Because of the COVID-19 crisis, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has delayed award of contracts that would allow federal officials to purchase directly from online commercial marketplaces, such as Amazon.com (if it received one of the contracts). The delay is noteworthy because many observers have asked whether allowing officials to purchase directly from commercial marketplaces could have mitigated supply failures in the current crisis.
The GSA announcement stated:
Commercial Platforms Acquisition Delayed
04/01/2020 12:12 PM EDT
As we all continue to adjust our professional and personal lives due to the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 situation, I hope this communication finds you well. First and foremost, I want to thank those who are providing critical support to the COVID-19 response. In addition to my role leading the Commercial Platforms initiative, my organization is heavily involved with providing IT Hardware and Services support to agencies across the country – as they work to implement telework procedures and other mission critical functions remotely.
Not surprisingly, GSA’s resources have shifted to support the COVID-19 response, and we’re having to prioritize certain activities to support the immediate needs of the federal government. As a result, the contracting team for the Commercial Platforms proof of concept has also had to shift their focus to COVID-19 response efforts. A delay is anticipated in the contract award to e-marketplace platform providers for the proof of concept. We will continue to move forward as we are able, recognizing that many of our acquisition professionals are prioritizing COVID-19 response work over other acquisition initiatives. Our goal is to make the contract award in the coming months.
Again, thank you for your ongoing support and understanding as we all navigate these extraordinary circumstances. This Interact group will continue to be a resource where you can receive up-to-date information about the Commercial Platforms initiative. You can learn more about GSA’s COVID-19 activities at www.gsa.gov/covid19.
– Laura Stanton
Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Category Management,
Information Technology Category
