GSA Advantage! Wins Award for Innovation in Acquisition

GSA #9736

September 25, 2000
Contact: Bill Bearden (202) 501-1231
bill.bearden@gsa.gov

WASHINGTON, DC -- GSA Advantage!, the largest federal government internet-based, on-line shopping site was honored recently along with five other federal agencies, with the first-ever award for "Business Solutions in the Public Interest. "

GSA Advantage! allows government customers to quickly and easily conduct procurement research and order products and services to support their agency. This site, which is available at http://www.gsaadvantage.gov, allows shoppers to use the government credit card or their agency accounts to purchase products and services from a database that contains more than one million products from 2,000 vendors. Federal customers can also use their zip codes to sign on and conduct procurement research using the GSA Advantage! database of products and services.

The other awards given recognized efforts by the Department of the Navy, Bureau of Primary Health Care, NASA, the Department of the Air Force, and the National Mail Order Pharmacy based at the Defense Supply Center.

The announcement of winners ends a nine-month process that began with more than 120 applications. The selection panel, which included prominent current and former procurement officials and private industry professionals, made their choices from 14 finalists, each of whom made a brief presentation before the panel. The inaugural awards were administered by Government Executive magazine and the Council for Excellence in Government, in partnership with the OMB Office of Federal Procurement Policy.

The founding sponsors of the "Business Solutions in the Public Interest" awards are Visa USA, Fedbid.com and USA Bank, with event sponsorship by CDW Government, Inc, GTSI.com (an internet consulting group), KPMG Consulting, Federal Data Corporation, Booz-Allen & Hamilton, and Dell Corporation.