News and Updates
Guide for State and Local Governments Applying for Federal Financial Assistance [PDF - 84 KB]
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The Integrated Award Environment is a governmentwide initiative administered by our Federal Acquisition Service. We manage a suite of systems that are part of the federal awards lifecycle. The IAE supports GSA’s objectives by modernizing the award experience through innovative and user-friendly systems.
The IAE facilitates the awards processes in multiple online systems, including the System for Award Management, that each play a role in the awards lifecycle. Those systems are used for registering to do business with the federal government, listing contract opportunities, reporting performance, analyzing contract data, and more.
The IAE delivers trusted, essential places to seamlessly connect to the acquisition and assistance communities.
Get help with IAE systems by visiting the Federal Service Desk (FSD.gov). You can search for instructions and answers to questions or contact help desk agents by toll-free phone, web form, or web chat.
The IAE mission is to support a common, secure business environment which facilitates and supports cost-effective acquisition of, and payment for, goods and services; effective management of federal acquisition and assistance awards; and consistent transparency into federal acquisition and assistance awards.
The IAE vision is to continue to evolve and integrate the existing shared portfolio of multiple online systems used for awarding and administering federal financial assistance (i.e., grants, loans) and contracts. The largest and most complex of the E-Government initiatives, the IAE works on behalf of the acquisition and financial assistance communities to save money, be more efficient, reduce burdens on the communities we serve, and improve federal award management.
The IAE values include employing agile business and systems processes in order to:
In making decisions about contracting, business processes, architecture, and the other planning, IAE and its partners will consider our architectural principles. These principles serve as guideposts for decision-making at all levels; everything from strategy through implementation. These principles will be used to distinguish IAE from other programs and from our own history. It is important to recognize that these principles are not hard and fast rules - in fact they are frequently in tension with each other. The best technical solution for IAE will balance these principles for the benefit of the government and IAE system users.
The Principles:
The following bodies provide overall direction and guidance and coordinating support to facilitate the mission of the IAE including:
Award Committee for E-Government (ACE)
An advisory and decision-making body with responsibility for strategic planning and functional governance of the IAE portfolio of systems. The ACE responsibilities include strategic planning; providing a disciplined process and approach to decisions, priorities, and community needs for the IAE systems; resolving conflicts in priorities from other elements of the governance process; and identifying policy or other considerations for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) decisions or actions. The ACE also is responsible for approving algorithms and associated funding levels required. The ACE consists of senior leaders from both the procurement and financial assistance communities, as well as representatives from the OMB and other non-voting advisor agencies.
Financial Assistance Committee for E-Government (FACE)
The functional community group that is dedicated to addressing the needs of the federal financial assistance communities as it pertains to collecting, using, disseminating, and displaying federal financial assistance data.
Procurement Committee for E-Government (PCE)
The PCE represents the functional needs of the procurement and broader acquisition community, and it serves as the community voice for data collection, reporting, and the analysis of the outcomes expected from the IAE portfolio of systems. This group will resolve any decisions regarding scope or other issues arising from the IAE systems unique to federal procurement.
GSA Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO)
In co-lead with GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), the GSA OCIO is responsible for the development and operation of IAE.
GSA Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) IAE Program Office
The GSA FAS office that executes and manages IAE operations.
IAE Change Control Board (CCB)
The CCB is the decision-making body for proposed change requests that affect IAE systems. Administered by GSA/IAE, the CCB is comprised of voting representatives from each of the CFO Act federal agencies. It is responsible for making decisions about IAE that improve award management for acquisition, grants, loans and life-cycle performance across the federal space. The CCB affects integration of IAE across functional areas and meets statutory and regulatory requirements.
The IAE Business Applications and Operations Division develops functional user requirements, conducts user acceptance testing, and monitors successful implementation of functional requirements for the following systems:
Members of the Business Applications and Operations Division serve as product owners.
The IAE Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement (OSE) Division is composed of professionals in a number of disciplines who work to take in and disseminate information about the program for all interested stakeholders.
