Commercial Platforms Initiative

GSA and OMB have issued the phase 2 joint implementation plan, attached, for the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Section 846, Procurement Through Commercial e-Commerce Portals.

To inform the development of the phase 2 implementation plan, GSA and OMB conducted extensive market research and consultation with customers and industry partners. This included hosting two public meetings with hundreds of stakeholders participating and the release of three Requests for Information (RFIs) to gather feedback on program requirements.

In the phase 2 implementation plan, GSA and OMB outline three key decisions necessary to begin the implementation of purchasing through e-commerce portals using an initial proof of concept:

1. Begin operational implementation of the program with an initial proof of concept to start small, test, and refine as lessons are learned;
2. Limit purchases made through the initial proof of concept to the micro-purchase threshold (MPT) to drive adoption and mitigate risk; and
3. Start with the e-marketplace model for this initial proof of concept while continuing to assess opportunities to leverage the benefits of the other commercial e-commerce portal models.

To maximize the effectiveness of the initial proof of concept, GSA and OMB are recommending one legislative change viewed as necessary for implementation:

• Increase the micro-purchase threshold (MPT) from $10,000 to $25,000 for a limited period of five years. The proposed authority would only apply to purchases made through the GSA-approved commercial e-commerce portals. This will provide GSA the opportunity to provide a higher-value proof of concept and test the full potential of streamlined buying.

Moving into phase 3 (and continuing through FY20), GSA will focus on program implementation guidance. This phase will include an initial proof of concept with a planned launch toward the end of calendar year 2019 and a draft solicitation released in the Q3 FY19 timeframe.

At this time, we are not soliciting comments on this plan via Interact. However, stakeholder engagement will continue to be a high priority for GSA and OMB throughout this next phase, with additional opportunities for feedback in the coming months.

Thank you again for the ongoing engagement and collaboration on the Commercial Platforms initiative.

For the full press release, please click here.