GSA reports $30.4M in formal procurements, rising local participation and many sole‑source waivers

Kimberly Gasplay, GSA’s director (as identified in the meeting record), presented the General Services Agency’s procurement and contracting report for July 1–Dec 31, 2024. She reported 56 formal procurements totaling about $30.4 million, of which 14 formal contracts (about $6.2 million) were awarded to certified small local businesses (SLUBs) and another 14 went to local firms that are not SLUB certified.

GSA also reported 280 sole‑source approvals and 67 piggyback procurements with a combined non‑competitive and piggyback value near $85 million. Gasplay described exemptions and waivers reporting: exemptions (e.g., mandated software licenses) and sole‑source exceptions are categorized separately; staff said waivers are carefully reviewed and some are denied when alternative vendors exist.

The committee discussed the high number of SLUB waivers and requested more transparency. GSA procurement staff (Dietrich Dillon) said the number of waivers can fluctuate seasonally and that departments must search SLUB databases and NAICS codes before requesting waivers; staff agreed to provide the annual waiver analysis to the committee. GSA staff also said capital programs and GSA building maintenance had high local participation on construction contracts and that outreach — bid conferences, vendor workshops and contractor technical assistance — continues.

Why it matters: supervisors said monitoring waivers, sole‑source exceptions and local participation helps ensure public procurement aligns with the board’s local‑business priorities. Staff agreed to provide a departmental waiver breakdown and the annual procurement waiver report to the committee for transparency.

What’s next: GSA will follow up with departmental waiver data and continue the six‑month outlook and outreach schedule; the committee took the report as informational.