If your company has been a part of the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program for over 15 years, you have already demonstrated your ability to navigate the Schedule acquisition process and secure three contract extensions, fulfilling the full 20-year cycle of your contract. However, as your successful contract approaches its end, you may wonder how to continue benefiting from this multi-billion dollar contracting vehicle. This is where the streamlined acquisition process comes into play.
In this blog, we will discuss the streamlined acquisition process within the GSA MAS Program, the preparation timeline you should follow, and specific requirements and documentation you will need to be successful.
Created in 2016, streamlined acquisition is the process you will go through when your current GSA Schedule period of performance is ending, and you want to submit a new offer. Acquisition streamlining results in the more efficient and effective use of resources to design and develop or produce quality systems within the GSA. This is not to be confused with a GSA Schedule option extension, which is reserved for contractors still within the initial 20 years of their contract. Since you already have a GSA Schedule, streamlined acquisition is a revised and simplified process.
If you are interested in pursuing a streamlined acquisition, it is important to remain compliant and meet the minimum sales criteria in each option period. If you can fulfill these requirements, you are well-positioned to successfully receive a new Schedule.
Documentation is crucial in this process. Less documentation is required for streamlined acquisition, but there are certain essential documents that are still required to facilitate the smooth transition into your new MAS contract.
These documents include:
When deciding whether to pursue the GSA streamlined acquisition process versus an option extension, it is important to understand the main differences between these two pathways.
Option extensions maintain the same contract number as the initial award and are initiated by GSA through a modification in eMod. A successful contract will be able to complete a base period of five years followed by three 5-year option periods, totaling 20 years.
A streamlined acquisition is a fresh 20-year period of performance, offering an extended lifespan for your contracting vehicle. This may be necessary for contract continuity because, for example, an ordering activity cannot establish a one-year Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) with a contractor if only six months remain on the underlying MAS contract. Because of this, GSA allows for the award of overlapping or continuous contracts.
A new contract will result in the cancellation of the existing contract upon award but if the contractor has one or more active BPAs, they are eligible for the award of a new contract that is allowed to overlap and run alongside the existing one.
Preparing a streamlined offer shares many similarities with preparing an original offer, but there are some key differences. The MAS Solicitation is a great resource to guide you through this process. These instructions clearly outline the requirements that are waived under streamlined acquisition procedures.
Some defining specific requirements for a streamlined acquisition is that you cannot add any new Special Item Numbers (SINs) to your contract. You can propose other changes to your contract, but contractors wishing to add new SINs that they do not already hold must submit a separate modification request that includes all required documentation, including Project Experience.
As mentioned before, the streamlined acquisition process is simpler, reducing burden on contractors while still being compliant with the MAS Solicitation. This process does not require a readiness assessment, Pathways to Success, financial statements, or Open Ratings Report. Corporate Experience requirements are either reduced or eliminated on a case-by-case basis and the requirements for project experience are significantly reduced.
Although less demanding, streamlined acquisitions still require a certain amount of time and effort to prepare. The Trump Administration’s Executive Order expanding procurement in GSA is focused on re-adjusting the workforce, re-allocating resources which caused some delays, and directing the contracting work of most common goods and services, including Government-wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs) to GSA. These changes have almost quadrupled the size of GSA.
Through these changes, it is recommended to begin preparing your streamline acquisition process 24 to 36 months out from contract expiration. This way if you run into any roadblocks or delays, you can ensure there won't be gaps in your contracts. Ideally, your streamlined offer will be reviewed by the same Contracting Officer (CO) you have for your current contract, but with all the changes recently, that may not be true and could add some time to the process.
While simpler than the initial preparation of a proposal, it is still important to invest time in creating a strong streamlined acquisition offer to increase the likelihood of the continuation of your contract.
The streamlined acquisition process offered by the GSA MAS program provides a simplified path for successful MAS contractors to secure a new Schedule that closely aligns with their existing one.
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