The General Services Administration is piloting a new way for agencies to buy IT hardware in bulk through a new broad purchase agreement (BPA) that it hopes will set the stage for more of its kind.
GSA is starting out with a single-award BPA for computer monitors. The final contract will give agencies access to the lowest price possible by taking advantage of bulk pricing options, while also making it easier for agencies by putting the vendor through the pre-solicitation process.
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The Advantage Select 22" Monitors BPA will run through the end of fiscal 2016, with a total value between $2 million and $5 million. GSA is hopeful that the competitive pricing and short timespan will give agencies the best value possible and let the BPA evolve over time as the market changes.
A request for quotes through GSA's IT Schedule 70 is expected to land on the eBuy portal by July 24. Awards are expected mid-August.
"The concept behind Advantage Select is for GSA to do the heavy lifting/upfront work for our customers and award short term BPAs that can leverage the existing inventories of our industry partners while taking advantage of possible tier pricing discounts," GSA said in announcing a July 16 industry day.
If successful, this approach would be broadened to other commodity IT, as well, creating a "one-stop portal" for agencies to buy hardware. The Monitors BPA and all future like contracts will live on GSA's AdvantageSelect website.
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Aaron Boyd is an awarding-winning journalist currently serving as editor of Federal Times — a Washington, D.C. institution covering federal workforce and contracting for more than 50 years — and Fifth Domain — a news and information hub focused on cybersecurity and cyberwar from a civilian, military and international perspective.
