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.
What is the SCRIPTS BPA?
The Supply Chain Risk Illumination Professional Tools and Services (SCRIPTS) BPA is a 10-year almost $1 billion contract for eligible GSA Schedule contractors. SCRIPTS is a new requirement in support of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (OUSD), Acquisition & Sustainment (A&S) office to asses risk across the federal supply chain domestic commercial IT marketplace, and Defense Industrial Base (DIB). The period of performance for this vehicle will be a 5-year base period with one 5-year renewal option totaling 10 years.
The idea behind this BPA is to establish multi-component supply chain risk illumination tools to support all U.S. federal state, local, tribal, and territorial governments with associated professional analytic support services. Since there have been many major issues with the supply chain, SCRIPTS will help mitigate the risk of high vulnerability to fraud, abuse, and adversarial exploitation of the supply chain.
The requirements within this BPA will allow the Department of Defense (DoD) and other federal agencies to vet contractors and supplier networks to ensure suppliers are reputable, financially secure and will not introduce risk to the government. Cyber hygiene is important when it comes to contracting, especially the supply chain with the increase of cyber attacks on our nation’s networks.
SINS Related to the SCRIPTS BPA
So, we’ve talked about supply chain risk illumination tools and associated support services, but does this BPA directly apply to you as a contractor? Here’s a list of the GSA MAS SINS that will be included in the BPA:
- SIN 518210C Cloud and Cloud-Related IT Professional Services
- SIN 54151ECOM Electronic Commerce and Subscription Services
- SIN 54151S Information Technology Professional Services
- SIN 541614SVC Supply and Value Chain Management
- SIN 541990RISK, Risk Assessment and Mitigation Services
- SIN 541611 Management and Financial Consulting, Acquisition and Grants Management Support, and Business Program and Project Management Services
These SINs fall under Large Categories F (Information Technology) and H (Professional Services). If you do not have any of the SINs listed above on your GSA Schedule, but think your company still qualifies, there are ways you can add the relevant SIN in a timelier manner using GSA’s FASt Lane, which we’ll discuss next.
SCRIPTS BPA and FASt Lane Eligibility
One big component of the SCRIPTS BPA is FASt Lane eligibility. This means that contractors under this BPA can experience shorter processing times for GSA Schedule acquisition, streamlined acquisition, and modifications.
While it may be a little too late in the timeline to apply for a GSA Schedule contract using this method, all current GSA Schedule holders can take advantage of FASt Lane for this BPA if they need to make critical modifications such as adding a new Special Item Number (SIN) related to SCRIPTS, or need to complete a streamlined acquisition if their 20 years is ending soon.
To be a part of FASt Lane, you must:
- Be a Multiple Award Schedule offeror or existing schedule holder assigned under the Information Technology Category and assigned an ITC contracting officer.
- Be associated with a FASt Lane-eligible initiative (including the SCRIPTS BPA).
- Have a written request from a federal agency ordering activity that states vendors should participate in FASt Lane to support the agency’s IT requirements. Vendors must include this written request in the eOffer submission package.
Preparing for MAS Opportunities
The GSA MAS program provides several opportunities for contractors, but you must be proactive in finding them and taking the time to respond. GSA hasn’t provided a date for the final RFQ, but since the Q&A was due at the end of December, we can hope we see some updates in Q3 (April-June). While you are waiting for the final RFQ to come out, we suggest you familiarize yourself with the draft and start preparing your GSA Schedule such as making sure your pricelist and catalog are updated, making note of any modifications, and ensuring you are keeping up with your GSA sales reporting.
If you need help maintaining your Schedule so you’re ready for this opportunity, or need help getting on the FASt Lane program for this BPA, don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our consultants.
