Every government buyer has their own unique purchasing requirements, which is why we don’t offer a one-size-fits-all approach. We offer curated service to each of the 20,000+ government orders we fulfill per year, and in our 40+ years of business, we’ve learned a few tips about how government buyers can set themselves up for success to make the office furniture procurement process as simple as possible. Follow these tips to make government shopping at the end of the fiscal year (or anytime) a breeze.
Know Your Individual Buying Requirements
The best place to start is to learn the specific buying requirements for your office. An Air Force installation might have different purchasing requirements than a Social Security office or a National Parks Service facility. What makes it even trickier is that even individual Air Force bases or National Parks facilities might vary in their requirements.
If you can find someone in your office who can point you to a list of your specific purchasing requirements — or if you can identify your local purchasing authority — that might help you focus your furniture shopping on items that are more likely to be approved.
Look for Vendors Who Offer Government Contracts
Take some of the initial headaches out of getting your government purchase approved by shopping with vendors who meet federal acquisition regulations. This is pretty much the bare minimum when it comes to purchasing requirements, so you’ll likely still need to ensure that a product meets your specific set of buying requirements — but it’s a start.
GSA (Federal Contracts)
NBF's GSA contract (GS-27F-0024V) covers 1000s of products, including desks, chairs, partitions/cubicles and conference furniture.
State and Local Contracts
NBF offers several contracts for use by state and local government agencies, including the Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies (AEPA), BuyBoard, The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) and Equalis Group cooperative purchasing agreements, as well as a California Multiple Award Schedule contract.
Shop for Items That Ship Quickly
Government purchases generally need to be charged when the item ships rather than when the purchase is made. If you’re trying to use your budget before the end of the fiscal year, you want to look for furniture that’s in stock and can ship quickly, ensuring you won’t lose your budget on a technicality.
How To Shop GSA-Approved Furniture
We’ve got several different ways for you to shop for GSA-approved furniture.
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Visit NBF.com/GSA to shop more than 2,000 GSA-contract furniture items. For live GSA pricing, create an account or sign in.
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Visit GSAadvantage.gov and search "GS27F0024V."
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Email [email protected].
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Call us at 800-588-1010.
Need to meet set-aside purchase requirements? You can purchase NBF products through our network of small business dealers. Email or call us to learn more.
NBF Is Here to Help You Achieve GSA Shopping Success
NBF brings over 40 years of expertise in outfitting government spaces like yours. We've successfully processed 20,000 orders annually and held a GSA contract for 17 years, giving us a unique perspective on best practices in this sector.
Reach out to our government sales team today to discuss how we can help you maximize your budget and your workspace with GSA-approved must-haves.
The material on our site is for informational purposes only, is general in nature and is not a substitute for professional advice regarding specific government purchasing requirements.
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