The OSE division is set up in four distinct areas with frequent cross-over among them:
The customer service function of OSE includes addressing and resolving customer issues about various IAE systems through the Federal Service Desk (FSD), responding to official Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) inquiries, and responding to inquiries from Congressional sources.
The outreach function of OSE includes traditional public relations and public affairs efforts. Outreach implements and manages online public webinars, public trainings, press relations, internal and external messaging, and program branding, among other wide-ranging responsibilities.
The policy function of OSE is interpreting policies that affect IAE. The OSE policy team members also collaborate on the development and implementation of federal award policies. Finally, they also serve as an adviser to the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council (CAAC) that is responsible for developing and reviewing all proposed changes to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).
The user engagement function of OSE includes the involvement of users of IAE systems throughout the development process of the new environment. OSE user experience analysts administer focus groups and interviews to elicit and analyze requirements from users and update continuous feedback channels throughout development and testing.
The IAE Management and Program Support Division (MPSD) has a multitude of program responsibilities that cross over the IAE divisions and external partners.
MPSD manages the financial and budgetary responsibilities of the IAE, including identifying and monitoring performance measures and risk. The division also carries contracting officer’s representative (COR) responsibilities in monitoring contractor performance for the various contracts critical to the performance of the IAE services and systems.
MPSD administers the IAE’s program plan and provides oversight to the milestone completions for proactive management, while highlighting key tasks that are not able to be performed as scheduled. MPSD responsibilities also include the development of annual Major and Executive Business Cases, and coordination of agreements both within GSA and with our 24 CFO Act Partner agencies.
MPSD coordinates, facilitates, and assists in managing three governance bodies: the Award Committee for E-Government (ACE), an advisory and decision-making body; the Procurement Committee for E-Government (PCE), which represents the functional needs of the acquisition community; and the Financial Assistance Committee for E-Government (FACE), the functional community group dedicated to addressing data needs of the federal financial assistance communities.
MPSD also provides administrative resources to the project management office (PMO) in terms of human capital planning, training, and ad hoc requests that are received by the PMO.
The IAE Information Technology (IT) Division provides IT support for current IAE systems and the new environment. It is composed of two branches: The Governmentwide Acquisition Operations Branch and the Integrated Awards Branch.
The Governmentwide Acquisition Operations Branch is responsible for the day-to-day operations, IT security, infrastructure support, test plans and activities, release management, and development and enhancements.
The Integrated Award Branch is responsible for developing IT requirements based on new business requirements, technical designs, specifications, and approaches for modernizing and migrating key functions of the current IAE systems into the new environment. It also focuses on IT security, infrastructure support, and data management for the new environment.
The IT Division directly reports to the Associate Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Acquisition IT Services of the GSA Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO).
For questions about the IAE Systems, email IAEOutreach@gsa.gov.
For press inquiries, email press@gsa.gov.
Guide for State and Local Governments Applying for Federal Financial Assistance [PDF - 84 KB]
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A unique number for businesses and required in order to do business with the federal government. By April of 2022, GSA is expected to automatically assign entities registered in SAM a unique entity identifier.
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Rates for Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories and possessions are set by the Department of Defense.
Rates for foreign countries are set by the Department of State.
Rates are available between 10/1/2022 and 09/30/2025.
The End Date of your trip can not occur before the Start Date.
Traveler reimbursement is based on the location of the work activities and not the accommodations, unless lodging is not available at the work activity, then the agency may authorize the rate where lodging is obtained.
Unless otherwise specified, the per diem locality is defined as "all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city, including independent entities located within those boundaries."
Per diem localities with county definitions shall include"all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city as well as the boundaries of the listed counties, including independent entities located within the boundaries of the key city and the listed counties (unless otherwise listed separately)."
When a military installation or Government - related facility(whether or not specifically named) is located partially within more than one city or county boundary, the applicable per diem rate for the entire installation or facility is the higher of the rates which apply to the cities and / or counties, even though part(s) of such activities may be located outside the defined per diem locality.
An SBA program that helps provide a level playing field for small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged people or entities that meet the following eligibility requirements:
See Title 13 Part 124 of the Code of Federal Regulations for more information.
