83 FR 25004 - Notice of Public Meeting Concerning Procurement Through Commercial e-Commerce Portals

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 105 (May 31, 2018)

GSA and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) are interested in conducting further dialogue with industry about Section 846 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2018, Procurement through Commercial e-Commerce Portals. A public meeting was held on January 9, 2018 to provide external stakeholders an initial opportunity to offer input on Phase I implementation as outlined in Section 846. A second public meeting is scheduled for June 21, 2018, where GSA and OMB will share insights on our proposed approach and solicit feedback and insights from industry to inform our Phase II deliverable.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 105 (Thursday, May 31, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25004-25005]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11717]



[[Page 25004]]

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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

[Notice-QP-2018-01; Docket No. 2018-0002; Sequence No. 10]


Notice of Public Meeting Concerning Procurement Through 
Commercial e-Commerce Portals

AGENCY: Office of Enterprise Strategy Management (QP), General Services 
Administration (GSA).

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.

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SUMMARY: GSA and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) are 
interested in conducting further dialogue with industry about Section 
846 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 
2018, Procurement through Commercial e-Commerce Portals. A public 
meeting was held on January 9, 2018 to provide external stakeholders an 
initial opportunity to offer input on Phase I implementation as 
outlined in Section 846. A second public meeting is scheduled for June 
21, 2018, where GSA and OMB will share insights on our proposed 
approach and solicit feedback and insights from industry to inform our 
Phase II deliverable.

DATES: Meeting Date: GSA and OMB are holding a modified town-hall style 
public meeting on Thursday, June 21, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. until 1:00 
p.m., EST (Eastern Standard Time). The public is asked to register by 
Thursday, June 14, 2018, due to security and seating limitations. To 
register, please visit the Commercial Platform Interact group page on 
https://interact.gsa.gov/group/commercial-platform-initiative, and 
utilize the in-person registration link provided. Further information 
for the public meeting may be found under the heading SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION. GSA will also be posting more detailed information on our 
Commercial Platform Interact group page.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in the GSA Auditorium at GSA 
Headquarters located at 1800 F St. NW, Washington, DC 20405. Interested 
parties may also attend virtually through GSA's virtual meeting 
platform, hosted by Adobe Connect. Further details on the virtual 
meeting will be made available a few days before the meeting on the 
Commercial Platform Interact group page on https://interact.gsa.gov/group/commercial-platform-initiative.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information pertaining to the 
public meeting and for a posting of the agenda (made available a few 
days prior to the meeting), visit the Commercial Platform Interact 
group page located at https://interact.gsa.gov/group/commercial-platform-initiative. For more specific questions, please contact 
Jasmine Schaaphok at [email protected], or 571-330-3941. For 
information pertaining to only status or publication schedules, contact 
the Regulatory Secretariat at 202-501-4755. Please cite ``Notice QP-
2018-01, Notice of Public Meeting Concerning Procurement through 
Commercial e-Commerce Portals''.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

