Adherence to federal procurement regulations enforced through NDVSB ability to block the sale of “essentially the same” items and substitute AbilityOne items.

AUBURN HILLS, MI, USA, September 18, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- National Diversity Veteran Small Business (NDVSB), a leading innovator in the technology sector, is thrilled to announce an advancement in its offering through the successful implementation of a “Block and Sub” feature on the NDVSB/AAFES eMarketplace. This development marks a significant step forward in the company's commitment to National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and ensuring federal government buyers are purchasing AbilityOne products as required by federal regulations.

Federal Acquisition Regulation requires federal government buyers to purchase AbilityOne products that are listed on the federal government procurement list. AbilityOne products are those Products produced by a qualified nonprofit agency for the blind or visually impaired. There are tens of thousands of commercial items available that are “essentially the same” (ETS) as the AbilityOne products on the procurement list. This creates an opportunity for non-compliant purchases to be made, as those purchases should have gone to AbilityOne, the federal government mandatory source. Some online retailers currently take efforts to hide ETS items, while others currently flag AbilityOne items or mark those items as preferred. The NDVSB/AAFES eMarketplace, an eMarketplace that is utilized by Department of Defense and other federal agency buyers, has taken an even bigger step forward to ensure products allocated by federal law via mandatory source, go to that mandatory source.

NDVSB has taken several approaches to make their eMarketplace compliant with the AbilityOne Commission policies. AbilityOne items are flagged with an AbilityOne badge, making it easy for buyers to visually identify those items. AbilityOne is listed as one of the filter options, allowing buyers to refine their search results to see AbilityOne items only. ETS items are blocked, which ensures a buyer is unable to add an ETS item to their shopping cart. And finally, NDVSB substitutes and provides the buyer the equivalent AbilityOne item in the search result if an ETS item is searched for.

"NIB continues to believe that the best way to ensure compliance is to prevent the sale of commercial items that are essentially the same as AbilityOne items to federal customers. A 'block and sub system ensures mandatory source AbilityOne items are bought when they should be," said Kevin Lynch, NIB president and CEO. "NDVSB's actions to keep AbilityOne requirements at the forefront demonstrates their commitment to creating employment opportunities for people who are blind."

"We are truly honored to stand alongside and support the National Industries for the Blind in their unwavering commitment to empowerment and inclusion. Through our partnership, we are helping to advance economic opportunities and championing the limitless potential that lies within every individual, regardless of their visual disabilities. We are committed to ensuring the NDVSB eMarketplace fosters an environment that guides buyers to purchase their mandatory source AbilityOne items,” states David Saroli, CEO of NDVSB.

The NDVSB/AAFES eMarketplace is available to all federal agencies and is a means for agencies to purchase products on the open market. The NDVSB/AAFES eMarketplace includes all US-based suppliers who are AbilityOne Base Supply Centers, local to a base or installation, designated as a small business, or have various socioeconomic statuses.

To learn more about NDVSB, visit ndvsb.com/federal.
To learn more NIB, visit https://nib.org/about/.

David Saroli
NDVSB
+1 855-690-3774
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