From 5 USC 5701(6), "continental United States" means the several states and the District of Columbia, but does not include Alaska or Hawaii.
A multiple-award IDIQ governmentwide acquisition contract offering complete and flexible IT solutions worldwide. A best-in-class GWAC and preferred governmentwide solution, Alliant 2 offers:
It provides best-value IT solutions to federal agencies, while strengthening chances in federal contracting for small businesses through subcontracting.
A dedicated, flexible fuel, or dual-fuel vehicle designed to operate on at least one alternative fuel.
An investment in our nation’s infrastructure and competitiveness. The law provides funding for LPOE modernization projects that will create new good-paying jobs, bolster safety and security, and make our economy more resilient to supply chain challenges.
An agreement established by a government buyer with a Multiple Award Schedule contractor to fill repetitive needs for supplies or services.
Types of funds to use on specific expenses.
The work done to make a structure or system ready for use or to bring a construction or development project to a completed state.
Negotiated firm-fixed pricing on airline seats for official government travel. The locked-in ticket prices for the fiscal year save federal agencies time and money. Federal employees enjoy flexibility to change their plans without incurring penalties or additional costs. All negotiated rates have:
Use the CPP search tool to find current fares.
A space where individuals work independently or co-work collaboratively in a shared office. The work environment is similar to a typical office, usually inclusive of office equipment and amenities. Typical features of co-working facilities include work spaces, wireless internet, communal printer/copier/fax, shared kitchens, restrooms and open seating areas. May also be referred to as a “shared office.”
A system that is bought from a commercial vendor to solve a particular problem, as opposed to one that a vendor custom builds.
An employee who negotiates and awards contracts with vendors and who has the sole authority to change, alter or modify a contract.
An employee whose duties are to develop proper requirements and ensure contractors meet the commitments during contract administration, including the timeliness and delivery of quality goods and services as required by the contract.
A request of GSA where a federal agency retains and manages all aspects of the procurement process and is able to work with the selected vendor after award.
The process of handling real property that is surplus to the federal government’s needs. Federal law mandates the disposal process, which has these major steps (although not every property goes through every step):
An SBA program that gives preferential consideration for certain government contracts to businesses that meet the following eligibility requirements:
See Title 13 Part 127 Subpart B of the Code of Federal Regulations for more information.
A vehicle that is powered by an electric motor drawing current from rechargeable storage batteries or other portable electrical energy storage devices, as defined by 10 C.F.R. § 474.2. It includes a battery electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, a fuel-cell electric vehicle, etc.
Also called electric vehicle chargers, this includes EV charge cords, charge stands, attachment plugs, vehicle connectors, and protection, which provide for the safe transfer of energy between the electric utility power and the electric vehicle.
The primary regulation for federal agencies to use when buying supplies and services with funds from Congress.
Use acquisition.gov to browse FAR parts or subparts or download the full FAR in various formats.
The travel and relocation policy for all federal civilian employees and others authorized to travel at government expense.
A program that promotes the adoption of secure cloud services across the federal government by providing a standardized approach to security and risk assessment.
A GSA business line that provides safe, reliable, low-cost vehicle solutions for federal agency customers and eligible entities. Offerings include:
A charge card for U.S. government personnel to use when paying for fuel and maintenance of GSA Fleet vehicles. Find out where the Fleet card is accepted, how to use it and more.
A Department of Homeland Security program that allows members to use expedited lanes at U.S. airports and when crossing international borders by air, land and sea.
A charge card for certain U.S. Government employees to use when buying mission-related supplies or services using simplified acquisition procedures, when applicable, and when the total cost does not exceed micro-purchase thresholds.
A charge card for U.S. government personnel to use when paying for reimbursable expenses while on official travel. Visit smartpay.gsa.gov for more.
A vehicle used to perform an agency’s mission(s), as authorized by the agency.
A pre-competed, multiple-award, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract that agencies can use to buy total IT solutions more efficiently and economically.
A ceremony marking the official start of a new construction project, typically involving driving shovels into ground at the site.
