FedBizOpps declared procurement hub

Federal Register notice on FedBizOpps

The FedBizOpps Web site will be the single entry point for governmentwide procurement opportunities as of Oct. 1, according to the federal council overseeing government procurement.

The Federal Acquisition Regulation Council published the interim rule today in the Federal Register, requiring agencies to complete their transition to, or integration with, FedBizOpps by the beginning of the next fiscal year. The rule becomes effective today, but comments are due to the FAR Secretariat by July 16.

The council and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy have been working since last August to make FedBizOpps the single "governmentwide point of entry." This new rule completes a mandate from the fiscal 2001 Defense Authorization Act. It also follows through on a management goal from the Bush administration, highlighted in a March 9 memo from the Office of Management and Budget, that all procurements greater than $25,000 be conducted through the Web portal.

Between Oct. 1 and Jan. 1, agencies must continue to submit their procurement notices to the Commerce Business Daily to "provide addition time for vendors to become acclimated to FedBizOpps as the [governmentwide point of entry]," the rule states.

The new interim rule also adds several requirements that were not in the first proposal in August. This includes requiring agencies to make accessible other notices that are currently published in the CBD, such as presolicitation notices and award notices, and permitting contractors to publicize subcontracting opportunities on FedBizOpps.