GSA Updates Strategic Sourcing Tool for Office Supplies

The General Services Administration in late November published a draft update of its seven-year-old strategic sourcing initiative aimed at reducing the costs of agency office supply purchasing.

The new statement of work titled “Office Supply Third Generation,” or OS3, is “the agency’s latest effort to cut costs and increase efficiencies by buying everyday supplies like pens, paper and printing items from a list of vendors with negotiated low prices,” GSA said in a release. It is expected to save $65 million a year in reduced administrative costs and $90 million through lowered prices, with 76 percent of purchasing contracts going to small businesses. Since 2006, the program has saved agencies $350 million, according to GSA.

“GSA is committed to working collaboratively with our partners across government and in the office supply community to save money and streamline the purchasing process for federal agencies,” said Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Tom Sharpe. “With increasingly constrained resources and budgets, saving time and money is essential.”

The OS3 draft was designed in cooperation with the Small Business Administration, the interagency Strategic Sourcing Leadership Council and the Office of Management and Budget.

Among the updates to the policy are provisions opening up procurements to office supply businesses that do not have a GSA Multiple Award Schedule contract, a dynamic pricing model to reduce variances and increased “on-ramping” opportunities and awards for small businesses.

Additional portions of the draft will be published this month. Comments are due by Dec. 6.

(Image via Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com)