An online shopping and ordering system at gsaadvantage.gov that provides access for federal government employees and in some cases, state and local entities, to purchase from thousands of contractors offering millions of supplies and services.
An online auction site at gsaauctions.gov that allows the general public to bid on and buy excess federal personal property assets such as:
Real property for which GSA is responsible. It can be either federally owned or leased from a public or private property owner.
An SBA program that gives preferential consideration for certain government contracts to business that meet the following eligibility requirements:
See Title 13 Part 126 Subpart B of the Code of Federal Regulations for more information.
A type of contract when the quantity of supplies or services, above a specified minimum, the government will require is not known. IDIQs help streamline the contract process and speed service delivery.
A fee paid by businesses who are awarded contracts under Multiple Award Schedule to cover GSA’s cost of operating the program. The fee is a fixed percentage of reported sales under MAS contracts that contractors pay within 30 calendar days following the completion of each quarter.
A law that provides $3.375 billion for us to:
This includes $2.15 billion for low embodied carbon materials in construction projects, $975 million to support emerging and sustainable technologies, and $250 million for measures to convert more buildings into High Performance Green Buildings.
A written agreement entered into between two federal agencies, or major organizational units within an agency, which specifies the goods to be furnished or tasks to be accomplished by one agency (the servicing agency) in support of the other (the requesting agency).
A facility, also known as a border station, that provides controlled entry into or departure from the United States for persons or materials. It houses the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other federal inspection agencies responsible for the enforcement of federal laws related to entering into or departing from the U.S.
An employee who is responsible for preparing, negotiating, awarding and monitoring compliance of lease agreements.
Criteria used to select the technically acceptable proposal with the lowest evaluated price. Solicitations must specify that award will be made on the basis of the lowest evaluated price of proposals meeting or exceeding the acceptability standards for non-cost factors.
The rate of reimbursement for driving a privately owned vehicle when your agency authorizes it. Current rates are at gsa.gov/mileage.
Long-term governmentwide contracts with commercial firms providing federal, state, and local government buyers access to more than 11 million commercial products and services at volume discount pricing. Also called Schedules or Federal Supply Schedules.
The standard federal agencies use to classify business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy.
A family of seven separate governmentwide multiple award, IDIQ contracts for program management, management consulting, logistics, engineering, scientific and financial services.
A formal, signed agreement between GSA’s Public Buildings Service and a federal agency for a specific space assignment.
Services performed under a contract with a federal agency that include:
Official verification of someone’s origin, identity, and nationality. A U.S. passport is required of U.S. citizens for international travel and reentry into the United States. There are three types of passports: diplomatic, official, and regular. A government official may have at the same time a valid regular passport and a valid official or diplomatic passport. Use GSA Form 2083 to begin a request for an official passport.
The per day rates for the lower 48 continental United States, which federal employees are reimbursed for expenses incurred while on official travel. Per diem includes three allowances:
An identification card that allows credentialed government personal to access facilities, computers, or information systems. May also be referred to as HSPD-12 card, LincPass, Smart Card, or CAC.
Furniture and equipment such as appliances, wall hangings, technological devices, and the relocation expenses for such property.
Information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, either alone or when combined with other information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual. Get more info from OMB Circular A-130 [PDF].
You should only drive a privately owned vehicle for official travel after your agency evaluates the use of:
When your agency has determined a POV to be the most advantageous method of transportation, you are authorized reimbursement for mileage and some additional allowances (parking, bridge, road and tunnel fees, etc.).
Approvals from GSA’s congressional authorizing committees, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for proposed capital and leasing projects that require funding over an annually established threshold.
Region 1 (New England): Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Region 2 (Northeast and Caribbean): Northern New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands
Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic): Delaware, parts of Maryland, Southern New Jersey, Pennsylvania, parts of Virginia, West Virginia
Region 4 (Southeast Sunbelt): Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
Region 5 (Great Lakes): Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin
Region 6 (Heartland): Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska
Region 7 (Greater Southwest): Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Region 8 (Rocky Mountain): Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming
Region 9 (Pacific Rim): Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada
Region 10 (Northwest Arctic): Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington
Region 11 (National Capital): Washington, D.C., area including parts of Maryland and Virginia
Formal agreements between GSA and a federal agency customer where GSA agrees to provide goods, services, or both, and the federal agency agrees to reimburse GSA’s direct and indirect costs. The customer portal for RWA information is called eRETA at extportal.pbs.gsa.gov.
