Tag Archives: Government Procurement

Powering the OneGov Mission with a New GSA Offer for Slack

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The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has set a bold new direction for Federal procurement with its OneGov Strategy—a transformative mission to modernize how the Government buys and uses technology. The goal is clear: act as one unified enterprise to reduce costs, improve security, enhance productivity and eliminate the fragmented, agency-by-agency purchasing of the past.


Achieving this vision requires powerful, secure and commercially available tools that can be acquired and deployed with minimal friction. Salesforce is supporting the OneGov mission by making Slack’s FedRAMP-authorized collaboration platform more accessible and affordable for every Federal agency.

Unifying Agencies to Operate as a Shared Enterprise


A core tenet of the OneGov strategy is breaking down silos to help the Government function as a single, coordinated enterprise. Slack is purpose-built for this reality. By moving communication from isolated inboxes into organized, searchable channels, Slack creates a transparent environment for collaboration. More importantly, Slack Connect extends this capability across agency lines, allowing for secure, real-time collaboration with other Government entities and external partners. This directly addresses the OneGov goal of unifying the Federal workforce, ensuring that inter-agency teams can operate with the same speed and alignment as internal ones, all within a controlled and auditable platform.

Enhancing Productivity and Accelerating AI Adoption


The OneGov initiative calls for agencies to leverage modern technology to enhance efficiency. Slack delivers on this with powerful, user-friendly features, such as:

  • Workflow Builder, which empowers teams to automate routine processes like approvals and status updates without writing a single line of code, freeing up personnel for mission-critical work.
  • Slack AI, which provides a secure pathway to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) adoption. Agencies can instantly leverage AI to summarize complex discussions, get immediate answers from internal knowledge bases and draft communications more efficiently.

These tools provide the tangible productivity gains and advanced capabilities needed to build a smarter, more effective Government.

Reducing Costs Through Centralized, Streamlined Procurement


The Salesforce and GSA agreement for Slack is a prime example of the OneGov strategy in action. By establishing a single, Government-wide agreement with transparent, pre-negotiated pricing, we are helping the GSA eliminate duplicative contracts and leverage the full buying power of the Federal Government.


Through November 30, 2025, your agency can access this strategic offer via the GSA Schedule (Contract: 47QSWA18D008F). With no minimum quantities and pricing structured to be Government Purchase Card (GPC) friendly, this offer dramatically reduces procurement friction and empowers teams to quickly acquire the tools they need to support their mission.

This GSA promotion is more than a discount; it is an opportunity to align your agency’s collaboration strategy with the forward-thinking vision of OneGov. It’s a chance to equip your teams with a best-in-class platform that is secure, efficient and cost-effective.


Carahsoft and our partners are committed to helping you navigate this streamlined procurement process. We are ready to provide a quote, schedule a personalized demo and help you realize the full potential of Slack in achieving your agency’s modernization goals.


Ready to join the OneGov movement and transform how your agency collaborates?
Contact our Salesforce team at Carahsoft today or call us at (877) SFDC-007 to learn more and take advantage of this limited-time offer.

Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, including Salesforce we deliver solutions for Geospatial, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Explore the Carahsoft Blog to learn more about the latest trends in Government technology markets and solutions, as well as Carahsoft’s ecosystem of partner thought-leaders.

Smarter Spending: How State and Local Governments Are Using AI-Powered Procurement Tools to Maximize Cost Savings

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State and Local Governments are under growing pressure to make every dollar count. From rising costs to increased demand for services, public procurement teams are being called on to do more — and to do it faster, more transparently and with measurable results. The good news? Technology is making that easier than ever.

Today, modern procurement platforms equipped with AI-powered insights are helping agencies move beyond manual processes and limited visibility. These tools are transforming procurement into a strategic driver of fiscal stewardship, surfacing new opportunities for cost savings and improving how governments source, evaluate and manage supplier relationships.

This is the future of smarter public sector spending — and it’s already here.

Procurement as a Strategic Function

Procurement has long played a vital role in public sector operations, but it’s increasingly viewed as a strategic lever for achieving broader goals — from cost savings and compliance to supplier diversity and sustainability. However, traditional methods — including siloed data, spreadsheet tracking and paper-based bid evaluations — can limit visibility and slow down decision-making.

AI-powered procurement platforms change that dynamic. They offer real-time insights into spending trends, identify duplicate vendors or off-contract purchases and help procurement professionals proactively guide smarter buying decisions — all within a secure, cloud-based environment.

