Both the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Program and the OASIS+ contract vehicle have been getting a lot of attention in the professional services sphere of the government. The procurement arm of GSA is predicted to quadruple in size with the recent Executive Orders (EOs) expanding the MAS Program, and the OASIS+ contract vehicle is looking to on-ramp more contractors and expand the scope in Phase II. With both professional services vehicles set for success, you may be wondering if it’s necessary to get on both these vehicles, or where the opportunities will end up. Some contractors may also be wondering if OASIS+ will eventually merge with MAS and if it’s worth the proposal effort.
In this blog, we’ll talk about the differences between the GSA MAS Program and OASIS+, and how to better forecast where a solicitation may appear.
The MAS Program is a multiple-award Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) vehicle sourcing millions of products and services across 12 Large Categories. One of these Large Categories is H, Professional Services. GSA MAS is designed for discount pricing at higher volumes with pre-vetted contractors. The MAS Program offers both IT and non-IT professional services.
The One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services Plus, or OASIS+ vehicle is meant specifically for non-IT and highly specialized integrated services (coordinated delivery of multiple services across several domain). GSA created this vehicle for the purpose of handling Best-in-Class non-IT services that are more complex and specialized. Because of this, Contracting Officers (COs) and Contracting Specialists (CS) are required to take OASIS and Delegation of Procurement Authority (DPA) training before they can place an order against this vehicle.
The differences above bring us to consider when a solicitation may fall under the MAS Program or OASIS+. The most obvious instance is if the solution is a non-IT service that is particularly complex or specialized—that would fall under OASIS+. If it’s IT, then it would generally fall under the MAS Program. However, there are some instances where it could fall under OASIS+ if the solution is less than 50% IT.
Additionally, the type of order matters as well. MAS Program has multiple awardees while OASIS+ issues single task orders. If it’s Cost Plus Fixed Fee, meaning it’s a cost-reimbursement contract where the buyer pays the seller for all allowable costs incurred during a project plus a predetermined fixed fee, then it’ll be OASIS+. The MAS Program does not include cost reimbursement contracts, but has other contract types including Firm Fixed Price (FFP), Time and Materials (T&M), Labor Hour, and hybrids of these types.
On that same note, if the solicitation is a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) or an IDIQ, then it’ll go through the MAS Program. Agencies are prohibited from issuing an IDIQ or BPA against OASIS+ IDIQ contracts. However, flexibility is still present with the use of optional Contract Line-Item Numbers (CLINs), T&M CLINs, and cost-reimbursement type CLINs.
Currently, OASIS+ has five small business set-aside contracts:
Since these contracts are already established, no further set-asides can be issued under an OASIS+ contract. Agencies also cannot award under the Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) category.
The MAS Program is a bit more flexible in this area and allows for EDWOSB contracts. However, being a part one of the small business pools above does more consistently allow for 100% set-aside contracts, without having to hunt and find them with your GSA Schedule. Both avenues have pros and cons in these areas.
You may be wondering if they should focus on getting a GSA Schedule or an OASIS+ award. The answer depends on a lot of factors such as:
If you have the time and the resources, and it makes sense for you to be on both vehicles, we encourage you to do this. As you can see above, there will be different opportunities funneling through each of the vehicles, so you can maximize your reach this way.
Some contractors have wondered if OASIS+ will eventually merge with the MAS Program and if it’s worth going after both vehicles, since they both offer professional services. While we can’t fully predict GSA’s next move, it’s highly unlikely that OASIS+ will be absorbed into GSA MAS. The OASIS+ program is for highly specialized and complex services as we mentioned above, and the MAS Program is not equipped to handle these. A move to the MAS Program would compromise the value of these services, and that’s why OASIS+ was created by GSA in tandem with the MAS Program.
GSA is set to take over other highly specialized vehicles, and the Trump Administration is encouraging the use of vehicles like OASIS+ and other Best-In-Class (BIC) vehicles because they are efficient and lead to cost savings. Even if GSA wanted to merge OASIS+ with the MAS Program, it would take a lot of time, planning, and resources that they don’t necessarily have right now as other agencies are transitioning their procurement to GSA.
As the federal procurement landscape shifts under the Trump Administration, it’s important you are staying on top of all these changes and positioning yourself for success in the market. With the procurement of most common goods and services moving under GSA as well as other Best-in-Class GWACs, we anticipate an influx of opportunities in the MAS Program and other GSA vehicles.
If you are looking to get a GSA Schedule or want to track OASIS+ on-ramp, we would be happy to help you. If you already have a GSA Schedule and need some help managing it so you can focus more on the business development side of the contract, feel free to reach out to one of our consultants.