The General Services Administration is shutting down its reverse auction platform after five years of service, due to financial constraints, Federal News Radio reported Monday.
Erv Koehler, acting deputy commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service, wrote to GSA customers and partners that the agency will shut down the platform as it was no longer viable to continue.
He added that the platform will no longer allow the creation of new auctions after Sept. 30, but those scheduled to end after Oct. 1 will be allowed to finish.
“GSA will maintain RA system access for users through Dec. 31, allowing for the retrieval of auction-related documents,” Koehler noted.
Tim DiNapoli, director of contracting and national security acquisitions at the Government Accountability Office, said that only a small fraction of of federal reverse auctions were processed using the platform.
“It seems to me that despite their efforts, the use of the platform never seemed to pick up enough steam or visibility to make it,” he said.
