U.S. General Services Administration
GSA Seeks Feedback from Industry on Consolidating Multiple Award Schedules and Proposed Terms and Conditions
Responses to RFI will inform clauses and provisions for new single MAS solicitation to be released later this year
WASHINGTON - Today the U.S. General Services Administration issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking feedback from industry on the forthcoming consolidated schedule to improve the experience of buying and selling with the federal government. Input is sought for the proposed single solicitation format, including the streamlined terms and conditions, and the solicitation cover page outlining the instructions applicable to all offerors, for the forthcoming consolidated Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) solicitation. This marks the next step in a two-year modernization process of MAS, launched in November 2018. GSA’s goal is to transform federal acquisition by consolidating the agency’s 24 MAS into one single schedule for products and services by Oct. 1, 2019.
MAS Consolidation is one of the four cornerstone initiatives of the Federal Marketplace Strategy, GSA’s plan to modernize and simplify the buying and selling experience for customers, suppliers, and acquisition professionals. This supports GSA’s strategic goal to establish the agency as the premier provider of efficient and effective acquisition solutions across the government.
“I’m pleased to report GSA is on track to do exactly what we set out to achieve - create a new solicitation with one easy-to-understand set of terms and conditions for a single schedule by the end of FY19,” said GSA Administrator Emily Murphy. “We’ve worked to remove legacy, duplicative, and unnecessary clauses so that it’s easier to buy and sell with the federal government. Our goal is to reduce the administrative burden for all who interact with GSA schedules, and this RFI will allow us to further hear from industry on the needs of today’s buyers and sellers.”
In preparing this RFI, GSA’s MAS Program Management Office (MAS PMO) conducted an in-depth analysis of all current schedules terms and conditions. According to MAS PMO Director Stephanie Shutt, their goal was to do more than just remove duplicative provisions and clauses. “Streamlining our current terms and conditions, and making it easier for buyers and sellers to work with government is a big part of schedules consolidation,” said Shutt. “The feedback we receive from this RFI is an important building block for GSA’s new single solicitation.”
Partnering with customers and industry has been a key component of MAS Consolidation, with GSA soliciting feedback from customer agencies and industry partners through events, meetings and surveys. Phase One of the project, creating the new consolidated schedule, will be completed during FY19. The new schedule will be organized by categories mapped to the current governmentwide category structure. GSA is reviewing all of the Special Item Numbers (SINs) currently available under GSA schedules; once complete, the new proposed SINs will be available for public comment.
About GSA
The mission of GSA is to deliver value and savings in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission-support services across government. One of its four strategic goals is to establish GSA as the premier provider of efficient and effective acquisition solutions across the government. To learn more about GSA visit gsa.gov or join the conversation on social media at @USGSA and @GSAEmily.