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Subject IndexSunday, November 22, 2009

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 Under Secretary for Management > Bureau of Administration > Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization > Publications > Guide to Doing Business > Guide to Doing Business With the Department of State
Section 04: Electronic Commerce


What is Electronic Commerce?  Electronic Commerce is electronic techniques used to accomplish business transactions, including electronic mail or messaging.  World Wide Web technology, electronic bulletin boards, purchase cards, electronic funds transfers, and electronic data interchange.

 What legislation addresses the use of Electronic Commerce in Gomernment?  Section 850 of Public Law 105-85, also known as the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1998, details the requirements for the use of electronic commerce in Federal procurement.  This Act places the responsibility on government agencies to establish, maintain and use, to the maximum extent practical and cost effective, procedures and processes that employ electronic commerce in the conduct and administration of its procurement system

 

Other key elements of the Act include:

 

  • Applying nationally and internationally recognized standards.
  • Facilitating access for small businesses to Federal Government procurement opportunities.
  • Providing agency requirements or solicitations for contract opportunities in a form that allows universal access through a single, Government-wide port of entry.

 Methods Used by the State Department to Publicize Contracting Opportunities

 

Statebuy Interactive Platform (SIP) is an Internet-based tool that Department of State contracting officers worldwide can use to post procurement opportunities on the Internet.  The SIP can be accessed from the Office of the Procurement Executive?s website.  Companies can search for business opportunities on the SIP, download solicitations, and submit bids and proposals electronically.  Companies can also subscribe to the SIP at no cost and be notified by email when new business opportunities are posted to the site.  The business opportunities appearing on the SIP are also announced in FedBizOpps.

 

FedBizOpps is the single government-wide venue for federal agencies to advertise business opportunities.  The SIP database is linked with the FedBizOpps database so that the public can access the Agency?s solicitations on either site. ________________________________________________________________

 

Related Link

 

Office of the Procurement Executive Electronic Commerce Website

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.