As prescribed in 516.506 (a), insert the following clause:

Placement of Orders (Jan 2016)

(a) Delivery orders (orders) will be placed by:

[Contracting Officer insert names of Federal agencies]

(b) Orders may be placed through Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) or mailed in paper form. EDI orders shall be placed using the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) X12 Standard for Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) format.

(c) If the Contractor agrees, General Services Administration’s Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) will place all orders by EDI using computer-to-computer EDI. If computer-to-computer EDI is not possible, FAS will use an alternative EDI method allowing the Contractor to receive orders by facsimile transmission. Subject to the Contractor’s agreement, other agencies may place orders by EDI.

(d) When computer-to-computer EDI procedures will be used to place orders, the Contractor shall enter into one or more Trading Partner Agreements (TPA) with each Federal agency placing orders electronically in order to ensure mutual understanding by the parties of certain electronic transaction conventions and to recognize the rights and responsibilities of the parties as they apply to this method of placing orders. The TPA must identify, among other things, the third party provider(s) through which electronic orders are placed, the transaction sets used, security procedures, and guidelines for implementation. Federal agencies may obtain a sample format to customize as needed from the office specified in paragraph (g) of this clause.

(e) The Contractor shall be responsible for providing its own hardware and software necessary to transmit and receive data electronically. Additionally, each party to the TPA shall be responsible for the costs associated with its use of third party provider services.

(f) Nothing in the TPA will invalidate any part of this contract between the Contractor and the General Services Administration. All terms and conditions of this contract that otherwise would be applicable to a mailed order shall apply to the electronic order.

(g) The basic content and format of the TPA will be provided by: General Services Administration, Office of the Chief Information Officer (I). Contact information can be found at: http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/21404.

(End of clause)

Alternate I (Aug 2010). As prescribed in 516.506 (a), substitute the following paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and (d) for paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and (d) of the basic clause:

(a) All delivery orders (orders) under this contract will be placed by the General Services Administration’s Federal Acquisition Service (FAS). The Contractor is not authorized to accept orders from any other agency. Violation of this restriction may result in termination of the contract pursuant to the default clause of this contract.

(b) All orders shall be placed by Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) using the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) X12 Standard for Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) format.

(c) If the Contractor agrees, transmission will be computer-to-computer EDI. If computer-to-computer EDI is not possible, FAS will use an alternative EDI method allowing the Contractor to receive orders by facsimile transmission.

(d) When computer-to-computer EDI procedures will be used to place orders, the Contractor shall enter into a Trading Partner Agreement (TPA) with FAS in order to ensure mutual understanding by the parties of certain electronic transaction conventions and to recognize the rights and responsibilities of the parties as they apply to this method of placing orders. The TPA must identify, among other things, the third party provider(s) through which electronic orders are placed, the transaction sets used, security procedures, and guidelines for implementation.