A. Background

    The General Services Administration's mission is to deliver value 
and savings in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission-
support services across Government. For decades, GSA has provided 
access to commercial products through a number of channels including 
GSA Advantage!, GSA eBuy, GSA Global Supply, and the Federal Supply 
Schedules.
    GSA has long been focused on improving the acquisition of 
commercial items. Throughout its history, GSA has sought to leverage 
the best available technology to help agencies shorten the time to 
delivery, reduce administrative cost, make compliance easier, be a 
strategic thought leader and supplier of choice across the Federal 
Government, and be a good partner to industry. Today, the best 
available technology includes commercial e-commerce portals.
    The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2018, 
Section 846, Procurement Through Commercial e-Commerce Portals, directs 
the Administrator of the GSA to establish a program to procure 
commercial products through commercial e-commerce portals. Section 846 
paragraph (c) instructs the ``Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget, in consultation with the GSA Administrator and the heads of 
other relevant departments and agencies,'' to carry out three 
implementation phases. OMB and GSA completed Phase I, an initial 
implementation plan, in March of 2018. The plan, found at https://interact.gsa.gov/document/gsa-and-omb-phase-i-deliverable-attached, 
discusses government and industry stakeholder goals and concerns, the 
different types of portal provider models currently prevalent in the 
commercial market, and areas where legislative change or clarification 
are required to enable flexibility in the full and effective use of 
commercial e-commerce portals in accordance with the goals of section 
846. The plan also outlines deliverables anticipated to be completed in 
FYs 18, 19, and 20. This public meeting is in conjunction with the 
request for written comments being solicited through ``Notice QP-2018-
02, Request for information from Suppliers Selling on Commercial e-
Commerce Portals,'' and ``Notice QP-2018-03, Request for information 
from Platform Providers of Commercial e-Commerce Portals.'' These 
requests for information (RFIs) are expected to be published in the 
Federal Register in early June.
    The team is currently working on Phase II with the intent of 
delivering a proof of concept near the end of FY19. Phase II of the 
legislation requires (excerpt below):
    (2) PHASE II: MARKET ANALYSIS AND CONSULTATION.--Not later than one 
year after the date of the submission of the implementation plan and 
schedule required under paragraph (1), recommendations for any changes 
to, or exemptions from, laws necessary for effective implementation of 
this section, and information on the results of the following actions:
    (A) Market analysis and initial communications with potential 
commercial e-commerce portal providers on technical considerations of 
how the portals function (including the use of standard terms and 
conditions of the portals by the Government), the degree of 
customization that can occur without creating a Government-unique 
portal, the measures necessary to address the considerations for 
supplier and product screening specified in subsection (e), security of 
data, considerations pertaining to nontraditional Government 
contractors, and potential fees, if any, to be charged by the 
Administrator, the portal provider, or the suppliers for participation 
in the program established pursuant to subsection (a).
    (B) Consultation with affected departments and agencies about their 
unique procurement needs, such as supply chain risks for health care 
products, information technology, software, or any other category 
determined necessary by the Administrator.
    (C) An assessment of the products or product categories that are 
suitable for purchase on the commercial e-commerce portals.
    (D) An assessment of the precautions necessary to safeguard any 
information pertaining to the Federal Government, especially 
precautions necessary to protect against national security or 
cybersecurity threats.
    (E) A review of standard terms and conditions of commercial e-
commerce

[[Page 25005]]

portals in the context of Government requirements.
    (F) An assessment of the impact on existing programs, including 
schedules, set-asides for small business concerns, and other preference 
programs.
    In furtherance of Phase II objectives, GSA is planning to share 
information related to the approach proposed in the Phase I deliverable 
and respond to questions from industry. Additionally, the team is 
seeking feedback from providers of commercial e-commerce portal as well 
as suppliers selling on commercial e-commerce portals in certain topic 
areas, as listed in ``Notice QP-2018-02, Request for information from 
Suppliers Selling on Commercial e-Commerce Portals,'' and ``Notice QP-
2018-03, Request for information from Platform Providers of Commercial 
e-Commerce Portals.''

B. Public Meeting

    In-person Attendance: Registration check-in will begin at 7:30 
a.m., EST, on June 21, 2018, with the meeting starting promptly at 8:30 
a.m., EST. Attendees must be prepared to present a form of government-
issued photo identification.
    Format: GSA and OMB intend to conduct a modified town-hall/panel 
style discussion focused around two main topics.
    1. GSA and OMB will discuss and field questions related to the 
findings from Phase I of the implementation plan, initial thoughts on 
Phase II, and the implementation of a proof of concept in FY19.
    2. GSA intends to organize a panel discussion around the questions 
asked to portal providers and suppliers on portals found in RFIs 
``Notice QP-2018-02, Request for information from Suppliers Selling on 
Commercial e-Commerce Portals,'' and ``Notice QP-2018-03, Request for 
information from Platform Providers of Commercial e-Commerce Portals.''
    Parties wishing to participate as a panel member in the public 
meeting scheduled for June 21, 2018, should email [email protected] by 
Thursday, June 14, 2018, with the subject line ``Request to be panelist 
at upcoming public meeting'' and should identify their company, role in 
company, and a short statement about their interest/qualifications for 
being a panelist.
    GSA will select panelists from among those expressing interest and 
will formally notify them no later than Monday, June 18, 2018. In 
selecting panelists, GSA will seek an array of perspectives, 
backgrounds, and views. Requests made after the deadline to participate 
on a panel cannot be accepted due to the tight timelines.
    Meeting Accommodations: The public meeting is physically accessible 
to people with disabilities. Request for sign language interpretation 
or other auxiliary aids should be directed to [email protected] by 
Thursday, June 14, 2018. Please see the Commercial Platform Interact 
group page at https://interact.gsa.gov/group/commercial-platform-initiative for additional information on public meeting content and for 
a posting of the agenda (to be made available a few days prior to the 
meeting). For more specific questions, please send an email to 
[email protected].

    Dated: May 25, 2018.
Laura J. Stanton,
Assistant Commissioner, Office of Enterprise Strategy Management, 
Federal Acquisition Service, General Services Administration.
[FR Doc. 2018-11717 Filed 5-30-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6820-89-P