Government Contracting Blog

As we are now halfway through the government fiscal year, it’s important to review changes to the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS). One of the key updates is that GSA made Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) mandatory for all contractors with the release of MAS Solicitation Refresh #31 in April. Before Refresh #31, contractors without TDR-eligible Special Item Numbers (SINs) fell under the Commercial Sales Practices (CSP) reporting structure and were required to monitor their compliance with the Price Reductions Clause.

While often thought of as out of date in terms of its technology, the federal government spends billions on new information technology (IT) solutions and services each year in support of various legacy system modernization efforts, cybersecurity initiatives, and other technology-focused programs. The GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Program allows contractors to sell various commercial IT products and services to the federal government through its Information Technology Category, or Category F. For the 2025 government fiscal year (FY), the IT Category experienced over $26 billion in sales, demonstrating a highly competitive marketplace for IT services and products under GSA MAS.

The GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Program is comprised of 12 Large Categories to sell through, including the popular Information Technology, Professional Services, and Industrial Products and Services Large Categories. However, there are additional Large Categories that align with different industries and allow for the sale of more niche offerings. Did you know you can sell air charter services, delivery services, vehicles, boats, and shipping containers to federal buyers through GSA MAS? If your business specializes in these or similar services, then the Transportation and Logistics Services Large Category, or Large Category K, could be an opportunity for you to expand into the federal marketplace.

As a result of the Trump Administration’s April 2025 Executive Order (EO) directing for the rewrite of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the FAR Council initiated the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) effort. The goal of the RFO is to ensure the FAR only contains statutory rules that enhance clarity, resulting in more efficient procurement processes. Federal agencies have been implementing rewritten FAR parts through their own class deviations.

As a new calendar year begins, it’s important to review key events that occurred within the federal contracting world recently to prepare for a successful year for your GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract. Forty years ago, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) was established as a “rulebook” featuring policies and regulations that would guide federal agencies during the procurement of supplies and services, totaling over 2,000 pages of content.

Government purchasers frequently utilize the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Program to procure innovative Information Technology (IT) products and services that are available commercially from contractors. State and local governments, educational institutions, and other entities can also be eligible to purchase from GSA Schedule contractors’ IT offerings through the Cooperative Purchasing Program.