To be a successful government contractor, you need to stay up to date on all of the changes that arise in the General Services Administration (GSA). If you’ve been following our blog, you will know that keeping up with all of those changes is no small task! From the new look of GSA eBuy to the consolidation of the Multiple Award Schedule program, GSA is continually trying to make contracting easier for the general public, but that means you need to know how to properly adapt to these developments. As government contract consultants, Winvale has been keeping a close eye on what our clients need to do to stay informed. The most recent update is the new solicitation refresh for the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program. Here are the main points contractors should know about the changes.
GSA announced the new solicitation refresh on June 8, 2020, so contractors should keep an eye out for any emails from GSA regarding the refresh.
This solicitation refresh applies to all MAS Contractors through a Mass Modification, which is automatically sent to all authorized negotiators on the contract. Contractors will need to log into the mass mod system, review the solicitation changes, and either accept all changes or determine if your company will take any exceptions. Contractors have 90 days to accept this mass mod, so make sure you are proactive in accepting it!
The main updates to the solicitation are as follows:
As is standard with any solicitation refresh, there are a few standard clause updates. These include:
GSA is committed to providing secure and paper-free experiences for contractors, and the clauses above reflect these changes.
This change reflects an incorporation of an updated WD index in accordance with current Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) policy. There are no clause changes or policy changes to the application of SCA. Contractors will need to ensure that their pricing and WD numbers are updated and included in their SCA matrix. Contractors can find a full list of wage determinations here.
The current solicitation refresh, Code G details the SIN description as the following:
“This SIN encompasses all commercially available Fourth-Party Logistics (4PL) delivery models required for a full solution that includes, at a minimum, providing the product, logistical support, transportation, inventory management, and all other services necessary to support 4PL operations. For the purposes of this SIN, 4PL operations are divided into two distinct categories, Vendor-Owned/Vendor-Managed Inventory Services (VMI) and Vendor-Owned/Vendor-Consigned Inventory Services (VCI). Specific services for these two categories include, but are not limited to:
Vendor-Owned/Vendor-Managed Inventory Services (VMI): Services such as resupply of designated items by the Vendor through regularly scheduled reviews of on-site inventory counts, removal of damaged or outdated goods, and the re-stocking of inventory to predetermined levels at their specified locations and customer support; and Vendor-Owned/Vendor-Consigned Inventory Services (VCI): Services where products will be entrusted to GSA and are under the control and custody of GSA while they are stocked at 4PL locations.
The two 4PL models can be delivered in various 4PL models, which include but are not limited to Brick and Mortar Retail Storefronts; Tool Rooms and Issue Points; Virtual ServMarts; Satellite Locations; In-Store Referral Ordering; Direct Delivery; and Online Catalogs.”
This could be a great opportunity for contractors that provide logistics supplies and services to get on a Schedule!
It’s important to stay on top of information released by GSA and how it impacts you as a government contractor, but it can be difficult to make sure you're informed of every change. Our Consulting team makes it our job to stay up to date and keep you informed through blogs and our newsletter. If you have questions on the solicitation refresh, you can learn more on GSA Interact or you can give us a call!