GSA builds geospatial niche on Schedule 70

NOTE: This article first appeared on FCW.com.

Geospatial data is an increasingly important tool for federal agencies leveraging new technologies and applications. The General Services Administration is accommodating this trend with a new cadre of geospatial vendors on its IT Schedule.

GSA is partnering with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency on blanket purchase agreements that encompass 11 trusted vendors for "Earth Observation Solutions" through IT Schedule 70 under a new special item number.

The new Schedule 70 initiative leverages schedules and contracts to facilitate commercial purchases of geospatial Earth observation data, products and services to agencies across the government.

"The commercial earth observation industry has experienced accelerated growth and we're very pleased to position our offerings to provide the latest in emerging technology and solutions while making it easier for our government customers to reach these companies," said Bill Zielinski, GSA's acting assistant commissioner for the Office of Information Technology in a statement.

The GSA/NGA partnership will support the Commercial Initiative to Buy Operationally Responsive GEOINT – dubbed CIBORG.

CIBORG was set up by GSA and NGA in 2016 to give NGA access to GSA's Multiple Award Schedules Program to acquire commercially available, unclassified data on an as-needed basis.

BPAs simplify the acquisition process and reduce costs by handling repetitive buys for supplies or services through accounts with trusted suppliers, it said.

BPAs were awarded to Carahsoft, DigitalGlobe Intelligence Solutions, General Dynamics Information Technology, Geographic Services, Harris Corporation, Hexagon U.S. Federal, Leidos, MDA Information Systems, Observera, Sanborn Map Company and Wiser Imagery Services.