According to Keypoint Intelligence, the US imaging supply market is in the range of $19.5B. Experts in the GSA suggest that the Federal Government buys approximately $750M of imaging supplies through all of their Acquisition Solutions. When you partner with Clover, we provide information to help you ensure compliance with GSA guidelines - giving you the best opportunity to sell to the Federal Government.

In keeping with our blog’s theme of providing solutions that ensure our partners are safe, informed, and profitable, we wanted to alert our community of the importance of referencing the four GSA approved naming conventions for imaging supplies.

The Approved GSA Naming Conventions

These are the four approved naming conventions for imaging supplies required on www.gsa.gov/schedule75.

"All toner being offered shall be identified as New OEM, Non-OEM New Build, Remanufactured, or Refilled.

Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM): A new cartridge that is designed, manufactured and/or distributed by the manufacturer of the printer in which the cartridge is intended to be used. An OEM cartridge may contain recycled parts.

Non-OEM New Build: A new cartridge with a shell, internal components and ink or toner that is produced by a company NOT affiliated with the printer hardware manufacturer of the printer in which the cartridge is intended to be used.

Remanufactured: A cartridge that has been previously used, the marking substance consumed, and then is subsequently collected, inspected, cleaned, had new or reconditioned parts installed, refilled with ink or toner, and tested so that its capability to print has been restored. This previously used cartridge could be either an OEM or a non-OEM cartridge.

Refilled: A cartridge that is refilled with non-OEM ink or toner and resealed. Some components may be replaced, but the principle service is replacing the marking substance in a cartridge supplied by the customer. The process may be performed by a technician in a local store, or by the customer using commercially available supplies. This previously used cartridge could be either an OEM or a non-OEM cartridge."*

If your dealership is one of the growing list of 243 75 200 Awardees or the 18 Current OS4 awardees, then compliance with the four naming conventions is essential. Do not let your website get reported.

Keeping the Competition Low and your Profits High

Why should dealers report any naming convention that does not meet GSA guidelines?

We encourage our dealers to report naming convention violations, such as referencing the word “compatible” in the product title.

The term “compatible” can appear in the description compartment, as in the context of “the cartridge fits into the supply compartment of the printer.” It is crucial that we work together to keep the market honest, and abide by the rules put in place by the GSA. This not only creates an environment of self-regulation, but ensures that everyone is competing on a level playing field. In turn, this allows every dealer to be successful in this market.

Other infractions to be aware of are dealers that claim to be the manufacturer. A dealer referencing a private brand is fine, but they cannot claim to be the manufacturer unless they own and operate a legitimate factory.

We also suggest dropping the old acronym for Clover Technologies Group – CTG, and replacing it with the current Clover Imaging Group – CIG. This is consistent with how BSA, Trade Services, www.tradeservice.com and industry reference our Manufacture Alpha Code (MAC).

What should dealers do if they discover a naming infraction on Schedule 75?

1. Identify that dealer’s Contracting Officer (CO) on the GSA e-library on Schedule 75
2. Send a screenshot of the violation to the dealer’s CO, and copy Henry Pierre Lewis, Henry.Pierre-Louis@gsa.gov
3. Within the range of a week, to ten business days, that CO should communicate to that dealer that they have violated the approved naming conventions, and take measure to cure.

Industry-Provided Guidelines for Naming Conventions

Under the leadership of the BSA and NOPA, the industry created these naming conventions featured in the 01-2020 version of BSA's Print Cartridge Classes, Definitions, and Use Guidelines

GSA adopted the industry guidelines to ensure a positive shopping experience, a level playing field for vendors, and a trusted marketplace for all stakeholders.

*To further investigate and validate the naming conventions, visit the GSA RFQ for 75 200 and 75 220 (OS4) on FedBizOps.

Open the link to Critical Information for either 13 or 14 on the right hand side; then the naming convention references can be found on:

1. Page 13 of 15 on Critical Information link 13 for 75 200
2. Pages 20 and 21 of 23 on Critical Information link 14 for 75 220 (OS4)

The importance of being compliant with naming conventions when selling to Federal Government is imperative. Clover is your expert resource to ensure you are compliant with GSA guidelines and assist in making your business profitable.

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