BLOOMBERG NUMBERS, THOUGH INCOMPLETE, SHOW CONTINUED IT SCHEDULE STRENGTH

Bloomberg Government reported last week that GSA’s IT 70 Schedule is still the largest central contract through which information technology solutions are acquired in the federal government.  Using FPDS data, Bloomberg found that nearly $7.5 billion in sales were made through that schedule in GFY’14.  Bloomberg speculated, however, that contracts such as Alliant or some of the “Mega MAC’s” in DOD might catch the Schedule.  Well, not exactly.  FPDS data, after all, counts only sales transactions of $25,000 or more.  Not surprisingly, many Schedule purchases are below that number.  As such, GSA’s reported number, based on contractor-supplied sales reports for IFF payments, was over $14.2 billion for the same period.  No one is catching Schedule 70 anytime soon.  Still, comparing Bloomberg’s “apples to apples” FDPS data, the 70 Schedule accounted for 23% of all federal IT IDIQ spending.  That’s a remarkable number considering that there are hundreds of IDIQ vehicles in this space. The Air Force, Army, HHS, and Navy comprised the top four agency users.  Nine federal agencies registered total spending of over $2 billion each, even using the incomplete FPDS numbers.  For those who though the IT Schedule was passé, we leave you with the old line from Yogi Berra, “It’s too crowded.  Nobody goes there anymore.”