Are there opportunities for commercial goods and services?

Yes, the federal government’s preference is to procure commercial goods and services. Federal contractors are required to the maximum extent practicable to provide commercial items. Commercial item contracts for goods and services still follow the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and federal contractors will need to sign the government’s contracts.

A number of federal agencies use the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) website, GSA Advantage, to purchase commercial goods and services. GSA Advantage is the online shopping and ordering system that provides access to thousands of contractors and millions of supplies (products) and services. While a GSA contract is required to participate in GSA Advantage, anyone may browse the site to view and compare the variety of products and services offered.

Open market commercial procurements over $25,000 must be published to the federal government’s Contract Opportunities portal at SAM.gov. The site can be used to search, monitor and retrieve opportunities solicited by the entire federal contracting community.