The Multiple Award Schedule Solicitation Refresh #7 - What Contractors Should Know

It’s that time again—GSA released the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Solicitation 47QSMD20R0001 Refresh #7 on August 31, 2021. With Q4 of the federal government Fiscal Year in full swing, it’s important for contractors to stay updated on all the changes to their GSA Schedule contracts. So, what does the Solicitation Refresh mean for contractors and what action needs to be taken?

All current GSA Schedule contractors will have 90 days to accept the Mass Modification (Mass Mod) once it's released. Mass Modifications follow every new Solicitation Refresh. Here’s what you need to know about the changes and how they will affect your contract.

Overall Updates to the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Solicitation

There are 3 significant changes made to the MAS Solicitation overall:

1. There is a new format for the Available Offerings attachment which identifies the Large Categories, subcategories, and Special Item Numbers (SINs) available through a GSA Schedule. This new format was developed to more clearly communicate the overall structure of the MAS Solicitation and key elements of each SIN.
   
   
2. Several changes have been made to the Price Proposal Template which is a list of all your products/services, their prices, and relevant descriptions. Language was edited throughout the Offer Service Price Proposal Template and the Offer & Modification Price Proposal Template (Products) to improve consistency and to alter certain requirements. More information on each specific change can be found in the Significant Changes to the MAS Solicitation document.
   
   
3. The Solicitation Refresh will incorporate clause and provision updates through the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2021-06 and the General Services Administration Regulation (GSAR). Several technical amendments are being made to the FAC, and GSA is amending the GSAR to clarify personal identity verification requirements.

Changes to Specific Large Categories in the MAS Solicitation Refresh

Certain Special Item Numbers (SINs) and Subcategories have been revised in the MAS Solicitation Refresh. As a reminder, each of the 12 Large Categories in the MAS Program are further narrowed down and organized into Subcategories and SINs. SINs can be used to identify where you fit into the MAS Program and what government contracting opportunities are applicable, so it’s important you follow the changes. 

Human Capital Category D

The Special Item Number (SIN) 561611 – HR Support: Pre-Employment Background Investigations in the Human Capital Large Category will be revised from “Pre-Employment Background Investigations” to “Background Investigations.” This change is being made to expand the scope of the SIN to include background investigation services that occur at any time and not just pre-employment.

Information Technology Category F

GSA is removing the Non-Transactional Data Reporting (TDR)/TDR IT Offer and Modification Requirements Price Proposal Templates from the Available Offerings and Requirements document. This was done because GSA determined that a unique Price Proposal Template for offers and modifications under Large Category F is no longer necessary, and the standard Price Proposal Templates can be used.

Professional Services Category H

Several changes were made to the Professional Services Large Category with 1 SIN revision and the addition of 2 new SINs:

• SIN 562112 – Hazardous Waste Disposal Services SIN will be modified to cover medical waste and pharmaceutical waste disposal services.
• A new SIN titled 524292INS – Third Party Administration of Insurance and Pension Funds will be added to the Financial Services Subcategory. This SIN will cover medical billing and medical coding services. This SIN will be linked to NAICS Code 524292.
• A new SIN titled 541990 – All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (non-IT) will be added to the Technical and Engineering Services (Non-IT) Subcategory. This SIN will be linked to NAICS Code 541990.

Security and Protection J

In the Security and Protection Large Category, GSA is removing the Supplemental Price Proposal Template for SIN 561612 Protective Service Occupations. As with Large Category F Information Technology, GSA determined that unique Price Proposal Templates are no loner necessary and any offers or modifications under this SIN can use standard Price Proposal Templates.

Transportation and Logistics Category K

In this Large Category, the Special Item Number (SIN) 532111 – Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing, Rental Supplemental Vehicle Program (RSVP) will be revised to include vehicles that are up to 4 years old and have up to 60,000 miles on the odometer. Before this change, only vehicles that were no more than 2 years old and had no more than 40,000 miles on the odometer were allowed.

How Do GSA Contractors Accept the Mass Modification?

After reviewing all the changes to the Solicitation and making sure you understand them, you will need to accept the Mass Modification in the Mass Mod System. It’s important to note that the 90 days does not start until the Mass Modification is officially released.

Only authorized negotiators with a valid GSA FAS ID will be permitted to sign the Mass Mod. If you want to add someone to your list of authorized negotiators, you will need to submit a modification in eMod.

Once you accept the Mass Mod, it’s important you are vigilant about future updates to your GSA Schedule. There is no set time frame for GSA releasing a Solicitation Refresh, but with all the changes GSA is making lately and with the MAS Consolidation, there have been several refreshes in the past year.

If you want to stay informed on future refreshes and other contracting news, you can subscribe to our weekly blog recap and our monthly newsletter. If you have any questions about accepting this Mass Mod or your GSA Schedule, feel free to reach out to one of our consultants.