Government Contracting Blog

Two U.S. Senators recently introduced a bipartisan bill to cut through some of the red tape of the procurement process and make it more accessible for agencies and contractors. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Ted Cruz (R-TX), jointly introduced this legislation titled the Federal Improvement in Technology Procurement Act, or FIT Act for short.

GSA has been teasing a spring Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Solicitation Refresh release for the past few months, and the time has come—Refresh #20 will be released in April 2024. This Refresh will be accompanied by a Mass Modification, which must be accepted within 90 days. Let’s talk about this Refresh including what changes GSA plans to make and how it affects you as a contractor, so you’re well prepared to accept the Mass Modification when it’s released.

As a small business GSA contractor, it’s essential to understand if your company qualifies for additional set-asides. Depending on your North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code, you could qualify for certain small business contracting programs or opportunities that are only available to a certain subset of contractors. There are several types of socio-economic set-asides including veteran-owned/service-disabled veteran-owned, economically disadvantaged, women-owned, and historically underutilized business zones. This blog takes an in-depth look at one program specifically: the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contracting Program. Let's talk about the WOSB program, how to certify, and benefits it could bring your business.

A new Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) could open some more opportunities for GSA contractors, including faster modifications and streamlined acquisition timelines. Last year, GSA released a draft Request for Quote (RFQ) for the Supply Chain Risk Illumination Professional Tools and Services (SCRIPTS) BPA, which will be awarded against Multiple Award Schedules. This BPA is now FASt Lane eligible, which poses a huge benefit for GSA contractors. Now that the draft Q&A has closed, the final RFQ is being developed by GSA. In the meantime, let’s discuss the SCRIPTS BPA and what FASt Lane could mean for your GSA Schedule.

Earlier this week, the Biden-Harris administration released their budget request for the 2025 federal government Fiscal Year (FY). If you are familiar with the process at all, you know that this is a request and the entire final budget does not get accepted for quite some time, if even partway into the next Fiscal Year. However, this request speaks to the administration’s intentions for the next year, and you can get a glimpse at upcoming or recurring initiatives, and which agencies will have increased or decreased funding.

The global economy has taken a hit—from disrupted supply chains to price volatility, there have been severe supply shortages and an increase in prices. This inflation has caused a significant increase in the number of Economic Price Adjustment (EPA) modifications among GSA contractors. Recognizing this critical issue, GSA jointly issued a GSA acquisition letter in 2022 placing a temporary moratorium on a number of limitations in certain GSA EPA clauses. GSA has now updated and extended the moratorium to December 31, 2024, in a supplement letter.