4._Commercial_Platforms_Program_Overview.pdf

Commercial Platforms Program Overview

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2018, Section 846 “Procurement Through Commercial e-Commerce Portals”, directs the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) to establish a program to procure commercial products up to the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT) of $250K through partnerships with commercial e-commerce platforms.

Section 846 outlines a phased implementation of commercial platforms over multiple years. Phase I required GSA to develop an implementation plan, which GSA and OMB jointly submitted to Congress in March 2018.

Current efforts are focused on Phase II, which includes extensive market research and stakeholder consultation, with a report due to Congress in March 2019.

Outlined in Section 846 were multiple directives regarding the implementation of commercial platforms, including:

● Any order through a commercial portal cannot exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT);

● The contract must be a competitive selection with multiple providers;

● GSA is asked to accept portal provider terms & conditions where possible, but should be judicious in asking for exemptions from existing federal contracting rules and regulations;

● Purchases are restricted to commercial off the shelf items.

The commercial platforms program is a unique opportunity to change Federal buying behaviors in partnership with commercial e-commerce providers. The core objectives of the commercial platforms program include:

● Modernizing the commercial product buying experience

● Simplifying and streamlining COTS item purchasing to allow agencies time to focus on mission-oriented acquisition

● Analyzing COTS item spend data to allow for better buying decisions

GSA’s proposed phased approach to the program would include a proof of concept beginning toward the end of calendar year 2019. This will allow GSA to test broad acquisition reform concepts in a more controlled and structured environment. The proposed proof of concept meets the request of multiple stakeholders to be both prudent and proactive in order to start realizing the benefits of commercial e-commerce technologies.

Valuable lessons learned and data insights will be captured from the proof of concept and will provide an important foundation for the program.

Stakeholder engagement is a key part of the program approach and feedback is critical to the success of the program. GSA will continue to ensure transparency throughout the process, and is committed to keeping stakeholders informed and involved in this important effort. To stay informed on the Commercial Platforms program, please visit our Interact group and be sure to subscribe to receive notifications on future updates.

https://interact.gsa.gov/group/commercial-platform-initiative