By Global Services on Friday, September 20, 2019
MAS Consolidation–the process of combining GSA’s 24 different Federal Supply Schedules into one overarching Schedule—aims to simplify the federal procurement process for both Government and industry. The agency says it is on track to release the final solicitation on October 1, 2019. To assist industry on the changes to come, on Tuesday, September 17, 2019, Multiple Award Schedule Program Management Office (MAS PMO) Director Stephanie Shutt gave contractors a preview of the new, consolidated solicitation requirements.
Provision Changes:
The MAS Consolidation Solicitation includes the new SCP-FSS-001 provision, which streamlines the acquisition process by consolidating basic offeror instructions, eliminating several submission requirements, clarifying existing instructions, and initiating a single, simplified evaluation provision. Under the current system, different types of work fall under different Schedules with different directions. If your firm offers both Information Technology and Professional Services, for instance, you have to submit two different offers with different requirements to different evaluating offices. Under the new system, one solicitation will cover all types of work on Schedule.
Major Changes:
- Streamlining: The new solicitation uses 2 SCP provisions to communicate offeror instructions vs. the current 14.
- Standardizing experience requirements: The new solicitation will have a standard requirement for most service offers of one (1) project experience per SIN vs. the current, variable number of projects required by SIN.
- Expanding past performance options: Offerors will be able to use three methods for submitting past performance information (CPARS, Open Ratings Evaluation, and Past Performance Narratives) vs. the current requirement for Open Ratings only.
Consolidation Structure:
While the consolidation will combine all of the various Schedules into one overarching Schedule, the newly consolidated Schedule will still feature category divisions. The consolidated program is divided into Large Categories, Subcategories, and enhanced Special Item Numbers (SINs) with corresponding NAICS codes. GSA identified the Large Categories based on the most-purchased goods and services from agencies:
- Facilities
- Furniture and Furnishings
- Human Capital
- Industrial Products and Services
- Information Technology
- Miscellaneous
- Professional Services
- Office Management
- Scientific Management and Solutions
- Security and Protection
- Transportation and Logistics
- Travel
Large Categories are further divided into Subcategories. For example, IT Training and IT Software are two Subcategories under the Large Category of Information Technology.
Each Subcategory will be assigned a Special Item Number (SIN) that mirrors a NAICS code or is the culmination of the legacy SIN number and the correlating NAICS code. To see how these changes will affect your firm’s Schedule(s), please visit GSA’s Available Offerings and Requirements page.
Who is Impacted?
Phase I, ending before October 1st, 2019, will have the largest impact on prospective contractors and existing contractors currently pursuing a follow-on contract. The time frame to submit under the legacy solicitation is waning; contractors who do not submit quickly will be forced to wait to propose their offer under the new Consolidated Solicitation. If a contractor decides to submit within the next two weeks, GSA says that their offer will be prioritized by COs to make room for impending mass mod work and new offers under the Consolidated Schedule. The deadline to submit under the legacy solicitation is September 27th at 11:59 PM.
FAQs:
Q: Where can I find information as it is released?
A: Please visit interact.gsa.gov and subscribe to the Multiple Award Schedules group for all the latest news on the Schedules Consolidation.
Q: Should my business wait until the new consolidated solicitation is in effect to submit our offer?
A: If your company is putting the last touches on your offer in the eMod system, GSA recommends you submit ASAP. If your company has just started compiling your GSA Schedule offer, waiting until the new solicitation is in effect would be your best course of action.
Q: What is the deadline to submit offerors under the legacy solicitation?
A: Offerors have until September 27th at 11:59 PM to submit offers under the pre-consolidated solicitation. However, GSA recommends submitting early in case you encounter issues with eOffer.
Q: Where can I find more information about Phase II?
A: Another webinar will take place around November, covering the details of Phase II, who it will impact the most, and how contractors can stay ahead of the curve.
The MAS Consolidation will bring many changes to the schedules and how contractors will approach the submission process. If you need assistance navigating these new provisions, instructions, and requirements, please contact us today!