Groups push FedBiz site for buying

The government issued a proposed rule last week that would designate the FedBizOpps Web site as the single online point of access to governmentwide business opportunities.

The Federal Business Opportunities site — formerly called the Electronic Posting System — gives industry a place to obtain agency synopses, solicitations and other acquisition information. The site also provides vendors with e-mail notifications related to their area of business interest.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council published the proposed rule in the Federal Register, which gives agencies until Oct. 1, 2001, to complete their transition to, or integration with, FedBizOpps. Many agencies already use FedBizOpps (www.fedbizopps.gov), including NASA, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the General Services Administration.

Under the proposed rule, agencies would rely on the FedBizOpps site to electronically forward notices to Commerce Business Daily.

The proposed rule would also:

* Require that the place of contract performance and set-aside status be included in a notice.

* Require agencies to make accessible through FedBizOpps other notices that are currently published in CBD.

* Permit agencies to make accessible via FedBizOpps information that helps vendors understand how they can meet the government's needs.

Agencies wouldn't have to scrap their systems to support FedBizOpps but could interface with it. FedBizOpps wouldn't require agencies to prepare their solicitations in a set format.

Comments on the proposed rule will be accepted until Oct. 20, 2000.