U.S. General Services Administration
GSA and VA Collaborate to Make it Easier for VA Buyers to Identify Verified Vendors
Signed MOU Supports New “Verified Veteran Vendor” Icons for GSA VA Advantage
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) making it even easier for VA acquisition professionals to access verified VA’s Vendor Information Pages (VIP) Veteran vendors when purchasing from GSA and VA managed Federal Supply Schedules. Under the MOU, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) and Veteran Owned Small Businesses (VOSB) listed in the VA’s “Verified Veteran Vendor” (VIP) database will be listed in GSA’s VA Advantage with an icon showing this special status.
“The VA and GSA have a longstanding partnership working on improving acquisitions,” said Jan Frye, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Logistics and Senior Procurement Executive at the VA. “This new icon program enhances the collaboration between our agencies and makes it easier for the VA workforce to meet their mission and make sound purchasing decisions.”
“Gaining verified VA VIP status provides access to important resources for Veteran-owned businesses,” said Mary Davie, Acting Deputy Commissioner of GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service. ”The MOU provides VIP Veteran contractors with valuable increased visibility to vendors through GSA’s VA Advantage.”
The forthcoming icons and other changes outlined in VA PROCUREMENT POLICY MEMORANDUM (2016-05) are aimed at enhancing the VA’s use of set-asides to the SDVOSB and VOSB communities under the authority of the Veterans First Contracting Program. These procedures affect all competitive VA contract actions, including those conducted using GSA and VA’s Federal Supply Schedules. The new VIP Verified Vendor icons will be visible at the product level on GSA’s VA Advantage.
Vendors that are veteran-owned, but do not go through the verification process, are unable to participate in the VA’s Veterans First Contracting Program and other business opportunities only available to those listed in the VIP database.
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