The U.S. Air Force and General Services Administration have partnered to establish a multiple-award blanket purchase agreement for government IT products.
According to a blog article written by GSA official Kay Ely published Wednesday, the IT Products BPA will help the federal government and Air Force streamline their acquisition processes and avoid contract duplication.
Ely, assistant commissioner for IT at the GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service, added that the new purchasing vehicle will ensure the service receives Trade Agreements Act-compliant products, reduces the risks of grey-market items and adopts enhanced supply chain risk management processes from GSA-approved industry partners.
The new BPA will also replace the Air Force’s Network-Centric Solutions-2 IT Products contract and align with GSA’s Cooperative Purchasing program, which allows state, local and tribal governments to procure IT and security products offered through specific schedule contracts.
The Air Force and GSA’s partnership complies with the President’s Management Agenda, which includes language requiring agencies to take advantage of common contracts and best practices.