With the new administration, we've been focused on following federal spending trends and priorities, but we can't forget about state and local government buyers. If you're a contractor through the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Program or are planning to be soon, you several avenues to sell to state and local entities. One of these is the 1122 Program.
The 1122 Program allows certain state and local governments to purchase equipment for security and emergency response activities. As we're seeing an increase in funds for homeland security and defense spending, we can expect to see this program become more popular. In this blog, we'll cover what you can sell through the 1122 Program, who the buyers are, and how you can take advantage of additional state and local contracting opportunities.
The 1122 Program allows state local governments to purchase products and services to support counter-drug, homeland security, and emergency response activities. The 1122 Program is operated by the Department of Defense (DoD), but they work the the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and GSA's MAS Program to procure the necessary equipment.
The 1122 Program was enacted in 1984 when Section 1122 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) established the authority for states and units of local government to purchase law enforcement equipment if used for counter-drug activities. In 2009, the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act expanded the procurement beyond counter-drug activities to include equipment for homeland security and emergency response activities.
The federal government wanted to create an avenue for state and local government entities to take advantage of the discounts available to support their counter-drug, homeland security, and emergency missions. The GSA MAS Program was the best place for the 1122 Program as it allows for high volume discount pricing supplied by pre-vetted contractors.
According to the bylaws, both states and units of local government are eligible to purchase under the 1122 Program. This includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any territory of the United States can also claim eligibility. Units of local government refers to any city, county, township, town, borough, parish, village, or any other general political subdivisions of a state.
State and local entities also includes tribal or territorial governments and public educational institutions including:
Although all states are eligible, not every state participates. To purchase through the 1122 Program, a state must have a certified State Point of Contact (SPOC). You’ll want to check to see if your state participates so you can take advantage of this program as a GSA Schedule contractor.
Here's a sampling of supplies and equipment available through the 1122 Program:
GSA also has a 1122 Program Equipment and Supplies Catalog listing the solutions available. However, it's important to note that this catalog is outdated and represents the different GSA Schedules before they were consolidated, so this is just an example of what is offered through the program.
As previously mentioned, each state participating in the 1122 Program designates a State Point of Contact (SPOC) to administer the state’s activities under the program, and to validate the counter-drug, homeland security, and emergency response missions of each procurement request.
As with most GSA customers, GSA recommends eligible buying entities follow federal Schedule ordering procedures to receive the best value in the 1122 Program. State and local government buyers specifically are required to follow the ordering and competitive procedures outlined by their local procurement regulations.
There are certain terms and conditions that are associated with the 1122 Program that GSA Schedule contractors are required to follow. When a state or local government entity places an order, all terms and conditions remain the same under the GSA Schedule except for the following clauses:
Through the program, government buyers are able to add additional terms and conditions to GSA Schedule terms, as long as they do no not conflict with base-level Schedule terms and conditions.
GSA Schedule contractors participate voluntarily in the 1122 Program. Contractors have the option of accepting orders placed by state and local government buyers, and are able to decline an order for any reason within a five-day period after receipt of the order. However, orders made with credit cards must be declined within 24 hours.
The 1122 Program is not the only state and local program that you can offer your products through under the MAS Program. Cooperative Purchasing, Disaster Purchasing, and the Public Health Emergencies Program are some examples of additional programs in which state and local buyers can purchase from GSA Schedule contractors.
For more information on additional state and local GSA programs, check out our blog highlighting several state and local government program opportunities for GSA contractors. If you have any questions about your GSA Schedule or selling to the government, our consultants are here to help.