This week, the U.S. Department of Defense signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. General Services Administration to help expedite bringing environmental innovations into the federal marketplace. Under the agreement, GSA will use DoD's Sustainable Technology Evaluation and Demonstration Program information on product performance and pricing to streamline the acquisition process and make sustainable technology alternatives more readily available to federal agencies.
The STED Program coordinates with military installations to prove the performance of the sustainable alternatives. Once the STED program ensures a more sustainable alternative meets or exceeds DoD requirements, GSA then provides assistance to vendors to help them secure a new Federal Supply Schedule, and in some cases, a National Stock Number.
"This partnership is an important step in strengthening our sustainable acquisition offerings," said Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner, Sonny Hashmi. "It's so important that we help agencies more easily find and buy products that not only meet mission needs but are also better for the environment."
"The Department is excited about this opportunity to partner with GSA, and other Federal agencies, to advance the use of sustainable products," said Richard Kidd, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Environment and Energy Resilience. "These technologies are proving to ensure our mission resilience and help secure our supply chain, while protecting our men and women in uniform and the communities we live and work. "
"The backing of the STED program provides us with the resources to test, evaluate, and bring environmental innovations to market faster," agreed Erv Koehler, Assistant Commissioner, FAS's General Services and Supplies.
To learn more about GSA's sustainable tools and resources for cost-effective and sustainable acquisition, visit the GSA Sustainable Facilities Tool Buyer's Resource page.
