The General Services Administration has suspended its attempted six-month extension of the Office Supplies 2 contract after 11 protests were filed against the extension.

      “Please also note that as a result of these protests a suspension of contract performance is hereby implemented until further notice from the Agency,” Nelson Duncan, section chief of the National Administrative Services and Office Supplies Acquisition Center, Region 2, wrote in a June 3 letter to contract holders of OS2.

      The contract expired on May 31, and GSA sought to extend the term by six months. Coast-to-Coast Computer Products, which filed the initial protest, claims that GSA must do an impact assessment on the extension, according to Federal News Radio, which obtained a copy of the complaint.

      The suspension may be an opportunity for small businesses because federal buyers will need to quickly identify alternative sources of office supplies during the busy fourth quarter, Larry Allen, consultant, recently wrote in his blog.

      If agencies “can’t rely on GSA,” then they “may revert back to lower level strategic sourcing contracts. This could be good news for contractors, especially small businesses, who would have the opportunity to reestablish relationships with old customers,” Allen wrote.

More information: GSA letter: http://goo.gl/2ZCO0E
Larry Allen blog posting: http://www.allenfederal.com/wk-ahead/6-9-2014.php
OPI story: http://goo.gl/SzpCr2
Federal News Radio story: http://goo.gl/MB3lPo