Month: May 2021

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The FedRelay Transition will Preserve Services and Improve Accessibility

To ensure FedRelay customers experience improved access, enhanced service and no loss of coverage, GSA is working with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to transition users to the FCC-administered Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule (MAS).

Like FedRelay, TRS offers a suite of telecommunications relay services that help individuals with hearing or speech disabilities communicate with government agencies and conduct official business.

GSA initiated the required market research to prepare for the next generation of FedRelay and determined that for the majority of relay services, TRS would deliver the greatest value while enhancing services provided.

TRS comes with the additional benefit of no cost to agencies. The FedRelay services that are not offered by TRS, Relay Conference Captioning and Video Remote Interpreting, are already available at lower pricing on the GSA MAS, Language Services SIN 541930.

The current FedRelay contract ends on May 15, 2021. Agencies who have current task orders can extend them an additional six months until November 15, 2021. To prepare for transition, agencies should ensure that their FedRelay accounts are current and address any outstanding invoices. Transition updates will be posted on the GSA FedRelay webpage.

Customers with questions and those who are ready to begin the transition process should contact the GSA FedRelay Program Office at federalrelayservices@gsa.gov.

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FAST 2021: Incorporating IT Security into Acquisitions

Join us May 13th at 1:00 pm EDT for a live webinar led by GSA’s IT Acquisition experts as we explore:

  • Benefits in shifting from a compliance model to the cybersecurity maturity model
  • Adopting a supply chain risk evaluation approach in government contracting
  • Easy to understand acquisition planning packages (e.g., playbooks, checklists, templates)

The 3-hour session features an overview of requirements and evaluation factors used in developing the 2nd Generation Information Technology (2GIT) blanket purchase agreement; and a quick look into the GSA’s IT Solutions Navigator connecting buyers with resources, tools, and decision support for IT procurements.

This is the third session in GSA’s 2021 monthly Federal Acquisition Service Training (FAST) Conference series. Each session is worth up to 3 Continuous Learning Points. You can find the full lineup of events here.

Registration is open and free for agency and industry partners. Reserve your virtual seat today – we look forward to seeing you there!

Please follow us on Twitter @GSA_ITC and LinkedIn to join our ongoing conversations about government IT.

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8(a) STARS III GWAC Phased Awards Will Support Maximum Opportunities for 8(a) Businesses

GSA takes its commitment to the small business community very seriously, and we’re excited about the progress we’re making toward the award of the 8(a) STARS III Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC).

We’re happy to announce that we intend to move forward with phased awards to different cohorts as outlined in the solicitation. Over the last week, GSA notified STARS III offerors of their inclusion in the competitive range. Awards to an initial cohort are planned for June 2021 with awards to another cohort planned later in the calendar year after discussions.

In the spirit of the 8(a) program, GSA is pleased to hold discussions which will afford firms an opportunity to revise their offers in order to qualify for an award.

As GSA’s fourth-generation 8(a) GWAC, STARS III is a multiple-award indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity (MA-ID/IQ) contract designed to provide federal agencies with innovative IT services-based solutions from vetted 8(a) small disadvantaged businesses, in support of meeting their socioeconomic contracting goals. Through STARS III, agencies can access award-winning 8(a) firms through an established contract vehicle, saving time and taxpayer money over open-market methods.

Agency customers who are interested in using the 8(a) STARS III GWAC are encouraged to monitor GSA events for upcoming delegation of procurement authority training available to both contracting and requirements personnel. Customers may also register to receive notifications regarding upcoming training.

Visit our website to learn more about STARS III or use our IT Solutions Navigator to find the vehicle that’s right for you.

Please follow us on Twitter @GSA_ITC and LinkedIn to join our ongoing conversations about government IT.

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