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How to Form an MAS Contractor Teaming Arrangement (CTA) Blog Feature
Lucy Hoak

By: Lucy Hoak on January 3rd, 2025

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How to Form an MAS Contractor Teaming Arrangement (CTA)

Government Business Development | 6 Min Read

Capturing government business can be difficult, even after you’ve acquired a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract. As a MAS contractor, you may not be qualified for certain opportunities based on the scope of your offerings. One solution to this challenge is to work with other contractors. Among other partnering options, Contractor Teaming Arrangements (CTAs) can help MAS contractors increase their odds of success in the federal marketplace. In this blog, we’ll discuss what you need to do to form a MAS Contractor Teaming Arrangement, including how to put together a CTA agreement.

What is a MAS Contract Teaming Arrangement (CTA)?

In a MAS Contractor Teaming Arrangement, two or more contractors with their own GSA Schedules agree to work together to compete for and meet Schedule orders. The contractors themselves decide the terms of their CTA agreement. Unlike entering a Joint Venture, forming a CTA does not create a separate legal entity. MAS CTAs are distinct from the CTAs described in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Clause 9.6, as they are specific to the Multiple Award Schedule.

Benefits of Joining a MAS CTA

MAS CTAs enable contractors with complementary offerings to compete for government orders that they may not qualify for independently. For example, if an order calls for multiple Special Item Numbers (SINs), CTA members can combine their awarded SINs to meet that requirement.

CTAs allow small businesses in particular to become more competitive in the federal marketplace, as they can share responsibilities and combine skillsets with another contractor. CTA members can also benefit from a reduced risk of nonperformance on contracts, since each contractor can focus on their individual strengths.

Assembling your CTA Members

Forming a MAS CTA starts with finding at least one other GSA Schedule holder whose capabilities complement yours. In addition to utilizing your own network, you can connect with potential CTA members at industry days and matchmaking events, such as those hosted by GSA and the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. GSA eLibrary is also a great place to quickly find other MAS contractors with certain Special Item Numbers.

Once you’ve found other Schedule contractors to join your CTA, it’s time to figure out which member will be the CTA lead. It’s up to the CTA itself to decide the CTA lead’s responsibilities, but the lead is generally responsible for submitting the CTA agreement, invoicing products or services ordered through the agreement, and modifying the agreement as necessary. Keep in mind that when CTAs compete for a small business set-aside contract, the CTA lead and all CTA members should meet the socioeconomic status specified.

Forming a MAS CTA Agreement

Now that your team is assembled, it’s time to put together a written agreement outlining the terms of your MAS CTA. The members of your MAS CTA are responsible for negotiating and drafting your MAS CTA agreement.

You’ll want to decide first which type of MAS CTA agreement to form. MAS contractors can choose from two types of agreements: order-level agreements and contract-level agreements. We’ll explain each below, so you can determine which is better suited to your business needs.

MAS Order-Level CTA Agreements

MAS order-level CTA agreements are specific to a certain order or Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA). Contractors establish these agreements to fulfill specific requirements outlined in the order/BPA. This is the most common type of MAS CTA agreement.

After drafting an order-level agreement, the CTA members would submit it with their response to the government requirement. Unless the ordering activity states otherwise, contractors can propose an order-level CTA agreement to provide a total solution.

MAS Contract-Level CTA Agreements

MAS contract-level CTA agreements are incorporated at the MAS contract level. MAS contractors establish these CTAs based on anticipated partnering necessary to meet recurring requirements, rather than for a specific requirement. Contractors participating in a contract-level CTA agreement can also establish supplemental order-level CTA agreements as needed to fulfill specific requirements.

After drafting a contract-level agreement, the CTA members would submit it to the MAS contracting officer to be incorporated into the CTA lead’s MAS contract. Government buyers can place orders or issue BPAs from the established team for the duration of their CTA agreement.

Elements to Address in your CTA Agreement

Both types of CTA agreements should cover how CTA members will allocate responsibilities and handle financial and legal matters as a team. Luckily, you don’t need to draft an agreement from scratch – GSA provides contractors with a MAS CTA agreement template. You can adjust the language as needed but should address the minimum elements listed below:

  • Identification of all parties: Make sure to list all MAS contractors participating in the CTA, including their names, addresses, MAS contract numbers, and contact information.
  • MAS CTA lead: Specify the MAS contractor serving as the CTA lead, their MAS contract number, and the tasks they will perform under the CTA. Discuss potential reasons the team lead may change and describe the process for changing the lead.
  • MAS CTA member(s): List all MAS CTA members, their MAS contract numbers, and the tasks they will perform under the CTA. Address any limitations of members’ responsibilities.
  • Specific team responsibilities: Specify each task that will be performed under the MAS CTA and identify the CTA lead/member primarily responsible for each one, including delivery of specific items. Delineate the responsibilities and performance requirements so that liability is clearly established.
  • Duration of the agreement: State how long your MAS CTA will last, identifying any option periods and how those options will function.
  • Ordering procedures: Explain how your CTA will handle processing government orders.
  • Invoicing and payments: Identify the contractor responsible for invoicing and receiving the agreed-on method of payment. Make sure to state your CTA’s intention to resolve any dispute regarding payment distribution without involving the government. GSA recommends making the CTA lead responsible for invoicing and coordinating payment.
  • Legal relationship: State that your CTA members will remain independent contractors and not form a joint venture or separate subsidiary. You should also affirm that the MAS CTA lead and members will operate as prime contractors responsible for their own employees.
  • Confidential information: Identify any proprietary information, describing how you will manage such information and related rights.
  • Conflicting terms: State that your agreements’ terms must not conflict with the terms and conditions of each party’s MAS contract and that the MAS contract will take precedence in the event of a conflict.
  • Replacement of team members: State that your CTA lead and member(s) will get approval from the government buyer if you need to replace a party after receipt of an order.
  • Reporting of sales and industrial funding fee payment: State that each party is responsible for tracking and reporting its own sales under its individual MAS contract and for paying the Industrial Funding Fee (IFF).
  • Pricing: State that all prices charged to the ordering activity must be at or below the corresponding MAS contract’s prices, listing the products/services and unit prices/hourly rates.
  • Incentives or fees: Explain how your CTA will divide any incentives or fees between members, if applicable. Keep in mind that any incentives or administrative fees will not be Industrial Funding Fee-eligible or reported as MAS sales.
  • Signatures: All participating contractors should sign the agreement.

Evaluation of Your MAS CTA Agreement

Addressing each of the elements above is the best way to craft a successful MAS CTA agreement. For MAS contract-level CTA agreements, the CTA lead’s Contracting Officer will evaluate your CTA agreement and will look for each of these elements. As described earlier, a contract-level CTA agreement becomes effective once the Contracting Officer approves and incorporates it into the CTA lead’s MAS contract.

For MAS order-level CTA agreements, the government buyer at the order level will not formally approve your CTA agreement itself. However, they’ll review the agreement along with your response to the requirement. The agreement elements listed above are what the government buyer will typically want to know when evaluating your potential as a contractor.

Are You Ready to Form a CTA?

Forming a CTA may seem daunting, but there are resources to support you during the process. For more information about CTAs, we suggest visiting GSA’s page on CTAs and our recent blog on CTA FAQs. These sources explain how CPARS reporting, FPDS reporting, and other aspects of contracting work in the context of CTAs.

If you have further questions about forming CTAs, your GSA Schedule, or other partnership opportunitiesWinvale is here to help.

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About Lucy Hoak

Lucy Hoak is a Proposal Writer for Winvale. Lucy is originally from Falls Church, Virginia and graduated from the University of Virginia with a bachelor’s degree in English.