Euna, Smarter Spending, Blog, Embedded Image, 2025

How AI-Powered Procurement Tools Drive Smarter Spending

AI isn’t replacing public procurement professionals — it’s augmenting their expertise with data they can act on. Here’s how:

Discover the Best Value, Fast

Procurement platforms allow staff to shop across all approved contracts in one place — making it easy to compare items, vendors, prices and delivery timelines in seconds. This transparency empowers end users to identify the best value quickly, while staying within approved purchasing channels.

Use AI to Maximize Every Cart

AI-powered savings advisors enhance purchasing by automatically surfacing lower-cost alternatives and identifying cost-saving substitutions based on availability and shipping. Real-time recommendations help ensure that every cart is optimized — not just for savings, but for delivery speed, quality and compliance.

Compliance Built In, Not Bolted On

From requisition to checkout, compliance is embedded into every step. Platforms can tailor guardrails based on your agency’s policies, automatically flag off-contract items, enforce justification fields and trigger approval workflows when needed. By reducing friction while maintaining full control, agencies minimize risk without slowing down operations.

Turn Data into Strategy

Interactive dashboards provide procurement teams with visibility into spending patterns, supplier usage and contract performance. Drillable reports help identify high-volume categories, underused contracts or vendor performance issues — enabling strategic decisions grounded in real-time data. The result: more informed planning, more efficient purchasing and greater accountability.

A Positive Path Forward for Procurement Teams

In today’s fiscal environment, smart spending isn’t just about spending less — it’s about spending better. AI-powered procurement platforms support that goal by delivering the right data at the right time, helping procurement teams stay focused on value, compliance and mission outcomes.

By adopting these tools — many of which are available to State and Local Governments through trusted partners like Carahsoft — agencies can reduce cycle times, increase visibility and unlock real savings that benefit their communities.

Conclusion: Empowering Public Procurement Through Insight

Procurement professionals are some of the most resourceful problem-solvers in the Public Sector. With the right technology in place, they’re better equipped than ever to lead their agencies toward smarter, more strategic spending.

AI-powered platforms aren’t just a trend — they’re a practical, proven way to improve decision-making, increase efficiency and ensure every public dollar is working as hard as possible.

To explore how procurement solutions from Euna Solutions, available through Carahsoft, can help your agency maximize value and streamline operations, visit the Euna Procurement page.

Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, including Euna Solutions we deliver solutions for Geospatial, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Explore the Carahsoft Blog to learn more about the latest trends in Government technology markets and solutions, as well as Carahsoft’s ecosystem of partner thought-leaders.

Innovative Government Procurement: Tech Companies’ Solution to Faster IT Acquisition

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As technology changes, innovation is necessary to update systems in a timely manner so the government can keep pace with the greater technological environment. To accomplish this and improve the defense of the nation, private sector solutions need to be sold to federal agencies swiftly and effectively. Currently, the commercial industry moves substantially faster than the government due to the federal procurement process time.

Procurement, which is the method of acquiring products to improve or complete an agency’s mission, should be combined with innovation to provide efficient service and optimized technology delivery to the public sector. Through communication and collaboration, the federal government and the private sector can take advantage of resources to spur innovation and time to deployment.

Accelerating Government Procurement

Innovative Government Procurement Blog Embedded Image 2022Government procurement can be lengthy, as it involves handling prime contractors, working through the budgeting process and navigating rapid technology and resource changes. In light of this, many tech companies are unsure of how to deal with the government.

Having recognized this hesitancy, the Department of Defense (DoD) has worked collaboratively to make their contracts more attractive and easier to access. As a result, 75% of tech companies that the Air Force conducts business with now had never previously contracted with the DoD before. Innovation and collaboration can minimize procurement delays and clearly enhance private and public sector cooperation.

Innovation 1: Understanding Procurement Resources & Communicating Early

One crucial element to driving process improvement and increased understanding, is for the public and private sector to discuss the market needs, tech solutions, and contract availability before the acquisition stage. While these conversations are currently underutilized and often viewed with apprehension, they fall safely within the ethics code and can have a major impact on the overall success of a contract. Through these conversations, both industry and government parties can ensure alignment between obtainment strategies and mission goals.

