Some tips for federal buyers as we pull the plug on FY 2017

Editor’s note: GPN asked SourceAmerica’s Clara Conti to explain how her organization can assist federal buyers before the end of the federal fiscal year on Sept. 30. More specifically, we asked Conti how SourceAmerica can be a solution for agency’s year-end contracting requirements? Conti, who is vice president of sales, says SourceAmerica can help federal agencies spend wisely, efficiently and economically.

SourceAmerica is an AbilityOne authorized enterprise dedicated to creating employment opportunities and choices for people with disabilities. Its General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule pricing has been approved as fair and reasonable. It’s deeply discounted from regular commercial pricing, so buyers can rest assured that their agency is getting quality services at the best prices.

SourceAmerica is a Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contract holder on the following federal supply schedules:

•    Schedule 36 (Document and Mailroom Management) – SourceAmerica holds nine special item numbers (SIN) under this schedule for services ranging from records management to document destruction to mail screening and inspection services.

•    Schedule 03FAC (Facilities Maintenance and Management) – SourceAmerica holds two SINs under this schedule for facilities maintenance services to include pest control, plumbing, custodial services and grounds maintenance as well as laundry services.

•    Schedule 00CORP (Professional Services Schedule) – SourceAmerica holds two SINs under this schedule for services including, but not limited to: fleet management, laundry, warehousing and logistics.

The statement below is from Clara Conti.

How Limited Competition and Sole Sources Maximize Your Year-End Spend

With September 30 drawing closer by the minute, agencies are nearing the end of their annual spending cycles. If the end of the federal fiscal year has you wondering how to make the most of your agency’s budget and secure it for next year, we’ve got some tips.

The size and complexity of a procurement should be the first two considerations when it comes to scheduling your requests for quotes. Savvy planners send out the largest and most complicated request for quotations (RFQs) at the beginning of the year to allow for the inevitable back-and-forth between vendors and agencies that refine quotes and scope of work.

By leaving the smaller, simpler RFQs for the end of the year, you’re budgeting options as well as funds. The fourth quarter and even final month are the times for limited-competition bids. By only soliciting from three General Services Administration schedule holders, you’ve cut down on wait time and open requests.

If you’re really down to the wire, justifying your RFQ as a sole source under the GSA schedule will enable you to work directly with one vendor, which is almost always the quickest and easiest way to make use of  your agency’s remaining budget. For anything on the GSA schedule, pricing is already vetted and assumed reasonable.

According to federal acquisition guidelines, you can qualify an RFQ for a sole source under GSA if:

•    Only one source is capable of responding due to the unique and specialized nature of the work.

•    The new work is a logical follow-on to an original Federal Supply Schedule. The original order must not have been previously issued under sole source or limited source procedures.

•    An urgent and compelling need exists and if an agency followed the standard ordering procedures, it would result in unacceptable delays.

If the GPN web audience has any questions, they can reach Clara Conti at cconti@sourceamerica.org

Editor’s note: GPN will be spotlighting government buying and selling opportunities as the end of the federal fiscal year approaches. The topic will be discussed in a series of four Use It or Lose It e-newsletters that will be deployed in July and August before the end of the federal fiscal year on Sept 30, 2017.

Please email michael.keating@penton.com if you’d like to submit a commentary on what federal buyers and contractors need to do before the end of the federal fiscal year, the federal marketplace or similar topic. Go here for a sample issue of the free Use It or Lose It e-newsletter.

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