If you’ve submitted a Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) offer before, you know that waiting for GSA to process and review your offer can feel like the hardest part. In the last few months, GSA has made some changes to how it reviews MAS offers, with the goal of streamlining the process for contractors and Contracting Specialists alike.
The process now includes two review stages instead of one, with the recently formed Central Intake Desk (CID) conducting the first review. In this blog, we’ll discuss the differences between the old and new processes, features of the new review process, and how we expect these changes to impact contractors.
Background on GSA’s Offer Review Process
Before we talk about the changes to the process, we’d like to emphasize that the offer review process, consisting of clarifications and negotiations, is still largely the same. Most importantly, GSA hasn’t changed its evaluation criteria for offers, which you can find in the current MAS Solicitation.
Consequently, the issues discussed during offer clarifications will remain the same and will still include everything from document errors to larger issues like Special Item Number (SIN) scope. Contractors will still participate in pricing negotiations as well, where GSA will seek to obtain fair and reasonable pricing.
Differences Between the Old and New Processes
However, what has changed is the structure of this review process. Previously, offers were reviewed primarily by one Contracting Specialist, supported by their Contracting Officer and Branch Chief. Contractors had to wait for their turn in their assigned Contracting Specialist’s queue of submitted offers. Then, that Contracting Specialist would review their offer and conduct clarifications and negotiations – sometimes in one go, and sometimes spaced out over weeks or months.
In an effort to improve the efficiency of the offer review process, GSA has split the process into two stages. The first stage is a pass/fail review with the new Central Intake Desk, to ensure the offer is complete and compliant with the Solicitation. The second review, with a different Contracting Specialist, gets more into the finer points of the offer before transitioning into pricing negotiations. We’ll cover these two stages in more depth below.
First Review with Central Intake Desk
The Central Intake Desk (CID) is the newly formed entity under the Solicitation Management Office that conducts initial compliance checks of MAS offers. Up and running since November 2025, the Central Intake Desk receives offers across all MAS Large Categories. All submitted MAS offers pass through the CID, even FASt Lane offers.
The CID was created to streamline the offer review process for contractors and Contracting Specialists alike. To that end, the CID also aims to remove outdated and inefficient items from the MAS Solicitation, based on its findings from reviewing offers.
When the CID reviews your offer, the assigned reviewer is primarily checking to see that your offer is substantially complete and compliant with the Solicitation. As has always been the case, a few small errors or inconsistencies shouldn’t lead to rejection, but the absence of key offer requirements will. The CID may send you requests for clarification before they decide whether to reject your offer or pass it to the second review stage.
Second Review with Contracting Specialist
Once the CID has made its pass/fail determination, your offer will be assigned to a second Contracting Specialist within your offer’s Large Category Office (e.g., the IT Office).
The second Contracting Specialist will conduct a more in-depth review to determine if the offeror is a responsible contractor. They may send you additional requests for clarification that are more technical in nature. Following any clarifications, the same Contracting Specialist will conduct pricing negotiations to determine if your proposed prices are fair and reasonable and will make the final decision whether to award your contract.
It’s worth noting that the second review may not immediately occur after the first one, based on the number of offers in the second reviewer’s queue. Wait times with the CID will also vary. That said, the best way that contractors can help the process move more quickly is to monitor their email and respond promptly to any communications from GSA.
Impact of the New Process on Offerors
The new review structure and CID haven’t been around for very long, so we haven’t had a chance to see their full effects in practice. However, contractors can generally expect to see a more efficient, transparent review process and a quicker path to contract award.
Contractors who are initially unsuccessful in reaching contract award will also benefit from this new process. Thanks to the CID’s separate compliance check, offerors should be able to learn more quickly if they’ve been rejected for noncompliance and can make any needed corrections before resubmitting their offer. As the CID continues to evolve, we should see other positive impacts on MAS offerors.
Putting Together a Compliant MAS Offer
It has always been important to put together a compliant MAS offer, and as the existence of the CID shows, receiving full marks for compliance isn’t easy. You’ll need to make sure your offer has all of the elements required in the Solicitation, while keeping in mind additional eligibility considerations.
With so much involved in crafting a successful offer, it can be a good idea to seek expert assistance. If you are looking for help putting together a compliant MAS offer, reach out to one of our consultants.