For example, an acquisition innovation lab assists with innovative acquisition techniques and develops best practices, providing tech companies with a safe space to engage with government procurement officials. By researching and understanding the current needs, budget allocations and available resources, tech companies can offer government procurement officers a simple path forward. Since government employees have limited time to sort through the various new resources, presenting all the elements and coming to the table with a clear understanding expedites the process. Working with system integrators also helps government employees acquire the necessary products for their missions.

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs support small business in reaching commercialization within Federal Research and Research and Development (R&D). As an awards-based program, SBIR and STTR incentivize the development and procurement process to stimulate tech innovations. These programs provide an avenue for companies to bring their products to a public sector market and connect with government needs. By qualifying for an SBIR or STTR award, companies meet the competition requirement and have a sole source award providing an easier path to acquiring contracts.

Innovation 2: Presenting Proactively

Tech companies have the ability to proactively contact government market research teams to discuss their tech capabilities and how they match a mission need. Through an intentional targeting approach, the private sector can reach its desired audience much faster than contacting mass groups of government stakeholders to whom the specific technology might not be relevant.

Contacting the correct stakeholder based on an understanding of their problem and a providing a clear presentation of how the technology will solve that issue, removes significant wait times and deliberation. Tech companies can seek out cohorts who will walk them through best practices and how to engage with the government correctly. Procurement professionals, such as those at the Procurement Innovation Lab, are a major storehouse of information and can also advise companies on how to target program offices.

To help government agencies appreciate the value of emerging technologies, private sector companies should promote how their tech products solve the agency’s specific mission needs. To have a convincing presentation, technology companies must recognize what makes their product unique, and market it based on what gives it a competitive advantage within the industry.

Innovation 3: Implementing Preliminary Steps Before Starting the Process

The government has also instituted additional requirements for solutions that are deployed within their environments. Providers must assure compliance with these supply chain security, cyber hygiene, cyber security, maturity modeling and Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) mandates, among others. For example, being FedRAMP-authorized is a baseline requirement that opens many procurement doors for companies that run Software as a Service (SaaS) in a cloud-based environment. Each tech company should research FedRAMP requirements to determine if they need authorization to sell to the government and then weigh the opportunity against the cost of going through the certification process. Tech companies that proceed with obtaining the authorization should view the FedRAMP process as a marketing cost, because without the authorization, the procurement conversation may never be initiated. Having the authorization in hand before approaching bidding, allows tech companies, especially those selling SaaS, a better opportunity to be considered and not immediately disqualified. Procurement experts also recommend that tech companies selling software contemplate preemptively obtaining an Authority to Operate (ATO), which is an additional security authorization that would further aid with a smooth procurement process.

Tech companies must evaluate where to invest their time and resources before completely engaging to maximize progress and efficiency, which also includes focusing on agencies and procurement officials who are ready to innovate in their procurement. These preliminary steps can save hours of frustration and prevent the private sector from chasing dead-end opportunities.

Innovative Government Procurement Blog Graph Image 2022

Delivering With Purpose

When tech companies engage in conversation, collaboration, proactive research and targeted marketing, they can effectively reduce the processing time for acquiring and deploying commercial products in the federal market. Tech companies must leverage their market intelligence to help government agencies understand the resources available to them to enable more innovative procurement. In doing so, both the public and private sector can benefit from the improved procurement process which supports tech modernization and enables critical missions.

To learn more about how to get involved in the Government procurement process and hearing innovative ideas from a panel of thought leaders, watch the webinar here.

Count on Carahsoft: IT Procurement for Government Blog Series: How to Procure with the Army CHESS ITES Program

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The U.S. Army’s Computer, Hardware, Enterprise Software and Solutions (CHESS) program is the Army’s primary source for procuring commercial, off-the-shelf hardware, software, and services. It is a series of Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts that are pre-negotiated and set up to expedite the acquisition process. CHESS provides a simple, straightforward, and cost-efficient contract vehicle for government agencies that require products and services.

FFYE Blog Series Army CHESS Blog ImageOn the hardware side, there are two contracts. One is the Army desktop and mobile computing contract and the other is ITES-3H, which is the Army Information Technology Enterprise Solutions-3 Hardware contract. From the services side, there is ITES-3S, Army Information Technology Enterprise Solutions-3 Services. For software, it is ITES-SW, Army Information Technology Enterprise Solutions – Software.

