The General Services Administration (GSA) has moved its catalog management system from the legacy Schedule Input Platform (SIP) to the FAS Catalog Platform (FCP). For vendors that are transitioning from SIP to the FCP, this blog will cover frequently asked questions for accessing and using the FCP. This blog will also cover initial catalog set up through the FCP for newly awarded vendors.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Setting up your access to the FCP is mandatory for all vendors, whether existing and transitioning from SIP, or newly awarded. New awards registered with the FCP shortly after award during the new contract registration process, while existing contracts continue to be transitioned to the FCP in waves every month.
For existing vendors, GSA will notify you when you’ve been selected to transition to the FCP; generally, this notification will come about a month in advance of the actual transition start date. GSA estimates that SIP will be fully retired from the MAS platform by the end of fiscal year 2026, so you should expect notification to transition to FCP soon if you haven’t already.
Vendors can register for the FCP using their FAS ID. If you don’t yet have an FAS ID, it is a simple process to register for one on GSA’s website. Once you have access to the FCP, your Schedule contract won’t be visible until it is eligible to transition. You must also be an authorized negotiator on the contract in order to access it through the FCP.
If you aren’t yet an authorized negotiator on the contract in question, someone that is an authorized negotiator must submit a modification through the eMod portal to add you to the contract.
If your contract is recently awarded, there is one additional step to FCP access, which is the initial contract registration through the Vendor Support Center.
Currently, vendors cannot transition their contract to the FCP without GSA initiating the transition. There is a resource page on the FCP that anyone can access to familiarize themselves with the platform and its transition process ahead of time. Additional resources are available from industry, such as Winvale’s blog.
After getting access to the FCP, there is a series of steps vendors must complete in order to get their contract set up in the FCP. This process is very similar for both new contracts and for existing contracts making the transition from SIP.
The steps the FCP follows are (1) set up the seller profile; (2) submit the Baseline modification for products and/or services; and (3) upload the terms and conditions file. Each step must be approved by the contracting specialist or contracting officer assigned to the contract before you can move onto the next.
All contracts in the FCP must start with setting up the seller profile. This is a very easy process, and involves logging into the FCP, accessing the contract as an authorized negotiator, and inputting basic information in for the contract.
The second step of the FCP set up is the Baseline modification, which is the most complex step in the process. Baseline modifications are specific to services or products offerings, so contractors that offer both services and products will have to complete two separate Baseline modifications. The Baseline modification must be initiated in eMod first before moving to FCP.
The Baseline modification is where vendors will upload the line items, such as products or labor categories, that have been awarded on their GSA Schedule. These items must be input in the FCP file, which is distinct from the Price Proposal Template (PPT) that existing vendors may be familiar with. The FCP files for both products and services can be downloaded from the FCP here.
After you have started the modification in eMod, and you input your contract pricing information in the FCP file, you can upload it to the FCP, where the file will be automatically processed for acceptability. If there are errors in the FCP file, the platform will notify the vendor via email, and an error file can be downloaded from the FCP that describes the cells that contain errors and how to correct them. After correcting the errors, you can continue to upload the FCP file until it is accepted by the system, at which point the vendor can finish the modification in eMod.
Once the Baseline modification is approved by GSA, the vendor is then able to go back to FCP and upload the terms and conditions file. This file, as it sounds, describes the terms and conditions that are associated with your GSA contract, such as basic contract information, shipping terms, Special Item Numbers (SINs) awarded, and discounts.
The terms and conditions file does not go through an automated process like the FCP files do, but it does get reviewed by your GSA Contracting Officer before being accepted. Once it is accepted, the contract is fully set-up in the FCP.
You must access the FCP whenever you modify the line items on your contract, or the terms and conditions that govern it. Modifications such as adding products, adding SINs, and updating pricing will require interfacing with FCP. In addition, if there is a change made to your terms and conditions, your terms and conditions file must be updated accordingly in FCP to maintain overall contract compliance.
Using the FCP will have a bit of learning curve. While it is an upgrade from the outdated SIP platform, many contractors find they want additional guidance to effectively use the platform. If you want to learn more about the FCP, check out more blogs in our series:
Our team of contract maintenance experts can assist you with setting up and completing modifications through the new FCP program. Reach out today to learn more.