How to Fast-Track Government Software Procurement
Have you ever wanted to buy something, but didn’t know how to actually go about buying that thing? In the government software solutions industry, we at Indigov constantly hear this concern. Many governing bodies are ready to purchase a constituent relationship management (CRM) tool or another piece of technology, but they aren’t sure where to start. Especially with federal ARPA funding available to cover the cost of new technology, now is the time to invest in software that will benefit your team and your community.
We have heard concerns that run the gamut from “I’m not sure where to start” to “Purchasing for our department is difficult and stressful” to “We want to ensure transparency while also being efficient and we’re not sure how to do that.” If you’ve had these thoughts cross your mind, you have come to the right place.
Once you’ve done your research and know what technology you’re looking to procure, let’s walk through three key ways you can fast-track your procurement:
Purchase from an existing government procurement vehicle
The vetting process for a vendor is difficult, often resulting in multiple meetings with different stakeholders to ensure the product you’re being sold is legitimate. To make this process easier, many states and the federal government have created government contract purchasing vehicles where public entities like towns, cities, counties, and government agencies can leverage existing contracts.
These government contract purchasing vehicles allow you to find reliable vendors that have undergone a rigorous procurement process, especially for public engagement software projects. These can be national like the National Association of State Procurement Officials, or regional like the Mid-Atlantic Purchasing Team — two ways you can also procure Indigov.
Use an existing government contract (aka “piggybacking”)
If you are ready to purchase, but can’t find the right avenue to contract with a vendor, you could use an existing government contract, often known as “piggybacking.” This process allows you to procure a vendor from another public entity contract.
The benefits of piggybacking on existing contracts is that another government has gone through the vetting process for you, and you can access the software that’s already working well for them. If you are interested in piggybacking, start by researching and reading contracts that might apply to your needs, and then speak to your procurement office.
Sole-source your top govtech vendor
Maybe you’ve done all your research. You know that there is one top government technology vendor that can provide you with the right solution. But you want to provide more transparency for your constituents and the rest of your procurement team.
The right procurement method might be a sole-source justification. A sole source means that only one vendor, to the best of your knowledge based on your research, is capable of providing what you need. This functions similarly to a request for proposal and must be publicly available, thus providing the additional transparency required.
Sometimes none of these options are feasible and a request for proposal (RFP) is the only option left. While this task might seem daunting, as Indigov’s resident proposal manager I’ve collected resources to help make that process simpler.
Get in touch to learn more!