CHESS is primarily for Army use, but it is open to all Department of Defense (DoD) and federal customers with no fees. Given its IDIQ nature, ITES functions similarly to the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program as a Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC). As a component of DoD, CHESS contracts require stricter requirements around supply chain and provide extra supply chain risk management. Additionally, CHESS tends to require solutions that adhere to DoD common criteria and similar requirements necessary to function within integrated architectures.

What’s Process of Acquiring IT Solutions with Army CHESS?

The Army CHESS office is run through the Program Executive Office for Enterprise Information Systems (PEO-EIS).  As such, DFAR (Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation) terms are a part of these contracts as well as any applicable Army Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Supplements.

The process is similar to other contracting vehicles from both the agency and industry sides. The agency develops requirements before reaching out to the contracting officer to discuss those requirements and develop a statement of work. Then they identify the funding that can be moved through the program before turning it over to the contracting officer acquisition side.

Perks of Procuring with ARMY CHESS

Supply Chain Risk Management: The supply chain risk management process looks at each particular product from the perspective of its ability to sabotage or maliciously induce something via software patches. They look at where the code is originating, what has been manufactured, and where the hardware is being produced or distributed. All those things are included as part of that review process to put a product into CHESS. While supply chain management is a popular buzzword lately that many contracts are beginning to address, this is not new to the Army; the Army has been doing this for years.

Approved Products List (APL): CHESS has products that are certified as acceptable to sit on a DoD network. This is an important certification for users and accessors of the products on this contract. The Army/DoD Unified Capabilities Approved Products List’s purpose is to maintain a single consolidated list of products that have completed Interoperability and information assurance certification for use in DoD systems and networks.

Trade Agreements Act: The Trade Agreements Act applies to all products within CHESS programs and provides that they are made in the USA or a designated approved country (i.e. Canada, the United Kingdom, etc.). TAA compliance ensures that products originating from non-complaint countries (i.e. China, Iran, Syria, Russia, etc.) do not end up within an Army or DoD network.

Software Risk Management Framework:  On the software side, the Software Risk Management Framework provides similar assurances to TAA.  Software must be certified through the Risk Management Framework (RMF) or be listed on another approved DoD program. CHESS provides a framework and actively works within it to manage supply chain risks.  CHESS is a leader in the community of similar government and industry entities that share these concerns and it works cooperatively with NIST, MITRE, Gartner, GSA, and many others.

Count on Carahsoft and our reseller partners to deliver and implement cutting-edge cloud solutions and services at the best value. Request a Quote Today and start the conversation with our team on how we can assist you this federal fiscal year-end.

Count on Carahsoft: IT Procurement for Government Blog Series: Procuring with NASPO ValuePoint

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NASPO Valuepoint is a contract primarily available for state and local government and education entities around the country. While not being a public sector organization, but rather a nonprofit organization working uniquely to support the member states of NASPO (National Association of State Procurement Officials). NASPO Valuepoint focuses on putting out different proposal requests for various contract scopes to meet members’ needs. For example, if NASPO determines that there is a need for automobiles or automobile parts, they put out a proposal request on their contract and then they have manufacturers and contractors for automobile parts respond to that proposal.

That is how Carahsoft became involved; in 2015 we responded to a proposal request for a cloud solutions contract under NASPO and were awarded the contract for 2016 through 2026.

FFYE Blog Series NASPO ValuePoint Blog ImageState Procurement Process for NASPO

NASPO puts together an all-encompassing master agreement that serves as the contractor’s base contract. Then individual state procurement offices work one-on-one with Carahsoft to write smaller contracts, called a Participating Addenda (PA), that allow the states to access Carahsoft’s master cloud solutions agreement with NASPO at any point during the contract. Carahsoft has participating addenda with 37 states, more than any other contractor in the cloud solutions category.

This opt-in process benefits the state because they can augment the master agreement with their own relevant terms and conditions, pricing arrangements, availability of product, and other terms that might be relevant to them. A state could say: “In our state, here’s how we do termination for convenience” and customize their own terms and conditions within the participating addendum. For example, Georgia has their own procurement manual, their own procurement code, and specific ways things operate.  They don’t have to participate to the exact set of rules that are set down within the master agreement. They can take that baseline of rules and customize them.

The ability to leverage an existing contract is a big advantage to these customers. Many state purchasing organizations have limited resources, so they can leverage a competition that’s already being conducted by NASPO and use that as a baseline in their procurement. It allows them a higher level of efficiency.

