On October 1st 2019, GSA will be consolidating its Multiple Award Schedules (MAS). The consolidation will combine 24 of the current schedules into 1, excluding only the 9 Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) schedules. On August 20th GSA held a webinar to explain the process of consolidation and answer vendor questions. The consolidation will consist of three phases.
Phase 1
In phase one, coming to a close with the end of FY2019 on September 30th, GSA went through the process of creating the new consolidated schedule. This process included the development of the solicitation, and a redesign of the Schedule Identification Number (SIN) system. There are currently over 900 different SINs under the various schedules, with many that cover similar products or services, and part of GSA’s goal is to eliminate these duplicate SINs. The new SINs, which are projected to be around 300, will match North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes wherever possible, but in cases where GSA deems the NAICS codes not to fit its specific needs, unique SINs will remain. Order Level Materials (OLM) SINs will be mapped to the new system as is. The goal is to use category management to better organize offerings under the new schedule. The solicitation for the new schedule should be available for vendors to review sometime at the end of August or beginning of September. Vendors should be sure to review the solicitation as soon as it is available to help them better understand and prepare for the consolidation.
Phase 2
In phase two, beginning October 1st, 2019, and expected to be completed by January 2020, GSA will be sending out a Mass Mod to bring current contracts in line with the new consolidated schedule terms. Contracts will retain their current schedule contract number, and vendors will have the opportunity to select SINs that match those they held under their former schedule contract. Vendors who hold a single schedule contract will be off and running under the new consolidated schedule once they accept the mass mod and select their SINs. Any new offers submitted by September 30th 2019 will be processed under the old Multiple Schedule system, while any received from October 1st onward will be processed under the new system. It is important to note that new offers made under the new system will not begin to be awarded until January 2020.
Phase 3
In phase three, beginning in January 2020, GSA will be targeting those with multiple schedule contracts for consolidation. GSA will work with vendors to determine the best way to turn their multiple schedule contracts into one, with the goal of establishing one contract for each DUNS number. This will largely be done through selecting one contract to maintain, adding SINs from the other contracts to it, and then letting the excess contracts expire naturally. Schedule contracts associated with BPAs will remain separate with the legacy contract number and will expire when the BPA does. GSA hopes to complete this process by July 2020.
Things to Know
In addition to the phase structure, there are several aspects of the consolidation vendors should be aware of. The Schedule Input Program (SIP) and eMod system will not be changing, and novations should not be affected by the consolidation. For schedule contracts in their 18th year or later that vendors wish to maintain, GSA recommends submitting the streamlined offer by September 30th. Sales reporting will remain the same for the first quarter of FY2020, but will transition to match the new SIN system in the second quarter. SINs that are currently available for TDR will remain TDR under the new system, but no new SINs will be added to the TDR program at this time.
How can your business benefit from the consolidation?
If your business has been on the fence about getting a GSA contract, or even if you’ve never considered it, the consolidation could be the perfect time to acquire one. With the new consolidated Schedule, the process will be streamlined, and you will only need to worry about one contract acquisition to begin selling your entire catalogue! If you already have a GSA contract then you’re even better positioned to take advantage of the consolidation, as it will be easier than ever to add new SINs to your existing contract, especially products and services that were previously beyond the scope of your awarded schedule. If you are thinking about acquiring a GSA contract, looking to expand on your current one, or need help making sure you’re prepared for the consolidation, give us a call.
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