Once your GSA Schedule has been awarded, it can be tempting to rest on your laurels – you’ve put in a lot of work to get here. However, GSA requires new Schedule contractors to complete a few administrative tasks following contract award. You’ll also have some ongoing contract maintenance responsibilities throughout the life of your contract.
In this blog, we’ll share a checklist of post-award actions you need to take to be successful and compliant as a GSA contractor. To help you prioritize, we’ll start with the tasks that you should complete immediately after contract award. We’ll then cover the tasks that you’ll need to complete on an ongoing basis throughout your contract’s lifespan.
Steps to Take Immediately After Contract Award
Register Your Contract on the Vendor Support Center
Immediately after your Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract is awarded, you’ll need to register your contract on the Vendor Support Center (VSC). Make sure to have your contract number and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) handy when you register. You’ll need to complete your VSC registration before you can upload your products catalog to GSA Advantage!.
It’s important to note only Authorized Negotiators on your contract can register on the VSC. If you aren’t already an Authorized Negotiator, you can become one by submitting an administrative modification to your contract.
Upload Your Products Catalog to GSA Advantage!
Once you are registered with the VSC, you can upload your products catalog (if applicable) to GSA Advantage!. Similar to Amazon, GSA Advantage! is an online marketplace where government customers can browse contractors’ offerings.
Depending on your contract, you’ll use the Schedule Input Program (SIP) or the newly released FAS Catalog Platform (FCP) to upload your catalog data, including product photos and descriptions. Unless GSA has notified you that you’re eligible for FCP, expect to use SIP for this process.
Your catalog file must be received no later than 30 days after contract award, so make sure to start the upload process early.
Upload Your Pricelist to GSA eLibrary
Using FCP or SIP, you’ll also need to upload your awarded GSA pricelist to GSA eLibrary within 30 days of contract award. GSA eLibrary houses contract information for all awarded Schedule contracts and allows prospective buyers to search for contractors’ profiles and pricelists.
The pricelist you upload should be a text file with your contact information, awarded Special Item Numbers (SINs), and your pricelist of products and/or services. It also should include your contract’s terms and conditions, as outlined by Clause I-FSS-600.
Know How to Access GSA eBuy for Contract Opportunities
GSA Schedule contractors can gain access to GSA eBuy, an online procurement tool for responding to Requests for Quotes (RFQs), Requests for Information (RFIs), and Requests for Proposal (RFPs) posted by agencies. You’ll be given access to eBuy once you’ve uploaded your pricelist and catalog to eLibrary and Advantage!.
Once you’ve logged in to eBuy, make sure to add all your appropriate points of contact, so that the right people at your company can access and respond to the government opportunities posted on the site. GSA posts new opportunities daily, and the opportunities you’ll see are automatically filtered to match your awarded Special Item Number(s).
Know How to Access SAM.gov for Contract Opportunities
Another site you’ll want to consult for contract opportunities is the System for Award Management, or SAM.gov. Among its many features, SAM.gov houses hundreds of thousands of government contracting opportunities. Make sure you know how to filter opportunities by keyword, set-aside, NAICS code, and more, so you can best take advantage of the site.
Register for the FAS Sales Reporting Portal
You’ll need to register for a FAS ID before you can access the FAS Sales Reporting Portal (SRP). The SRP is where you’ll report all contract sales and pay the Industrial Funding Fee (IFF). We’ll discuss sales reporting requirements below.
Update Your Company Website and Other Marketing Materials
Now that you have a GSA Schedule, make sure to market yourself as a GSA contractor to current and potential customers. We recommend updating your company website to include links to your GSA Advantage! and GSA eLibrary pages. It’s a good idea to add the official GSA logo to your website and other marketing materials, too.
If you don’t have one already, you can develop a specific page for government customers on your website, with past performance and a capabilities statement tailored to government buyers.
Ongoing Post-Award Steps
Report MAS Sales and Pay the Industrial Funding Fee
If your contract is subject to Transactional Data Reporting (TDR), you’ll report sales monthly, on the 30th of each month. If your contract is subject to Commercial Sales Practices (CSP), you’ll report sales quarterly. All contractors are required to remit the Industrial Funding Fee (IFF) quarterly, although TDR contractors may choose to remit the IFF monthly when reporting their sales. You’ll use the FAS Sales Reporting Portal (SRP) to report sales and pay the IFF.
Update Your Administrative Information
Make sure your contract’s POC information stays up to date, so government buyers can easily contact you. To update your Contract Administrator, Order POC, or any Authorized Negotiators, you’ll submit an administrative contract modification using GSA’s eMod system.
Update Your GSA Offerings Through Contract Modifications
Anytime you need to adjust the prices on your GSA Schedule, add or remove products or services, or make any changes to your offerings, you’ll submit a contract modification through eMod. After award of the modification, you’ll need to make the corresponding changes to your pricelist on GSA Advantage! and eLibrary within 30 days. As with the initial upload of your pricelist, you’ll use SIP or FCP depending on your contract.
Accept Mass Modifications
Throughout the life of your contract, you’ll want to be on the lookout for mass modifications, or GSA-initiated modifications to the MAS Solicitation. Your company’s Schedule POC should receive an email notification when a mass modification is released. Contractors are required to accept mass modifications in the Mass Mod System no later than 90 days after the release of a MAS Solicitation Refresh.
Meet the Minimum Sales Criteria
Your GSA contract has a 20-year lifespan, made up of four five-year option periods. In order for your contract to be renewed for additional option periods, you’ll need to meet GSA’s minimum sales criteria. Within the first five years following contract award, contractors must generate $100,000 in sales. Within each five-year period after that, contractors will need to generate $125,000 in sales.
Renew Your SAM.gov Entity Registration
You’ll need to renew your company’s SAM.gov registration annually to keep it active for the duration of your GSA contract. When you do, make sure that your company’s profile on SAM.gov is accurate and up to date.
Report Subcontracting Efforts
If you’re a large business with a small business subcontracting plan, you’ll need to report your subcontracting efforts to the government on a regular basis. If you have a commercial subcontracting plan, you’ll need to fill out a Summary Subcontracting Report (SSR) annually on October 30. If you have an individual subcontracting plan, you’ll need to submit an Individual Subcontracting Report (ISR) on April 30 and October 30, in addition to submitting the SSR annually. Both reports are submitted through the Electronic Subcontracting Reporting System (eSRS).
Staying Compliant and Maintaining Your MAS Contract in the Long Term
We’ve covered above some of the key post-award action items for your GSA Schedule contract in the short and long term. In addition, complying with GSA’s terms and conditions is an important part of maintaining your contract across its 20-year lifespan.
Contract compliance looks different for every MAS contract. For example, products offerors need to comply with the Trade Agreements Act (TAA), and offerors subject to Commercial Sales Practices need to comply with the Price Reductions Clause. If you’re looking for a guide to maintaining your contract while staying compliant, you can consult our essential contract maintenance checklist. Or, if you’d like more individualized assistance with contract maintenance, our consultants are ready to help.
