GovPlanet, an auction services provider for public sector agencies has launched a new service aimed at expanding the scope of its surplus inventory auction business. The service – called GovPlanet Direct – will allow agencies to list their own surplus inventory and equipment auctions online through state websites as well as the GovPlanet platform of registered buyers.
GovPlanet Direct is designed for all items that do not necessarily require inspection or hands-on help. Items like office equipment and furniture, electronics, collectibles, industrial equipment and much more will be featured on GovPlanet Direct.
CivSource first reported on the launch of GovPlanet last year when they were primarily focused on surplus auctions of defense and heavy equipment. Those areas remain core to the GovPlanet business, but Jeffrey L. Holmes Senior Vice President, Government Solutions and Auction Management tells us that GovPlanet Direct will allow the auction platform to service more of the surplus inventory market. “There is significant demand for a holistic solution for dealing with rolling stock in the public sector,” Holmes says. “We will be able to link agencies with our global buyer base to move a whole range of items now.”
GovPlanet is the public sector arm of surplus auctioneer IronPlanet, which has sold over $5 billion of used equipment online and has built a database of more than 1.5 million registered users worldwide.
In addition to the self listing service, GovPlanet has been named an NJPA Awarded Contract Vendor by the National Joint Powers Alliance. NJPA creates national cooperative contract purchasing solutions on behalf of its member agencies, which include all government, education and non-profit agencies nationwide and in Canada.
The four year contract between IronPlanet and NJPA operates as a master agreement under which government entities are able to procure GovPlanet’s disposition services on pre-established terms. NJPA has approximately 50,000 member agencies throughout the US and Canada. “We started working with NJPA to be listed over a year ago, and it’s been important to us to have our platform capabilities recognized in this way,” Holmes says. Going forward, the company is also working on a listing on the GSA schedule, as well as on government procurement schedules in the UK.
For those interested in using GovPlanet Direct, Holmes says that while inventory control departments at the agency level maintain a good bit of control, GovPlanet provides support for handling financial transactions, marketing and also shops the auction to its registered user base. “It’s important to remember that in many cases you need to have qualified buyers for some of this equipment and we have the capability to deal with that and vet the sale.”