A document used in negotiated procurements to communicate government requirements to prospective contractors (firms holding Multiple Award Schedule contracts) and to solicit proposals (offers) from them.
A document used to communicate government requirements, but which do not solicit binding offers. Quotations submitted in response are not offers. The Multiple Award Schedule order is the offer, and then the contractor can do something to show acceptance, like ordering supplies or contacting subcontractors.
Long-term governmentwide contracts with commercial firms providing federal, state, and local government buyers access to more than 11 million commercial products and services at volume discount pricing. Also called Multiple Award Schedule or Federal Supply Schedules.
An SBA program that gives preferential consideration for certain government contracts to businesses that meet the following eligibility requirements:
See Title 13 Part 125 Subpart B of the Code of Federal Regulations for more information.
An SBA designation for businesses that meet size standards set for each NAICS code. Most manufacturing companies with 500 employees or fewer, and most non-manufacturing businesses with average annual receipts under $7.5 million, will qualify as a small business.
See Title 13 Part 121.201 of the Code of Federal Regulations for more information.
To improve and stimulate small business utilization, we award contracts to businesses that are owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. We have contracting assistance for:
A Small Business Administration program that gives preferential consideration for certain government contracts to business that meet the following eligibility requirements:
See Title 13 Section 124.1001 of the Code of Federal Regulations for more information.
The basis for the lease negotiation process, which becomes part of the lease. SFOs include the information necessary to enable prospective offerors to prepare proposals. See SFO minimum requirements.
Specific supply and service subcategories within our Multiple Award Schedule. For the Information Technology Category, a SIN might be new equipment or cloud services.
A national policy committing to create and maintain conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations.
An online system at sam.gov, which the U.S. Government uses to consolidate acquisition and award systems for use by contractors wishing to do business with the federal government. Formerly known as FBO.gov, all contracting opportunities valued over $25,000 are posted at sam.gov.
When you use a government purchase card, such as the "GSA SmartPay" travel card for business travel, your lodging and rental car costs may be exempt from state sales tax. Individually billed account travel cards are not tax exempt in all states. Search for exemption status, forms and important information.
The finishes and fixtures federal agency tenants select that take a space from a shell condition to a finished, usable condition and compliant with all applicable building codes and standards.
A statute that applies to all Multiple Award Schedule contracts, unless otherwise stated in the solicitation or contract, which requires contractors to sell to the U.S. Government only products that are manufactured or “substantially transformed” in the U.S. or a TAA-designated country.
An option for vendors to report transactional data — information generated when the government purchases goods or services from a vendor — to help us make federal government buying more effective.
See our TDR page for which SINs are eligible and which line-item data to submit.
A unique number required to do business with the federal government.
An indicator of how efficiently a federal agency is currently using space, it is traditionally calculated by dividing the usable square feet of the space, by the number of personnel who occupy the space.
A Small Business Administration program that gives preferential consideration for certain government contracts to businesses that meet the following eligibility requirements:
A governmentwide acquisition contract exclusively for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses to sell IT services such as:
The amount of solid waste, such as trash or garbage, construction and demolition waste, and hazardous waste, that is reused, recycled or composted instead of being put in a landfill or burned.
A GSA program designed to promote recycling and reuse of solid waste.
A Small Business Administration program that gives preferential consideration for certain government contracts to businesses that meet the following eligibility requirements:
See Title 13 Part 127 Subpart B of the Code of Federal Regulations for more information.
Vehicles that, when operating, produce zero tailpipe exhaust emissions of any criteria pollutant (or precursor pollutant) or greenhouse gas. These include battery and fuel cell electric vehicles, as well as plug-in hybrid vehicles that are capable of operating on gas and electricity. They also may be called all-electric vehicles.