Sometimes when either starting out with your General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), or even if you’re a seasoned contractor, some of the inner workings of GSA can come off as overly mysterious. There’s often some questions left unanswered. Other times, however, they make sure to keep us updated on what we need to know to foster a deeper understanding of the work they do for our contracts. Going into 2024 or just going into the federal contracting landscape in general, there is a lot to keep up with. So, in this blog, we’ll be covering the policy landscape for the next year and what you can expect to see, as well as what changes have been made recently to the world of GSA.

If you’re considering selling to the government, entering the government marketplace through the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) is a safe bet. Eligible companies who successfully become MAS contractors can benefit from streamlined acquisition processes and expanded access to government contracting opportunities.

In recent years, small businesses have seen increased opportunities in government acquisitions, particularly in the areas of cloud and software services. However, while overall participation has grown, the number of small businesses acting as prime contractors in the Federal IT marketplace has been diminishing. The Office of Management and Business (OMB) has responded by launching a plan to allocate over $100 billion in spending to Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDBs) in the coming years.

The General Services Administration (GSA) has recently made updates to the Multiple Awards Schedule (MAS) Solicitation. MAS Solicitation Refreshes #18 and #19 consist of several significant changes, such as adjustments to minimum sales requirement, updated language, and implementation of Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act (FASCSA) Orders.

As a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contractor, it can sometimes seem like a mystery how the “fair and reasonable” pricing determination can be reached. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) outlines parameters for how the federal government analyzes and makes these determinations, but the guidance does allow a certain amount of discretion.

As the New Year approaches, the General Services Administration (GSA) is making some updates with the release of Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Solicitation Refresh #18 and an unexpected #19. While some of these updates are run of the mill changes and additions, GSA has also included some significant changes in these refreshes including altering the minimum sales requirement and incorporating clauses related to Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act (FASCA) Orders. GSA released #18 on Dec 4th and #19 on Dec 6th with subsequent Mass Modifications.