Reverse Auctions are in the FAR— what is your agency's plan?
Reverse auctions were once a foreign concept in federal procurement. With the recent FAR Final Rule advocating for their use in , agencies are expected to leverage this tool. In FY25, you'll likely be asked to demonstrate how your agency incorporates reverse auctions into its procurement strategies.
If your agency still needs a reverse auction plan, we've made an easy checklist below. Join the Federal Civilian and DoD agencies already using reverse auctions to:
- Boost government efficiency in answering incoming mail from the new Administration.
- Increase outreach to industry earlier and more often; boost small business access with more than 94% of awards going to small businesses last fiscal year.
- Stretch FY25 budgets to the tune of 12-15%.
- Reduce contracting touch time and PALT.
- Access real-time dashboards to analyze vendor participation, prices paid, category management, and other critical data elements.
Agency Reverse Auction Program checklist:
- No-Cost Contract? Check if your agency already has a no-cost contract in place by emailing Jennifer.Chaddic@unisonglobal.com.
- You heard that right – there is no up-front budgeting for a reverse auction program and with an intuitive dashboard and integration with contract writing systems, team members can start using it right away.
- Program sponsor: Select a forward-leaning team member to oversee the program – this is typically someone in policy, strategic sourcing, or who oversees the firm-fixed price product and service actions processed by your agency.
- Effective use: Learn about effective use of reverse auctions via the Virtual Acquisition Office’s newest publication: At a Glance, “Going Once, Going Twice … Bought!â€
- Start small: Request a meeting with Jennifer.Chaddic@unisonglobal.com to discuss a pilot of Unison Marketplace.
- An analysis of the one-off actions along with GWAC, BPA, and IDIQ actions will be available for you to review how effective reverse auctions will be for your agency, along with a short list of who to engage in your agency (recommend starting with just five to ten 1102s).
- Quickly receive benefits: 1102s will be onboarded and effective within the tool in less than an hour.
- They’ll be armed with: an effective sourcing team to reduce repetitive back and forth with the program and vendors while reducing the frustration and friction; automated negotiations via the reverse auction dynamic bidding functionality to ensure the best price while also considering other evaluation criteria; standardized quotes ready for technical evaluation and documentation audits; and a dedicated buyer support team to support  use of the tool who will work with agency leadership to train on effective use of reverse auctions.
The FAR has officially recognized the . To ensure your agency is well-prepared for FY25, it is time to consider your agency’s reverse auction strategy. Use the provided checklist to get started. For further assistance, contact Jennifer.Chaddic@unisonglobal.com to discuss a no-cost pilot program.
