Transforming the Marketplace: Simplifying Federal Procurement

Best in Class (BIC) means that something has been designated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as a preferred governmentwide solution that:

1. Allows acquisition experts to take advantage of pre-vetted, governmentwide contract solutions;
2. Supports a governmentwide migration to solutions that are mature and market-proven;
3. Assists in the optimization of spend, within the governmentwide category management framework; and
4. Increases the transactional data available for agency level and governmentwide analysis of buying behavior.

To see the five rigorous criteria for Best in Class solutions as outlined by OMB, please visit the Acquisition Gateway and Best in Class (BIC) Resource page.

Generally speaking, agencies should use BIC solutions to save time and money. Acquisition professionals can confidently use and recommend BIC solutions, knowing that they have undergone thorough vetting processes. 

1. BIC solutions help direct agencies to solutions that offer favorable, pre-negotiated terms and rates while avoiding the time-consuming process of having to conduct a new (and redundant) solicitation.

2. Because BIC solutions are required to have all of their transactional data in the Prices Paid Portal, market research and estimating processes are easier and government-wide insights into buying behaviors are growing more robust.

3. BIC solutions support government-wide migration to mature, market-proven solutions and facilitate the optimization of spend within the government-wide category management framework.

BIC solutions should be considered and used “to the maximum extent practicable” by acquisition professionals government-wide, per OMB Memo M-17-22.