Benefits of Purchasing Under a State Procurement Contract

Convenience for States: NASPO gives state purchasing entities a pre-negotiated contract to leverage for cloud solutions. Otherwise, state governments would need to start contracts from scratch, a process that could take months. Cloud solutions have a  focused scope, and purchasing entities may struggle to completely address the specifics of SaaS and in-cloud solution contracts. This type of agreement is effective in that it provides a framework that already addresses most requirements that customers may leverage as opposed to starting their own brand new contract.

Updating: From our vendor partners on a rolling, monthly basis, including any new products, technology features, pricing information, or other terms. In addition, it allows new terms and conditions if some of our vendor partners want to include their updated versions.

Vendor Partners: Carahsoft can also add new technology partners such as vendors or resellers very easily. We can use our partner network as part of our NASPO contract by getting them approved on a monthly basis. They can leverage our contract just like we would as they source the technology solutions that are available on NASPO through Carahsoft.

NIST Framework: NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) standards are leveraged in a variety of ways by state and federal governments, industry, etc. For example, they have a baseline definition for a cloud service.  States have confidence that a product or service that is available on a NASPO contract meets these NIST standards as being a cloud service; this gives them confidence to understand what they are purchasing through the contract.

The NIST model framework that NASPO adheres to is largely part of the contract scope. Everything that is included in the NASPO model is “something as-a-service.” The three models followed by this NIST framework are software, platform, or infrastructure as-a-service. If it is one of those solution capabilities, then it can be eligible to be approved for NASPO.

Count on Carahsoft and our reseller partners to deliver and implement cutting-edge cloud solutions and services at the best value. Request a Quote Today and start the conversation with our team on how we can assist you this federal fiscal year-end.

A Guide to GSA MAS Contract

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The Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), previously referred to as Schedule 70, is the General Service Administration’s (GSA) go-to source for IT acquisitions. GSA covers federal, state, and local government as well as other areas supporting the government that are not necessarily .gov addresses: executive agencies and other eligible users.

It is the largest government contract, supporting more than $30 billion of purchases annually through GSA schedules—roughly one in every three government transactions is going through GSA schedules. There are over 17,000 GSA contractors and GSA advertises over 11 million different items available within their schedules program.

FFYE Blog Series GSA MAS Blog ImageGSA is currently engaged in an activity called MAS Consolidation, enabling a new single solicitation process that streamlines terms and conditions across multiple schedule programs. This new process is GSA’s effort to make it easier for both industry and government to contract by having a single, consolidated set of terms. Previously, there were separate schedules for different commodity types, i.e. furniture, office supplies, or software. Consolidation of the varied schedules will enable customers to find total solutions under one contract vehicle while ensuring that necessary terms and conditions are met.

How to Utilize the MAS Program

Carahsoft’s GSA MAS Contract enables us to offer more products and services to the government in a streamlined manner. The need for duplicative GSA contracts has been eliminated and all products can be offered within the same contract vehicle. The prior Schedule 70 contract was specific to IT products and services; today we can offer products and services across lines of business without going through a new contract acquisition phase.

MAS was created in part because in today’s environment, the half-life of a piece of software is six months to a year while hardware refreshes every few years. A contract vehicle like this allows agencies to keep up with the pace of change from a technology perspective and is a real enabler from a mission delivery perspective.

On the industry side, there is a process to apply for the schedules. You must meet the requirements of the schedules program, demonstrating past performance and agreeing to abide by federal acquisition regulations. In addition, there are some particular flow downs and other requirements of the contracts.

The contract acquisition process itself can be somewhat complex for industry, but once it is completed you have a direct link into the government contract and a marketplace that needs services and commodities of all kinds.

Benefits of Procuring Under the GSA Multiple Award Schedule

Speed:  GSA is recognized for its speed of procurement. Agencies know that if they purchase via GSA they will benefit from GSA’s work with technology vendors and cost savings associated with volume purchases. Going through the regular contracting process could take up to a year to complete a purchase while GSA purchases tend to occur in a matter of weeks.

Best-in-Breed: Agencies know they are getting best-in-breed products. GSA is the government’s go-to source and vehicle for IT acquisitions, so agencies can be confident they will get the latest technology.

Small Businesses: GSA requires vendors to employ a certain percentage of small businesses, so it helps agencies fulfill those small business mandated goals in the federal government.

IDIQ: GSA MAS Schedule 70 is an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) based contract. It’s a pre-negotiated contract that includes pricing for products and services available at pre-negotiated rates, so individual agencies do not need to haggle; they just have to decide how much of a product they want and when they want it.

