Contract strategy is an overarching term that includes determining your method of procurement, level of competition, contract type, set-asides, choosing an existing vehicle vs. a new procurement, use of options, etc. Once you have determined the type of contract vehicle to use, let’s walk the path on Marketplace.
In the event you have selected a firm-fixed price contract, Unison Marketplace provides the ability to select from a variety of contract approaches from a simple drop-down menu.
One login for all your contract approaches. With one login, you can access GWACs and solicitation options such as:
- GSA Schedules
- GSA FSSI
- GSA 2GIT
- NASA SEWP V
- ARMY CHESS
- DHS First Source II
- Mandatory strategic sourcing vehicles like agency BPAs, IDIQs, or MACs Full and Open Competition with combined synopsis/solicitation to SAM Contract Opportunities
By using Unison Marketplace, 1102s eliminate the need to log into several GWAC portals and they can easily amend their procurement strategy without re-keying information. Amending a solicitation with a new approach (let’s say NASA SEWP V to GSA schedule holders) is as easy as clicking a button, and the initial attempt and new attempt are fully documented.
Robust documentation of the competitive phase
For each requirement, an 1102 can see the number of vendors notified, the offerors, who submitted a “no quote”, industry feedback on the requirement, and a robust summary of the competition and pricing results achieved. The 1102 is even copied on a delivery notification one week out, so there are no surprises the day of delivery.
The ability to negotiate every action, without extra effort
While vendors often have set contract ceiling pricing, we frequently see vendors on the Marketplace offer a price 10% below their contract ceilings. The dynamic bidding functionality allows contract vehicle holders to know whether they are the “lead” price (the lowest priced vendor) or a “lag” price (not the most competitively priced). This helps drive competition and cost avoidance, even on GWAC requirements. That said, take advantage of the new Best Value Tradeoff source selection method when you have evaluation criteria other than price.
In a world that is increasingly constrained by budgetary concerns and accountability, Unison Marketplace provides easy access and a streamlined, one-stop shop to help to save time and money. This workflow includes a reverse auction capability to automat price negotiations and provide real-time status indicators for Sellers.
- Learn more about selecting the right contract approach.
- See how Unison Marketplace can help with planning your contract approach with the Marketplace Research tool.
- Learn more about Market Research for Contracting Officers.
