Buyers.Gov

The General Services Administration's Federal Technology Service created Buyers.gov as an e-commerce and auction exchange for federal purchasers. The site uses the Web as an aggregation tool, combining multiple orders for the same product or setting up auctions with government suppliers so that agencies get better deals. Use of Buyers.gov doesn't interfere with the existing terms of contracts between GSA schedule holders and the government. the service offers three kind of procurement tools and strategies.

• The private auction, Buyers.gov's version of reverse auctioning, puts FTS experts together with agencies to conduct procurements. The Buyers.gov team conducted the biggest reverse auction in federal history in September for the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, which purchased computers and IT equipment worth about $10 million
• eFast allows multiple government purchasers to aggregate orders for commonly purchased products. As more buyers submit requests for a particular item, the price goes down. Buyers.gov opens the buying period for a set amount of time, and agencies are free to jump aboard to purchase as much or as little as they want. FTS handles all procurement regulations, giving purchasers the ability to select a product and wait for its delivery without worrying about regulatory compliance.
• The quick quote function, which is under development, will allow purchasers to issue a request for quote through the Buyers.gov site. Regardless of the quantity of products ordered, buyers are able to create a list of items they can purchase directly or buy suing a reverse auction.