensions due to technical difficulties: When technical problems occur and interrupt the bidding process for an unspecified amount of time, these interruptions may affect some or all bidders. In the event of an interruption, an evaluation of the length of interruption time and the numbers of bidders affected may prompt GSA Auctions to extend the closing time for an auction. Extension may range from 1 hour to 24 hours based on the aforementioned criteria, to ensure fair and full competition.
Ordering activities shall use the ordering procedures of this section when placing an order or establishing a BPA for supplies or services. The procedures in this section apply to all schedules. For establishing BPAs and for orders under BPAs see 8.405-3.
Ordering activities may request a price reduction at any time before placing an order, establishing a BPA, or in conjunction with the annual BPA review. However, the ordering activity shall seek a price reduction when the order or BPA exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold. Schedule contractors are not required to pass on to all schedule users a price reduction extended only to an individual ordering activity for a specific order or BPA.
An employee may use annual leave for vacations, rest and relaxation, and personal business or emergencies. An employee has a right to take annual leave, subject to the right of the supervisor to schedule the time at which annual leave may be taken. An employee will receive a lump-sum payment for accumulated and accrued annual leave when he or she separates from Federal service or enters on active duty in the Armed Forces and elects to receive a lump-sum payment.
Ultimately, supervisors are responsible for the overall planning, coordination, and approving of their employees' annual leave throughout the leave year so that the agency's mission and employees' needs are met, and so that employees do not approach the end of the leave year with a significant amount of annual leave that must be used or forfeited. While the final date to schedule leave applies only to situations involving the possible forfeiture and restoration of annual leave, employees should be sure to schedule and use annual leave throughout the leave year and not wait until the end of the leave year to schedule annual leave. When an employee makes a timely request for leave, the supervisor must either approve the request and schedule the leave at the time requested by the employee or, if that is not possible because of project related deadlines or the agency's workload, must schedule it at some other time. If the employee forfeits annual leave because the supervisor did not schedule the leave or request a determination that a public exigency exists that would prevent the employee from using the leave, the supervisor's negligence constitutes administrative error and the employee's leave must be restored.
The maximum amount of annual leave that employees may carry over to the next leave year is shown in the annual leave ceiling table above. An agency may restore annual leave that was forfeited due to an exigency of the public business or sickness of the employee only if the annual leave was scheduled in writing before the start of the third biweekly pay period prior to the end of the leave year. (See fact sheet on Leave Year Beginning and Ending Dates for dates for scheduling "use or lose" leave.) Any annual leave scheduled after that date will be forfeited if not used by the final day of the leave year. Annual leave that was not scheduled in advance may be restored only under very limited conditions such as employees affected by the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act (5 U.S.C. 6304(d)(3)), administrative error, or prolonged sickness of the employee.
Dismissal or closure due to weather conditions or other emergencies, end-of-year holidays granted by Executive order, and other unexpected paid time off without charge to leave may disrupt plans to use scheduled annual leave. Workdays on which a Federal activity is closed are nonworkdays for leave purposes, and employees will not be charged annual leave on such nonworkdays. If such circumstances result in an employee being unable to reschedule and use "use or lose" leave before the end of the leave year, the leave will be forfeited. When "use or lose" leave is forfeited under such conditions, it cannot be restored. 041b061a72