New GSA Office Helps Agencies with Bulk IT Acquisitions

One of the General Services Administration’s newest offices helps federal agencies manage large procurements for common goods and services, including software licenses and office electronics.

Launched in September 2025, the Office of Centralized Acquisition Services (OCAS) simplifies how the government acquires common goods and services “to move away from disparate, duplicative contracts to support agencies in a faster, more cost-effective way,” Assistant Commissioner Tom Meiron said during an ACT-IAC virtual discussion Thursday.

White House Push for Streamlined Acquisitions

GSA stood up OCAS to support a White House executive order in combination with OMB guidance, which are part of a broader Trump administration effort to streamline and update the federal acquisition process.

Meiron said the office could potentially save the federal government billions of dollars.

“We’re reducing administrative costs, making best-in-class acquisition vehicles more widely available and establishing specialized capabilities within GSA to support our client agencies,” Meiron said.

Defining Common Services

When agencies approach OCAS with varied acquisition portfolios, the office works with them to identify common goods and services. Meiron described these as easily replicated commercial off-the-shelf products and services.

OCAS also offers common customizable services that can be tailored to an agency’s needs and location, such as guard and janitorial support.

Common services fall into 10 governmentwide categories, including enterprise software licenses, mobile phones, laptops, GSA-owned building support, custodial and janitorial services, office furniture and furnishings, financial services, help desk support and call center services.

“We provide the contracting officer and the appropriate authority. We validate security clearances and execute the full spectrum of pre- and post-award contracting activities, from solicitation through administration. We also track project status and provide shared access to documentation, giving our agencies the transparency of where their acquisition is throughout the entire lifecycle,” Meiron said.

Consolidation and Centralization

Consolidation and centralization are the two core concepts behind how OCAS operates.

Consolidation reduces duplicative agencywide acquisition vehicles by combining them into governmentwide vehicles. Meiron said the approach is particularly effective for common goods and services used across multiple agencies, saving both time and money.

Centralization is one of two acquisition support options GSA offers agencies. Meiron said OCAS provides contracting support specifically for common goods and services by assigning a contracting officer to work alongside agency program teams throughout the acquisition lifecycle.

The other option is GSA’s Assisted Acquisition Service, a separate organization that provides what Meiron described as “white glove” acquisition support for high-value, highly complex procurement projects.

A Growing Portfolio

Since its launch, OCAS has grown to support 45 agencies and their components. This has brought in just under 1,000 contracts worth roughly $600 million in this fiscal year alone, Meiron said.

He added that recent personnel reductions have strained many agency acquisition offices, making OCAS an increasingly valuable resource.

“Agencies are still reaching out to us to this day, asking us to help them through their requirements to the end of the fiscal year, and we’re laying the groundwork for the future. I think OCAS really has established itself as a trusted partner for agencies that are trying to navigate a current landscape of staffing gaps and evolving procurement needs,” he said.