End User License Agreements: GSA offers benefits in the area of terms of service and end user license agreements. Individual consumers usually must accept—sometimes disadvantageous—terms and conditions in order to use technology, but GSA negotiates with vendors before products are added to the schedules. So agencies can buy products from the schedules program with confidence that all the terms of that purchase are in line with federal acquisition regulations. Issues like auto renewals of service or subscriptions are pre-negotiated (and often removed) with GSA, so individual customers and agencies need not negotiate with vendors.

Count on Carahsoft and our reseller partners to deliver and implement cutting-edge cloud solutions and services at the best value. Request a Quote Today and start the conversation with our team on how we can assist you this federal fiscal year-end.

Count on Carahsoft: IT Procurement for Government Blog Series: Procuring with DoD ESI BPA

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DoD ESI (Enterprise Software Initiative) is a program to centralize sourcing and acquisitions of IT products and services across the DoD. ESI contracts take the form of a blanket purchase agreement (BPA) associated with a GSA schedule. ESI contracts held by Carahsoft use the Carahsoft GSA contract as their basis.

ESI is exclusively for federal DoD purchasing entities and agencies, including the intelligence community and the coast guard. A contractor must be an approved technology vendor to the GSA schedule before going through the process of becoming a participating DoD ESI technology vendor. Through ESI, DoD purchasers leverage the combined buying power of DoD and may receive additional discounts.

FFYE Blog Series DoD ESI BPA Blog ImageESI BPA Contract Process

Pricing must first be approved to the GSA schedule contract before it can be added to ESI. After pricing has been vetted, reviewed, and approved by GSA, contractors go through an additional ESI submission process conducted by on ESI’s behalf. Then the product or service is available for purchase. DoD purchasers who are seeking a particular technology solution can scan the available catalogs of everything that has been approved to the ESI and make their purchases from that catalog.

ESI approval is beneficial for vendors. If a contractor meets GSA criteria and offers the same types of product and solution scopes that DoD is seeking to acquire from ESI, they should make ESI certification their next step. However, getting onto the ESI agreement is not a rolling process. Vendors must wait for an open DoD ESI solicitation period once they have been approved to GSA. Carahsoft is undergoing a re-solicitation process now to add new vendors to the contract.

Top Advantages of DoD ESI BPA

Pricing:  Pricing is a big benefit for members of the DoD and intelligence communities. NAVWAR reviews the pricing in a separate process, ensuring it is proper to be on the contract. This allows ESI to offer an additional discount compared to the GSA price.

ESI Standards:  ESI technology vendors are carefully evaluated. They agree to additional terms and conditions—particularly certain security requirements—that make them a more advantageous partner for agencies across the DoD. These agencies know that ESI partners and technologies adhere to certain standards. This works to the advantage of DoD as well as the technology vendors, because many of those standards and security policies are for their benefit.

DFARS Clause: The DFARS 20874 Clause is referenced on every participating technology vendors’ ordering guide once they become a part of the ESI BPA.  It mandates that all ESI purchasers must look at available inventory on ESI before they can purchase technologies on any other contract vehicle. They must come to ESI first, which provides them with an expedited acquisition process, as opposed to going to another contract and having to publish an RFQ.

ESI provides some important and unique benefits. Since purchasers seek available inventory on this contract first, the policy benefits anybody who is using the contract to centrally locate acquisitions.

Software license agreement: Having to review vendor specific  terms can be burdensome, but these  terms are already finalized.  The ESI contracts require SLAs ensuring that anybody who is on the contract can meet heightened standards as well as DoD specific terms making for a more effective contract. Ultimately, it works to benefit both parties as typically contract negotiation processes have already been completed.

DoD Acceptance:  One advantage of ESI is it is a DoD-wide accepted and approved vehicle. It incorporates not only the relevant aspects of federal procurement law, but also specific provisions like DFARS which benefit both the purchaser and the industry. There is a clear acquisition path for a DoD purchaser when using an ESI vehicle.   ESI contractors are entities that do business with  DoD regularly; they are proven to be responsive and responsible to the DoD.

Path to Procurement:  Agencies know they can have a path to procurement that will take into account the terms and conditions regarding the purchase. It takes a certain amount of critical mass and effort to get an ESI vehicle established—on both the vendor and government side. They put a lot of time and effort—running competitions, down-selecting, negotiating awards, etc.—into devising the procurement plan and what types of ESI vehicles they will put into place.  This works to the advantage of both ESI customers and vendors.

