Not your typical federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is an “independent establishment” of the executive branch of the United States government. (39 U.S.C. § 201.) As a result, many federal procurement rules do not apply to the Postal Service. Here are the major differences between USPS’s purchasing policies and those of other
Postal Service seeks next generation delivery vehicle
“Long-Life Vehicles” turned out to be a fully appropriate name for the fleet of 163,000 carrier vehicles the Postal Service first bought in 1987. Now looking to replace them, the Postal Service recently issued a Request for Information and Sources Sought notice for its “Next Generation Delivery Vehicle” (NGDV). Companies have until March 5, 2015…
U.S. Postal Service hunting for patent infringers
“Oh, a-hunting we will go!” The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) is looking for a supplier to help it track down infringers of the agency’s patents and other intellectual property. Under a solicitation issued on March 26, 2013, the OIG intends to start with five patents that have the “highest potential…
USPS revises evaluation criteria rules; creates new purchasing method
New mandates on how evaluation criteria must be stated in Postal Service solicitations are required by the recently revised USPS Supplying Principles and Practices (SPP) manual. The SPP revisions were issued on December 12, 2011. The full text of the new SPP is available by clicking here. In addition to these changes, the Postal Service has introduced a new “Simplified Purchasing” method. Simplified Purchasing will be more streamlined than the traditional method, will commonly use oral solicitations, and may be used on procurements valued at up to $1 million.
Postal Service Revises SPP Manual; Adds Competition Advocate
The Postal Service recently issued a revised version of its purchasing policy manual, called the Supplying Principles and Practices (SPP). The changes adopt recommendations made by the USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG) in two high-level reviews conducted in 2010. The revisions add new procedures and requirements applicable to noncompetitive procurements, and establish an internal Competition Advocate. For more details, read on.