It's time to reflect on the remarkable achievements and milestones that our company has accomplished throughout the first quarter (Q1). From groundbreaking innovations to impactful initiatives, our Q1 has been a quarter of growth, progress, and success for our startup. As we look back on our journey over the past months, we are filled with pride and gratitude for the dedication, hard work, and collaborative spirit of our team members who have made these achievements possible.

Let's take a closer look at some of the key highlights and accomplishments that have defined our company's journey in Q1.

 

📌 We Introduced New Technical Capabilities on Our Government Marketplace Platform.

We are thrilled to announce the rollout of several new technical capabilities designed to enhance the functionality and user experience of our government marketplace platform. These updates cater to both our vendors and buyers, aiming to streamline procurement processes and offer a wider range of products and services.

Our vendors can now take advantage of the following enhancements:

• PunchOut Systems Integration: Large suppliers can seamlessly connect their inventories to our platform through PunchOut systems integration. This integration brings over 2.5 million new SKUs to our marketplace, expanding product offerings for government buyers.
• Functionality to Sell Services: Vendors now have the capability to showcase and sell services alongside physical products. This feature allows vendors to offer a broader range of offerings, catering to diverse buyer needs.
• Ability to Sell Digital/Downloadable Software: Our platform now supports the sale of digital and downloadable software products. Vendors can list and sell software products directly through our marketplace, providing government buyers with convenient access to digital solutions.

Furthermore, we have introduced the following new capability for our buyers:

• E-Procurement Workflow Systems: Particularly beneficial for government agencies, our E-Procurement Workflow systems enable agencies to implement customized sequences and approvals required to initiate, review, and complete purchases efficiently. This capability enhances transparency, accountability, and compliance in the purchasing process.

 

📌 We Welcomed 3 New Government Agencies to Glass Commerce.

During the last months, we added three new government agencies to our esteemed list of clients. Escambia County, CA, the City of Mt. Shasta, CA, and the City of Clermont, FL, have recently made their inaugural purchases on commerce.glass, marking the beginning of a fruitful partnership.

These new additions join over 45 cities across the United States that have already leveraged Glass Commerce for their government procurement needs. Our platform continues to gain recognition as a trusted and efficient solution for streamlining procurement processes and facilitating transparent transactions.

 

📌 We Signed Our First Government Marketplace Renewal Agreement with the City of Pittsburg, CA.

This marks the beginning of the second year of Pittsburg’s partnership with Glass Commerce as their trusted local marketplace.

The City of Pittsburg's decision to renew their contract with us underscores their satisfaction with our platform and the value it brings to their procurement processes. We are honored to continue supporting them in their efforts to streamline purchasing, enhance transparency, and promote local economic growth.

 

📌 We Onboarded Thomas Scientific and CDW-G as Vendors in Our Government E-Commerce Platforms.

Vendor onboarding is one of our key areas of focus, as we aim not only to partner with reliable vendors but also to bring the best in their industry on board. Our goal is to offer governments a comprehensive catalog of products and services by collaborating with top-tier vendors.

On one side, Thomas Scientific is a leading distributor of laboratory equipment, instruments, and supplies based in Swedesboro, New Jersey. With a history spanning over a century, Thomas Scientific has established itself as a trusted partner for researchers, scientists, educators, and healthcare professionals worldwide. Committed to providing high-quality products, exceptional customer service, and innovative solutions, Thomas Scientific supports advancements in scientific research, education, and healthcare.

On the other side, CDW-G is a leading provider of technology solutions to government, education, and healthcare organizations in the United States. With a rich history spanning over three decades, CDW-G has established itself as a trusted partner for public sector entities, delivering innovative IT products and services tailored to their unique needs and challenges.

With a comprehensive portfolio of products and services ranging from hardware and software to cloud computing and cybersecurity, CDW-G offers end-to-end solutions designed to help government agencies, educational institutions, and healthcare providers achieve their goals and objectives.

By onboarding Thomas Scientific and CDW-G as vendors on Glass Commerce, we have brought over 1,000,000 SKUs in the lab equipment and chemicals category and in the IT category.

 

📌 We Were Selected as an Awardee by the U.S. Federal Government’s General Services Administration (GSA) as Part of the Commercial Platforms Program. 

Glass Commerce has been chosen as one of the eight commercial online platforms, alongside industry leaders like Amazon, Staples, Grainger, and Fisher Scientific, to facilitate federal agencies in streamlined online purchasing, benefiting from spending analysis. 

This accomplishment unlocks access to a multi-billion e-commerce market and marks a significant step towards our goal of capturing a considerable share of the $13 Trillion Global Public Procurement Market, from which simplified government purchases represent up to 30%. Learn more about it here.

 

📌 We Presented in Relevant GovTech Events and Webinars.

On February 21st and 22nd, the Inter-American Network of Government Procurement (Red Interamericana de Compras Gubernamentales (RICG), in Spanish, and “The Network”, from now on), hosted its XVIII Annual Conference, the most significant public procurement event in Latin America and the Caribbean, and Paola Santana, our Founder & CEO, was invited to participate as a keynote speaker of the master conference titled "Technology in Service of Public Procurement".

Furthermore, on March 11th, Paola, as one of the bright minds of Singularity University, traveled to Paraguay to attend the "Exponential Paraguay Conference: Transforming Minds, Creating the Future," a conference that was declared of technological interest by Paraguay’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (Mitic) to promote business opportunities and social development.

Later, on March 14th, Paola Santana, our Founder & CEO, and Amada Reyes, our Partnerships Lead, hosted the first webinar of the year: "Women's History Month Done Right: Pittsburg's Inclusive Procurement Journey Webinar." In this session, Paola & Amada shared how the City of Pittsburg, California, is taking the lead in supporting diverse businesses through government purchases. It was an opportunity to discover the reasons behind the intensified focus on diversifying expenditure in public procurement and the multitude of strategies available to increase outreach to minority-owned, women-owned, and emerging small businesses.

Last but not least, on March 20th, 21st and 22nd, Paola attended the 2024 South Summit Brazil - Porto Alegre. She took the stage in a fireside chat about “Creating Opportunities for the Public Sector to Generate Innovation,” and together with Juliana Picole Agatte they delved into the importance of creating strategies for building a culture of innovation, fostering collaboration, adopting agile governance, leveraging emerging technologies, and empowering local talent. She also participated in the "Synergies for Ecosystem Resilience" panel alongside Margaux Miller and Sergio Bandinelli. This journey at the South Summit Brazil was not just an event; it was a nexus of inspiration, collaboration, and transformative connections.

 

The first quarter of the year was certainly very busy for our startup, but we are excited for the upcoming months of 2024. We know that every day we are closer to achieving our goal of connecting small, local, and diverse businesses with the world's largest buyers, governments. Every step we take is aimed at transforming governments to create more sustainable futures, closer to the people, smarter with public resources, and more efficient in government operations.

 

This blog was written by Gisela Montes, GovTech Community Lead at Glass.