GSA Hosts Inaugural Meeting of Committee to Advise High Level Acquisition Changes

By Samantha Holt | Government Relations Analyst

Last month, the General Services Administration (GSA) held its inaugural meeting of the Acquisition Policy Federal Advisory Committee (GAP FAC). The GAP FAC advises GSA’s Administrator on how the agency’s acquisitions tools and authorities can drive positive regulatory, policy, and process changes. There are three things government contractors should take away from this meeting:

 

1.     While GAP FAC identified climate and sustainability federal acquisition issues as the initial focus, many committee members brought up challenges faced by small business contractors. The Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Deputy Associate Administrator of the Office of Government Contracting and Business Development, Antonio Doss, is part of the Committee and drove this discussion. Some of the issues identified were:

• Focusing on GSA schedule barriers of entry for small, disadvantaged businesses (SDBs)

• Creating policies that tackle the climate and sustainability issues but do not create new barriers for SDBs

• Constructing teaming framework that make it easier for small businesses to bid and win large contract opportunities

• Introducing strategies that support the longevity of small businesses within federal procurement

• Creating resources to support small, disadvantaged businesses with the climate and sustainability federal acquisition regulatory, policy, and process changes

 

2.     GSA expressed its willingness to support pushing these and other small business changes with the Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council. This is important for the small business community because there are often significant lag times between SBA final rulemaking and implementation of these changes in the FAR. 

 

3.     All GAP FAC full committee and subcommittee meetings are open to the public. Written comments can be submitted at gapfac@gsa.gov. Additionally, there are three subcommittees – Policy and Practices, Industry Partnerships, and Acquisition Workforce. While subcommittee meetings have not been announced, keep an eye out for them here.

 
The next GAP FAC meeting is on October 27, 2022 from 1pm – 4pm EST.