MAS Consolidation Phase III: What to Keep in Mind

By Global Services on August 28, 2020

 

Since late 2019, GSA has been working through their MAS Consolidation initiative. In October, Phase I brought a new, Consolidated Solicitation, and in January, Phase II brought Mass Mods to keep contracts compliant under the new solicitation. This month begins Phase III, where contractors who hold multiple Schedule contracts will work with GSA to consolidate them into one. GSA’s recent webinar, “MAS Consolidation Update: Phase III,” revealed important information for contractors beginning this process. In this post, we will walk through the key takeaways.

 

Who Will be Impacted by MAS Consolidation Phase III?

GSA’s goal for this phase is to consolidate multiple contracts into one contract per DUNS number. Therefore, Phase III only applies to contractors with multiple MAS contracts.

With this consolidation, industry and agency customers will benefit from:

  • Fewer contracts to manage.
  • A streamlined business strategy with reduced overhead.
  • A Single Point-of-Contact (SPOC) for all MAS business.
  • Organization of SINs by large categories and subcategories.
  • Continuity of operations for existing orders and Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs).

 

What is Expected from Contractors during Phase III?

GSA has outlined the following actions that require immediate attention:

  • Contractors are expected to continue supporting customers through Q4.
  • All Contractors with multiple contracts are advised to review the Phase III Overview and FAQs sheet emailed on August 4, 2020.
    • If you did not receive an email from GSA and have two Schedule contracts, where one is a small business set-aside, you are not required to act in Phase III.
    • If you have multiple contracts and did not receive an email from GSA, please reach out for support at MASPMO@gsa.gov.
  • Contractors are expected to determine an immediate need (expiring contract, opportunity, etc.) and communicate with their respective Procurement Contracting Officers (PCOs) to begin Phase III.
    • Contractors can find their designated PCO’s email and phone number on eLibrary– Contract Information – Government Point of Contact.
  • Contractors are expected to continue management of their multiple contracts prior to cancellation.

 

What is the Phase III Consolidation Process?

  • Contractors must complete the Contractor Checklist and Plan by end of FY2021.
    • Once you have completed the Phase III checklist and have written a consolidation plan, email a copy of your checklist to your assigned PCO so they can support your consolidation efforts.
  • The contractor will work with their designated PCO to determine a Phase III strategy:
    • If you choose a surviving contract and cancel the others, you must add any SINs and items from your canceled schedules that you wish to keep to your surviving contract by requesting modifications. GSA advises contractors to not indiscriminately add every SIN/LC/course/product/solution to your offer, but rather, to determine the offerings that are most necessary or needed and add only those.
      • During this time, all contractors are advised to work closely with the PCO to complete the necessary modifications.
      • After eMod approval, contractors must update their GSA Advantage! Catalog and Price List.
    • If you wish to submit a new offer instead, please reference GSA’s MAS Roadmap to walk you through the process of submitting items you have on current contracts (SINs, products, services, and solutions). If you choose this option, remember that all your existing Schedule contracts will be canceled, to be replaced by the new one once it is awarded.
  • Contractors must determine earliest cancellation dates for non-surviving contracts.
    • NOTE: If your contracts have open orders/BPAs placed against them, they will not be cancelled until your work is completed.
    • Once you have determined your earliest cancellation date, GSA advises contractors not to pursue work that would further suspend the cancellation date.
    • Any outstanding audits must be completed prior to canceling a contract.

 

What is the Timeline for MAS Consolidation Phase III?

GSA MAS PMO officials estimated that full execution of Phase III will take 5-10 years, due to outstanding BPAs on Schedule contracts.

 

If your team needs assistance with Phase III compliance or MAS modifications to add/delete offerings, please reach out to our team of MAS experts today!