How State/Local Government Can Use the GSA Schedule

Discover how state and local governments can utilize the GSA Schedule, offering streamlined purchasing, better pricing, and quick procurement during emergencies and disasters.

Introduction

The General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) is primarily designed for federal government procurement, but several programs allow state and local governments to also benefit from this streamlined purchasing vehicle. This blog post provides an overview of these programs:

1. Cooperative Purchasing

Authorized Categories: Various, mainly Information Technology (IT) and Security.

Qualifying Circumstance: State and local governments can purchase under this program in any circumstance.

Details: This program enables state and local governments to purchase IT and security-related products and services from GSA Schedule Contractors who opt into the program. Remarkably, this program does not impose any restrictions on the type of purchase.

2. Disaster Recovery Purchasing

Authorized Categories: All GSA MAS Categories.

Qualifying Circumstance: Purchases must be for recovery from major disasters declared by the President or for disaster preparation and response.

Details: This program broadens the variety of products and services that state and local governments can procure for disaster-related activities.

3. Public Health Emergencies (PHEs)

Authorized Categories: All GSA Categories.

Qualifying Circumstance: Purchases related to response efforts for Public Health Emergencies declared by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Details: This initiative allows state and local entities to procure supplies and services under any GSA MAS Category using federal grant funds during public health emergencies.

4. 1122 Program

Authorized Categories: Specific equipment under select GSA Categories.

Qualifying Circumstance: Purchases for equipment to support counter-drug, homeland security, and emergency response activities.

Details: This program focuses on equipment procurement for specific law enforcement and emergency response activities.

State & Local Government Spending through GSA Schedule (FY2017-2021)

The following data shows the utilization of the Disaster Recovery and Cooperative Purchasing programs by state and local governments over several fiscal years:

  1. FY 2017: Disaster Recovery - $133,000,079; Cooperative Purchasing - $828,566,270
  2. FY 2018: Disaster Recovery - $151,393,116; Cooperative Purchasing - $776,890,664
  3. FY 2019: Disaster Recovery - $180,739,927; Cooperative Purchasing - $788,040,117
  4. FY 2020: Disaster Recovery - $189,459,388; Cooperative Purchasing - $787,619,902
  5. FY 2021: Disaster Recovery - $187,690,728; Cooperative Purchasing - $804,596,129

Who Qualifies as State and Local Government?

Under the GSAM, state and local government entities include:

  • States
  • Cities
  • Counties
  • Towns
  • Tribal governments
  • Public authorities
  • Colleges & other educational institutions

Key Takeaways

These GSA programs afford state and local governments with access to a vast array of products and services. They offer the convenience of streamlined purchasing and potentially superior pricing due to the federal government's buying power. These programs prove exceptionally beneficial for quick procurement during emergencies and disasters.

Participation by state and local entities in these programs has shown to be sizeable, particularly within the spheres of IT and disaster recovery. As a firm led by a former GSA Schedule Reviewer, we offer top-notch GSA Schedule Consulting services. For more information, please visit our website.

Note: The above data confirms the significant role of the GSA programs in facilitating seamless state and local government purchasing and in enhancing disaster recovery efforts.

Pedro has extensive background as a Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist, has worked across seven federal agencies, managing contracts totaling over $1 billion in the professional and tech sectors. His notable tenure includes serving with the DoD/DARPA during the inception of their robotics program. Additionally, he played a pivotal role in initiating the Cyber Special Item Number (SIN) within the GSA's IT Schedule 70 as a Team Lead. After graduating from Harvard, he started Blackfyre to help you win your next contract.

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