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As many contractors with GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) experience know, GSA is constantly working to streamline the offer process and make things easier for both offerors and contracting officers. One area that has recently seen quite a few updates is the FAS Catalog Platform (FCP). GSA has been slowly rolling out updates to FCP since 2023, and recent months have seen major updates to the platform and transition timeline. Several of these updates are critical for contract compliance, so in this blog we’ll review the most important updates that contractors need to be familiar with.
What is the FAS Catalog Platform (FCP)?
Before we discuss the updates, it’s important to have an understanding of what the FCP is. The FAS Catalog Platform (FCP) is GSA’s new online catalog management platform. The FCP replaces the Schedule Input Program (SIP), the previous catalog management tool. The FCP is where contractors will manage their GSA Schedule catalog and contract data. Catalog modifications made in the FCP are automatically published to GSA Advantage! and GSA eLibrary.
The replacement of SIP with the FCP makes the process of catalog management easier for contractors in several ways. The FCP is a web-based platform instead of a desktop software like SIP, which allows contractors to easily log in from anywhere. Additionally, the FCP integrates with other GSA systems, including eMod and GSA Advantage!, so that catalog modifications are automatically published with requiring a separate upload.
FCP Transition Timeline
GSA has been gradually transitioning from SIP to the FCP since 2023. Previously, all contractors uploaded data into SIP following their contract award and then were transitioned to the FCP after several months. Now, new contractors are being directed not to upload any data to SIP and instead wait for access to FCP to be granted before uploading contract data.
GSA has rolled out this transition in waves: awards made between August 28 and October 7 were granted FCP access on October 14, 2025, and awards between October 7 and November 5 were granted FCP access on November 11, 2025. GSA previously stated that their intention was for awards made after November 5 to be granted FCP access immediately, but they have yet to confirm this. In the meantime, GSA is still transitioning contractors who were awarded before August 28th from SIP to the FCP.
What Are the FCP Transition Steps for Existing Contractors?
Awarded contractors who have been using SIP will receive an email alerting them that their contract will be transitioned to the FCP about a month before their access is granted. Once contractors are granted access to FCP, they must complete the “First Steps” process, which consists of updating the seller profile and completing the Baseline catalog action.
The seller profile includes basic information about the contract and contractor, while the Baseline action establishes a representation of your catalog within FCP. The Baseline action requires contractors to upload either a Product File or Services Plus File (depending on whether you offer products or services). Contractors who offer both products and services will have to complete two Baseline actions, one for products and one for services. Contractors who offer products will be provided with a pre-populated Product File to review and approve. Service vendors will need to fill out the Services Plus File based on their contract offerings.
How Will New Contractors Get Started in the FCP?
As of August 28th, all newly awarded contractors have been directed to not upload any contract data into SIP. Contractors will receive an email after their contract is awarded with instructions on how to register for FCP and upload their contract data. The First Steps Process is the same for new contractors as it is for existing contractors, with the key difference that no information will be pre-populated (since no contract has been uploaded). As of Refresh #29, new offerors are required to submit the Product File and/or Services Plus File with their GSA Schedule Proposal, meaning newly awarded contractors uploading data into FCP can simply use the Product File or Services Plus File awarded with their offer.
New Product Name and Description Requirements
Earlier this year, GSA released a series of guidelines for creating “accurate and descriptive” product names and descriptions in GSA catalogs. Submissions that do not meet these requirements will be rejected. Product names must be at least three words and cannot include the manufacturer or vendor part number. Product names have a 40 character limit. GSA recommends including the brand name, model, product type, and key features – for example “Dell 27 Inch 4K UHD Computer Monitor” instead of “Monitor”. Product descriptions must contain at least ten words and should avoid promotional language (such as Best Deal, Limited Time Offer, Free Shipping) that are not relevant to the specific product. Product descriptions must be between 150 and 1,000 characters.
Contractors are encouraged to include the product type, function, key features, use cases, and specifications as applicable. It’s important to note that contractors transitioning to FCP will get errors when trying to upload product files with names and descriptions that do not meet these requirements, even if the items are already awarded. These name and description requirements can be a stumbling point for contractors, especially those who offer a large catalog with many similar products (such as industrial products). Existing contractors who have yet to transition to FCP and prospective GSA contractors should all evaluate their product catalogs for FCP compliance in order to avoid issues later on.
Keeping Up with FCP Updates
As more contractors make the transition to the FCP, GSA is continuing to update and optimize the platform. The FCP FAQs page contains several helpful user guides and answers to frequently asked questions, all up-to-date with current requirements. If you have additional questions about transitioning to FCP, or accessing FCP as a new contractor, one of our consultants would be happy to help.
