GSA Proposes Changes To JanSan Requisition Channels

Nearly one year after the General Services Administration announced plans to implement federal strategic sourcing in the janitorial supplies industry, the program is moving into its second phase.

This February, the GSA released its proposal for changes to jan/san requisition purchasing channels, which affects five cleaning supply categories and mainly serves the Department of Defense.  Yet, it totals more than $460 million in business.

Besides restricting the number of blanket purchase agreements (BPAs) awarded to jan/san distributors, the new measures require them to provide deep product discounts, free transportation and electronic ordering to the government agencies whom choose to order their products.

The new BPAs under JanSan Requisition will cover five product categories: 

• Broom, brushes, mops, sponges, cleaning cloths, pails and wipers;
• Cleaning and polish compounds, miscellaneous chemical specialties and dispensers;
• Motorized floor cleaning equipment and accessories, floor mats and coverings;
• Personal hygiene, paper products, dispensers and laundry accessories; and
• Trash receptacles, plastic and paper bags.

According to the draft proposal, the overall goal of the requisition channel is to provide the government with a fast and effective way to order and receive jan/san supplies at “sharply discounted” prices.

For the nearly 1,000 jan/san GSA schedule holders, the draft serves as yet another blow to the viability of government contracting — especially for small businesses who have all but relied on federal business to round out their bottom line.

“If you take the gross buying power of the government and motivate a small population to lower their prices to win a contract, they are ostensibly going to be locked out of getting those contracts,” says Walter Cotton III, a government contracting consultant and expert. “The [GSA] is not looking at all of the unintended consequences, which is extremely problematic.”