Google on Thursday announced the launch of Gemini for Government, a public-sector version of its flagship AI platform, under a new agreement with the US General Services Administration (GSA).
The program will give federal agencies access to Google’s Gemini AI models and tools at a cost of just 47 cents per agency for one year, making Google the latest tech company to offer its AI at a nominal price to accelerate government adoption. The offer, valid through 2026, mirrors recent deals struck by OpenAI and Anthropic, which each priced access at $1 per agency for one year.
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, said the program builds on Google’s existing Workspace partnership with the government. “Gemini for Government gives federal agencies access to our full stack approach to AI innovation, including tools like NotebookLM and Veo powered by our latest models and secure cloud infrastructure, so they can deliver on their important missions,” he said in a statement.
The platform will initially be limited to Google Cloud services and includes NotebookLM, an AI-powered research and note-taking tool, as well as AI agents for deep research and idea generation. According to Google Public Sector CEO Karen Dahut, the package is designed to align with federal procurement standards, offering “transparent pricing and a predictable path to realizing value.”
While individual features within the Gemini suite already hold FedRAMP High authorization, Google confirmed that the compliance framework for the full platform is still under review.
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Competition among AI providers
The launch comes amid a surge of discounted OneGov deals, as AI firms race to establish a foothold in the federal market. Unlike rivals OpenAI, Anthropic, and Elon Musk’s xAI — all of which have limited direct experience with government cloud sales — Google brings an established cloud services footprint to the table.
Industry sources told FedScoop that the heavily discounted pricing by major AI companies appears designed to push agencies toward quicker approval and adoption. Longer-term pricing strategies, however, remain unclear. OpenAI has said agencies will need to negotiate paid enterprise agreements after the first year. Anthropic has signaled it will work with the government to balance “accessibility with affordability.”
Policy backdrop
The GSA has pitched these AI partnerships as key to implementing the White House’s AI Action Plan, released last month. The plan mandates that agencies make large language model tools available to employees who could benefit from them, particularly for labor-intensive tasks such as document summarization.
In line with those goals, the GSA also recently unveiled USAi, a government-wide “AI procurement toolbox” that lets agencies test and compare models before committing to contracts.
Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of the GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service, called the Google deal a step toward resilience. “This agreement provides vital flexibility in GSA’s marketplace, ensuring agencies have the options needed to sustain a strong and resilient ecosystem,” he said.
With Google now joining OpenAI and Anthropic on the GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule, federal agencies will soon have a range of AI offerings to choose from — at costs that are currently more symbolic than commercial.
