Government Contracting Blog

Significant changes are being made to the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program—after a slew of Solicitation Refreshes from December to April, GSA is planning on releasing MAS Solicitation 7QSMD20R0001 - Refresh #12 on May 16, 2022. Unlike Refresh #11 which revised a single clause note 52.223-99, Ensuring Adequate COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors, Refresh #12 is introducing several major changes. It’s important to note that while this Refresh is packed, there will be no accompanying mass modification.

For years, the federal acquisition industry has been asking for a more efficient way to make smarter purchases while saving taxpayer dollars. GSA has answered these calls for improvement with a solution—buy.gsa.gov. GSA has launched buy.gsa.gov, a new tool to help simplify the federal procurement process. This site will benefit both government agencies (buyers) and GSA contractors (vendors) as they can access streamlined market research, searchable templates, and interactive resources. While this tool is still in its testing phase, you can toggle around the site and send your feedback to GSA. Here’s what you need to know about this new tool and how it may help you navigate the procurement process.

The focus on buying American has continued in full force under the Biden Administration and will only continue to grow. The federal contracting landscape is constantly shifting, and there have been several domestic procurement policies introduced recently that will directly affect GSA contractors. From the Infrastructure Bill to the Buy American Act and the Berry Amendment, we’ll round up all the recent legislation that is contributing to a stronger focus on buying American products, so you are well aware of what’s coming.

When you apply for a job, you typically only have one chance to draw someone in before they decide whether they want to invite you in for an interview. You have one single-page resume to highlight your past experience, your capabilities, and what skills make you different from others. This is very similar to drafting a capabilities statement for your government customers.

A GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract can give your company access to a whole new marketplace. As a GSA Schedule contractor, you can sell to federal agencies, several international entities, and state and local governments under certain programs. While the GSA MAS program provides a multitude of opportunities to companies, it’s not necessarily for everyone. If you are considering whether your company should pursue a prime GSA Schedule, you should first make sure that you can meet all the GSA contractor requirements. We have helped several clients through the requirements stage so we know it can seem overwhelming at first, but don’t worry, we will walk you through what you need to know before you get a GSA contract.

Important update about the Polaris RFP: GSA has temporarily halted the award of the Polaris RFP following a pre-award challenge. During this pause, GSA will assess the concerns raised over the treatment of Joint Ventures in the RFP. The pre-award challenge warned that the current methodology used in the solicitation to assess the experience of prospective contractors engaged in a Joint Venture could violate Small Business Administration rules.  The proposal due date will be extended, but the due date for questions has NOT been changed. The opening of the Polaris submission portal will also be paused. Questions are still due by April 18, 2022.