GSA Cooperative Purchasing: Who Can Use GSA Schedules
The GSA Cooperative Purchasing Program allows certain non-federal entities to use specific GSA Schedule contracts for their purchases. This program extends the benefit of pre-negotiated federal contracts to eligible state, local, tribal, and territorial governments — and in some cases, educational institutions and other organizations — without requiring them to run their own competitive procurement for covered items.
Who Is Eligible
GSA's Cooperative Purchasing Program currently extends Schedule access to state and local governments for specific Schedule categories, primarily: IT products and services under SIN 54151, and law enforcement/homeland security products and services. The specific eligibility categories are defined by legislation (primarily EESA for IT and the Homeland Security Act for public safety). Participating states and localities must have an agreement in place with GSA or simply use their standard purchasing authority if their state laws permit.
The Disaster Purchasing Program
A related program — the Disaster Purchasing Program — allows state and local governments to purchase from the GSA Schedule for disaster response and recovery purposes, even for Schedules not otherwise available for cooperative purchasing. If your area is impacted by a federally declared disaster, any entity assisting in the response may purchase from GSA Schedules. This program can generate significant unexpected demand for contractors in emergency-relevant categories: emergency supplies, communications equipment, temporary services, and construction.
| Program | Who Benefits | Schedule Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Cooperative Purchasing (IT) | State/local government | IT products/services SINs |
| Cooperative Purchasing (LE) | State/local law enforcement | Law enforcement equipment SINs |
| Disaster Purchasing | State/local disaster response | All Schedules for disaster needs |
IFF Obligations for Non-Federal Sales
When state and local entities purchase from your Schedule under cooperative purchasing or disaster purchasing programs, those sales are still IFF-reportable. Report them in your quarterly 72A just as you would report federal agency sales. The government entity using the Schedule is taking advantage of the federal pricing structure — the same fee structure applies to support the program's operation.