Count on Carahsoft and our reseller partners to deliver and implement cutting-edge cloud solutions and services at the best value. Request a Quote Today and start the conversation with our team on how we can assist you this federal fiscal year-end.

Count on Carahsoft: IT Procurement for Government Blog Series: Procuring with NASA SEWP

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NASA SEWP (Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement) is a federal government-wide acquisition contract (GWAC) which any federal government agency can use. SEWP specifically is centered more on products and services, priding themselves on being a solutions contract. Past versions have predominantly been known as a product contract, but SEWP V, which is the version Carahsoft holds directly, has evolved into a solutions contract with a wide range of different products and services, including:

  • Advanced technology, including desktops and servers
  • IT peripherals
  • Network equipment
  • Software products
  • Cloud-based services
  • General software support
  • Training
  • Installation
  • Consulting
  • Cyber security
  • AI and machine learning
  • And more…

FFYE Blog Series NASA SEWP Blog ImageProcurement Process with SEWP V

SEWP’s processes enable Carahsoft to work effectively with the federal government, particularly since SEWP is known for being efficient and fast. All pricing is reviewed and approved by SEWP’s program management office in 24 hours or less, a very fast timeline compared to other GWACs. In particular, this gives Carahsoft and government customers a lot of flexibility to add new technology offerings, products, and services to an ongoing contract.

SEWP is also known for its extensive support center to help contractors—but more importantly to assist customers in the acquisition process. For example, they can answer questions about: pricing requirements, what you can or cannot acquire on the contract, etc. SEWP’s support center is known to provide good, on-demand customer service, which facilitates the process for all parties.

SEWP maintains the lowest fee structure of any GWAC, thus delivering additional value to customers procuring through it. For a government contract, this is an important differentiator. The low fee and high level of support make this one of the best contracts available.

SEWP will work one-on-one with government agency customers who are trying to post requirements. RFQs are posted with flexibility to meet the customer’s deadlines. If a customer has a very quick turnaround, SEWP will work with them to ensure that it is posted within 3-5 days to meet shortened timeframes.

All orders include tracking information which is provided by SEWP within 24 hours for quick access.  This allows SEWP to assist the customer in tracking orders when they are processed and arranging for receipt. The SEWP framework provides visibility to ensure that the products and services are delivered effectively and in a timely manner.

Top Benefits & Features of SEWP V

Fast Procurement

SEWP is designed as a fast and efficient procurement vehicle with a large support staff that works hand-in-hand with the customers.  Somebody is assigned to every procurement that goes through the contract—or even ones that are contemplating going through the contract. Their procurement support is a big differentiator from other GWACs.

Customization

SEWP offers a wide range of IT products and services, but the customer agency also has the capability to tailor additional terms and conditions to their procurement. If the DoD were to buy an item that required an enterprise licensing agreement or special use authorization—or if a manufacturer is providing home use licensing—SEWP has the ability to accommodate those additional terms and conditions at the order level within the overall umbrella of their contract.

Customer Service

SEWP has the capacity to accommodate more complex purchases in a streamlined, fast, and efficient manner, which definitely works to the benefit of the customers and the marketplace. In particular, fast turnaround gives customer agencies access to new technology and new products; SEWP can provide 24-hour turnaround time for such projects. This is especially important since a big segment of the market is dominated by new technologies and new companies with unique expertise. Such companies do not have a five-year track record and preexisting government contracts. Unlike other GWACs, SEWP can get those products and services available very quickly.

STN Tracking

One unique feature is that once a federal government customer awards a purchase order, SEWP will designate a tracking number or STN (SEWP Tracking Number). This provides SEWP with the tracking capability to request updates from a contractor, like Carahsoft, so they will know if there are any issues with the order. Ordinarily the tracking of order fulfillment is done by the ordering agencies, so the involvement of the contracting entity is minimal.

SEWP’s process is unique and beneficial. Especially during recent months with uncertainty around COVID-19, SEWP has assisted the government to meet fast and evolving requirements as quickly as possible.

Count on Carahsoft and our reseller partners to deliver and implement cutting-edge cloud solutions and services at the best value. Request a Quote Today and start the conversation with our team on how we can assist you this federal fiscal year-end.