For a GSA Schedule contractor, a contract extension is an important process that should be completed without any delay. The GSA Schedule is a five-year contract with three additional five-year option periods for a total of 20 years. After each five-year period, every GSA Schedule contractor has to complete a contract extension prior to their contract’s expiration date in order to extend their contract for another five years. Although it is common to have your contract extended, GSA Schedule contractors should be as proactive as possible during this process to make sure there is no delay in being awarded the next option period.
The Contract Extension Process
Generally, the contract extension process is initiated by your GSA Contracting Officer by way of a formal letter inquiring about your intent to extend your GSA Schedule. You can expect this letter about six months before your contract expiration date. If you do not receive a letter from your Contracting Officer there is no harm in reaching out to them and asking when they expect to begin the review of your contract for the contract extension.
If your firm intends to extend your contract the Contracting Officer will ask you to affirm certain aspects of your GSA Schedule and your compliance to the terms and conditions awarded within your contract. Below is a list of action items you should be sure are completed when preparing for your contract extension:
Each contract extension can differ as it is your individual Contracting Officer’s authority to request additional documentation to verify different terms of your contract, such as making sure that your Commercial Sales Practices have been properly disclosed. See Winvale's recommendations for proper Commercial Sales Practices Compliance. They can also take the opportunity to verify that your pricing is still fair and reasonable.
As mentioned above, you can expect the contract extension process to begin approximately six months prior to your expiration date with the issuance of a letter. Once you receive the letter GSA typically allows two to three weeks for you to send them your notice of intent to renew. Once you have sent your notice of intent you may be limited in the modifications your Contracting Officer will allow, so it is a best practice to complete any modifications prior to submitting your intent notice. The completion of your contract extension is based on the discretion of your Contracting Officer. This can be anywhere from one month to one day before your contract expiration, so it is important for you to respond to any questions or clarifications requested by GSA as soon as possible. Upon the extension of your contract, your GSA Schedule number and SINs will not change, but you will have a new contract expiration date.