The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has increased the micro-purchase threshold from $10,000 to $20,000 for crisis related goods / services within the U.S. ($30,000 outside the U.S.) during the COVID-19 National Emergency. The simplified acquisition threshold is raised to $750,000 for domestic purchases and $1.5 million for purchases outside the United States. OMB further directs that agencies may use simplified acquisition procedures for purchases up to $13 million for commercial items to support the response effort.

Stay Safe Solutions, Inc., recently announced that they are now an authorized CAPP / USA supplier and strategic partner. The strategic partnership with CAPP / USA provides Stay Safe Solutions access to over one million competitively priced, name brand HVAC and Process Instrumentation Controls.

Incorporated in 1950, CAPP / USA is the leading supplier and distributor of Process Instrumentation Controls, HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning), Boiler, Burner & Flame Safeguard Controls, and Related Electrical Controls.

CAPP / USA is also one of the leading manufacturers of a broad and quality product line of HVAC and Process Instrumentation products.

CAPP / USA’s manufacturing activities complement its distribution business by backing-up product sales with in-depth value-added trouble-shooting and engineering expertise.

Governor Newsom signed AB 1533 on July 1, 2019, allowing San Joaquin County to join 11 other counties in expanding and increasing service-disabled veteran business procurement preferences and incentives. AB 2762, Chapter 654, statutes of 2018, established special small business and disabled veteran business procurement policies for local agencies in 11 of California’s 58 counties (including Alameda, Contra Costa, Lake, Los Angeles, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma). The procurement preferences and incentives include construction contracts, the procurement of goods, or the delivery of services. The addition of San Joaquin brings the total to twelve of California’s 58 counties.

The General Services Administration (GSA) announced Friday, July 3, that it had chosen Amazon.com, Inc., Overstock.com, Inc., and Fisher Scientific Inc., to develop portals to sell products such as office supplies to federal agencies, opening up a new multi million dollar revenue stream for the firms and their diversity suppliers, such as Stay Safe Solutions, Inc. The GSA has said the project, known as the Commercial Platforms Initiative, is intended to streamline the federal government’s Byzantine acquisition process by making it, faster, cheaper and more transparent. Amazon approached Stay Safe Solutions in late 2019 in their effort to prepare third party diversity resellers for inclusion in this initiative. Government buyers can now use these e-marketplaces for purchases up to $10,000 or less. The federal government spends about $6 billion annually on these kinds of small purchases according to GSA data. Stay Safe Solutions has added Essendant / Staples, ORS Nasco and True Value Hardware catalogs to Amazon’s e-commerce platforms, and is developing catalogs with other manufacturers / distributors to prepare for this three-year pilot project opening up a potentially lucrative new revenue stream for the firm.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regulates services and utilities, including electricity, natural gas, railroad, rail transit, passenger transportation, telecommunications, and drinking water. California law requires these regulated companies that provide California citizens access to safe and reliable utility infrastructure and services to include service-disabled veteran companies in their procurement and contracting activities.