As a potential GSA Schedule contractor or current offeror looking to expand your contract, you should begin with researching Special Item Numbers (SINs) that align with your commercial offerings. SINs represent the specific products or services you will offer to the government through a GSA Schedule contract. Understanding Special Item Numbers’ requirements is a crucial step when deciding which services to add to your contract through a modification or developing your contract proposal.
A popular SIN that over 1,100 contractors have awarded is the Engineering Services SIN. There are many services that are excluded from this Special Item Number, such as architect-engineer (A-E) services. In this blog, we will break down the Engineering SIN’s requirements, including which services are categorized under this Special Item Number and which services to not include in your offer to avoid potential rejection.
The Engineering SIN is represented by the code 541330ENG. This Special Item Number falls within the Professional Services Category and is categorized under the Technical and Engineering Services (Non-IT) Subcategory. GSA provides the following description of services typically procured under the Engineering SIN:
“541330ENG Services include: applying physical laws and principles of engineering in the design, development, and utilization of machines, materials, instruments, processes, and systems. Services may involve any of the following activities: provision of advice, concept development, requirements analysis, preparation of feasibility studies, preparation of preliminary and final plans and designs, provision of technical services during the construction or installation phase, inspection and evaluation of engineering projects, and related services.”
For service offerings, you are required to submit one technical narrative demonstrating a past or current project’s alignment with some or all of the services under this SIN’s description.
Typical labor categories offered under the Engineering SIN include, but are not limited to:
The Engineering SIN is also eligible for the Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) program, which eliminates the requirement for contractors’ and offerors’ to disclose their Commercial Sales Practices (CSP) to GSA and a few other compliance actions.
Additional information and instructions regarding this SIN can be found in the Professional Services Category Attachment to the main Solicitation, which we will discuss next.
In the Engineering SIN’s description, it states “Services under this SIN cannot include architect-engineer services as defined in the Brooks Act and FAR Part 2, or construction services as defined in FAR Parts 2 and 36.” Let’s discuss these excluded services more in-depth.
FAR Part 2 and the Brooks Act explain how the federal government defines A-E services, which include:
The Brooks Act, also referred to the Selection of Architects and Engineers statute, governs how government agencies procure A-E services. Primarily, the selection process for an A-E contractor requires federal buyers to prioritize qualifications and experience during the evaluation stage.
The Brooks Act also notes that contracts for A-E services:
Thus, A-E services are not procured through the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program since contracting opportunities released under GSA MAS are only accessible to those awarded a GSA Schedule contract and are not publicly available for award consideration.
FAR Part 2 defines construction services as: “construction, alteration, or repair (including dredging, excavating, and painting) of buildings, structures, or other real property. For purposes of this definition, the terms ‘buildings, structures, or other real property’ include, but are not limited to, improvements of all types, such as bridges, dams, plants, highways, parkways, streets, subways, tunnels, sewers, mains, power lines, cemeteries, pumping stations, railways, airport facilities, terminals, docks, piers, wharves, ways, lighthouses, buoys, jetties, breakwaters, levees, canals, and channels. Construction does not include the manufacture, production, furnishing, construction, alteration, repair, processing, or assembling of vessels, aircraft, or other kinds of personal property (except that for use in subpart 22.5.”
FAR Part 36 includes a few other construction-related definitions and expands on the methods agencies must follow when establishing a contract for A-E, construction, and design-build services.
The Engineering SIN’s description also includes two instructions for specific services that offerors may propose to have this SIN awarded.
Instruction 1 directs potential Engineering SIN offerors to GSA’s Construction Management and Engineering Consulting Services Related to Real Property Implementation Guide. This guide is helpful in assessing which of your construction and engineering services are allowed under SIN 541330ENG, which include tasks falling under design review, shop drawing/submittal review, inspection and testing, construction inspection, fire and smoke modeling/analysis, loss investigation, technical consulting, commissioning, claims, post-construction, and pre-demolition services.
We recommend submitting examples of these services when preparing your past performance narrative and limiting references to A-E and construction services not procured through GSA MAS.
Instruction 2 is applicable to offerors proposing Space Launch Integration Services (SLIS) and directs you to the SLIS Implementation Guide to determine which supporting services are allowed to be sold through GSA MAS under the Engineering SIN and related SINs.
Several additional SINs fall within the same subcategory as the Engineering SIN. These SINs are listed below:
As with the Engineering SIN, these SINs do not include construction and A-E services as defined in FAR Part 36. Other services that are not allowed under this subcategory include:
The Engineering SIN and other SINs falling under the Technical and Engineering Services (Non-IT) Subcategory are not the only Special Item Numbers within the Professional Services Category that excludes certain engineering and construction services. The Environmental Services Subcategory also does not allow for the procurement of construction and A-E services as previously discussed, which would apply to the following SINs: SIN 541620 Environmental Consulting Services, SIN 562112 Hazardous Waste Disposal Services, SIN 562910REM Environmental Remediation Services, and SIN 562910RMI Environmental Remediation Services - Multiple Industries.
The services allowed and not allowed to be sold through the Engineering SIN can cause a lot of confusion, and understandably so; if you are unsure of whether or not your commercial services would be considered eligible for the Engineering SIN, our expert consultants are available to assist you in reviewing the scope of your offerings and preparing your GSA Schedule contract proposal.