COVID-19 Emergency Opens GSA and VA Schedules to State and Local Use

On March 13, 2020, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) in order to “successfully contain and combat the virus in the United States.” The declaration allows state, local, territorial, and tribal governments (and some educational institutions) to purchase supplies and services from GSA and VA Schedule contractors participating in the Disaster Recovery Program. Participating contractors display the Disaster Recovery icon on GSA’s eLibrary and GSAAdvantage!® to identify them as resources in this national emergency.

GSA recently notified ordering agencies that companies fraudulently claiming to be GSA vendors were attempting to exploit legitimate COVID-19 concerns to mislead government agencies into paying exorbitant prices for products associated with COVID-19. GSA recommended buyers verify vendor legitimacy by checking contract numbers, prices, and details on GSAAdvantage!® or eLibrary. Buyers have also been advised to contact vendors prior to placing orders to confirm availability of products associated with COVID-19. Be sure your contract details are up-to-date so buyers can reach you.

Depending on the scope and scale of the federal response, state and local agencies will likely need to purchase a wide variety of products – such as cleaning supplies, emergency shelters, medical equipment, and hospital furniture – and services to enable effective and efficient outreach to affected populations. Contract holders can decline state and local orders at their discretion, as long as they do so within five days of receipt of a task or delivery order (or 24 hours for a credit card order).

Below is a list of schedule offerings that could be relevant in this scenario. A full list of the available offerings under the consolidated Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) is available here. Buyers can also search for COVID-19 related products and services in the GSA Advantage! “Disaster Relief and Pandemic Products” aisle.

VA Schedule Contracts

• 621 I Professional and Allied Healthcare Staffing Services
• 621 II Medical Laboratory Testing and Analysis Services
• 65 I B Pharmaceuticals and Drugs
• 65 II A Medical Equipment and Supplies
• 65 II F Patient Mobility Devices
• 65 VII Invitro Diagnostics, Reagents, Test Kits and Test Sets
• 66 III Clinical Analyzers, Laboratory, Cost-per-Test

GSA MAS Large Categories

• Scientific Management and Solutions – laboratory equipment, diagnostic and testing services and equipment, patient transportation products, respiratory protection products
• Professional Services – environmental remediation, logistics, supply chain management, financial advising, public relations
• Furniture and Furnishing – healthcare furniture, laboratory furniture, flooring
• Facilities – sanitation equipment, prefabricated buildings, facilities maintenance
• Information Technology – Health IT services, eCommerce, hardware, software, call center
• Industrial Products and Services – cleaning supplies, safety zone products, street cleaning equipment
• Office Management – telecommunications equipment, 3D printing solutions, electronic records management
• Security and Protection – law enforcement products and services, access control systems

UPDATE: Contractors can add their company to the System for Award Management (SAM) Disaster Response Registry here.

Schedule a consultation with an experienced Aprio advisor to discuss your GSA Scheduling needs.