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GSA MAS Refresh #23 with Maureen Meyer


GSA MAS Refresh #23 to Bring Instruction Changes, New Price Proposal Templates, and More 

By Maureen Meyer on December 20,2024 

Changes are coming to General Services Administration’s (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Solicitation 47QSMD20R0001. With Refresh #23 and an associated mass modification (mass mod) anticipated in December 2024, it’s important for MAS contractors to know what lies ahead. To help your business determine the impact of Refresh #23, we are breaking down each change discussed by the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) in a recent webinar. 

Changes to Overall MAS Solicitation

Implement revisions to SCP-FSS-001 Instructions Applicable to All Offerors. 

  1. Add clarification to Streamline Offer paragraph (d) regarding Joint Ventures (JV). 
  2. Add requirement related to “Rejection of Offer” to paragraph (h). 
  3. Add clarification to Accessories definition that they can be sold alone or with a base item – Section III Price Proposal (ii)(E)(1). 
  4. Add instructions related to offering products with Single-Use Plastic (SUP)-free packaging to Section I Administrative/Contract Data. 
  5. Add clarification that minimum years of experience must be relevant – Section III Price Proposal (x)(A).


    Incorporate updated Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS) Wage Determinations.     

  1. FAS is incorporating an updated Wage Determination (WD) index in accordance with current FAS policy: 
  2. There are no clause changes or policy changes to the application of SCLS at this time. 
  3. Offerors and contractors should ensure pricing and WD numbers are updated and included in their Service Contract Act (SCA) matrix. 
  4. A complete set of incorporated WDs can be found at the following gsa.gov page: SCLS wage determinations applicable to MAS contracts.

 Implement revisions to the Offer and Modification Price Proposal Templates (PPT) 

  1. Offer and Modification Products.
  2. ‘Read Me First’ tab: 
  3. Update Options and Accessories language to be consistent with the Product File and SCP-FSS-001. 
  4. Updated the Unit of Measure/Issue definition. 
  5. Add a ‘Reference’ and ‘Change Log’ tab. 
  6. The Reference tab includes the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Unit of Measure list.


    Offer and Modification Services and Training & Special Item Numbers (SINs) 541930 Translation and Interpretation Services 611630 Linguistic Training and Education.
    1. Add a ‘Change Log’ tab.

    Incorporate clause and provision updates, as necessary, through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2025-01 and General Services Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) Change 192. 

  1. Incorporate single-use plastic free packaging availability for products. 
  2. Update GSAR 552.238-88, GSA Advantage! 
  3. Add GSAR 552.238-118, Single-use Plastic (SUP) Free Packaging Identification and GSAR 552.238-119, Single-use Plastic (SUP) Free Packaging Availability. 
  4. GSA encourages MAS suppliers to reduce plastic waste by offering products with SUP-free packaging to the maximum extent practicable. SUP-free packaging includes both shipping and brand packaging.

     

    Instructions for new offers: 

  1. Offerors proposing products with SUP-free packaging will complete GSAR provision 552.238-118, Single-Use Plastic (SUP) Free Packaging Identification (July 2024) in the eOffer application. 
  2. Any costs or savings associated with SUP-free packaging must be included in the proposed product price.

     

    Instructions for existing MAS contractors: 

  1. Instructions will be included in the solicitation-level Standard Form 30 (SF30) attachment to the MAS solicitation.
  2. GSAR 552.238-118, Single-Use Plastic (SUP) Free Packaging Identification (July 2024) provision will be published with the GSA Interact notice for MAS Refresh 23. 
  3. Note: Contractors that offer products with SUP-free brand packaging may need to coordinate with product manufacturers to add the information to the Verified Products Portal (VPP). 
  4. Awarded products with SUP-free packaging will be highlighted with a SUP- free packaging icon on GSA Advantage!. The SUP-free packaging icons will be applied on GSA Advantage! on December 19, 2024, at the earliest. 

Incorporate clause Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.240-1 Prohibition on Unmanned Aircraft Systems Manufactured or Assembled by American Security Drone Act – Covered Foreign Entities (NOV 2024). 

  1. The clause implements a prohibition on the procurement and operation of unmanned aircraft systems manufactured or assembled by an American Security Drone Act-covered foreign entity. In accordance with the American Security Drone Act, the clause includes differing scope and timelines for implementation of the prohibitions. 
  2. The clause requires Contractors to search SAM.gov to ensure they aren’t proposing or using in the performance of the contract any Federal Acquisition Security Council (FASC) -prohibited unmanned aircraft system (UAS) (.i.e. drones). 
  3. The clause prohibits Contractors from: 
  4. Delivering any FASC-prohibited unmanned aircraft system, which includes unmanned aircraft and associated elements; 
  5. On or after December 22, 2025, operating a FASC-prohibited unmanned aircraft system in the performance of the contract; and 
  6. On or after December 22, 2025, using Federal funds for the procurement or operation of a FASC-prohibited unmanned aircraft system.

Changes to Specific Large Category, Subcategory or SIN

All Large Categories: 

  1. Add additional language to “Drones/Unmanned Aircraft Systems” under “General Information” section. 

**FAR 52.240-1 further prohibits delivering any FASC – prohibited unmanned aircraft system, which includes unmanned aircraft (i.e. drones) and associated elements (i.e., the equipment required for control and operation, such as communication links and the software or systems necessary for their safe and effective functioning).

Office Management (A): 

  1. Office Supplies Subcategory (A09): SINs 339940 – Office Products, 339940OS4 OS4 Office Products and Supplies,339940OVER OS4 Overseas Office Products and Supplies & 339940SVC Office Supply Support Services. 
  2. Revise SIN instructions regarding FOB note to: Freight on Board (FOB) Note: FAR 52.247-32 – F.O.B. ORIGIN, FREIGHT PREPAID is only applicable under this SIN for individual items that are 70lbs or more. For the clause to be applicable, an individual item (based upon unit of issue) must be 70 lbs. or more.

The contract level FOB terms are based upon the preponderance of items offered; however, there are specific FOB terms that may apply at the item level. 

  1. Contractors/offerors must request and identify FOB Origin pricing for a particular line item over 70 lbs. The FOB terms at the line-item level must be approved by the contracting officer at the MAS level.
  2. For products offered at the pallet level (e.g., paper by the pallet), the product must be awarded on their contract as a unit of issue PALLET (PL) at the line-item level for a customer to order by the unit of issue PL. 
  3. Contractor must identify instances where FOB Origin would be applicable in their contract terms and conditions text file. The contractor’s catalog file (uploaded through Schedule Input Program (SIP) /Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) or FAS Catalog Platform (FCP)) must list their FOB terms on an item-by- item basis. 
  4. Orders for multiple items with an aggregate weight exceeding 70lbs would not invoke the FOB Origin clause. It is at the vendor’s discretion to consolidate ordered items for shipping purposes. 
  5. Vendors must have adequate staff to provide open market shipping/freight quotes to customers prior to the completion of an order in GSA Advantage for items that possess FOB Origin terms in the vendor’s GSA Advantage catalog. The invoice must be marked to appropriately identify shipping as open market. 


Facilities (B): 

  1. Facilities Maintenance and Repair Subcategory (B01): SIN 561210FAC – Facilities Maintenance and Management. 
  2. Remove “renewable energy systems” from the SIN description. 
  3. Add SIN instructions: 

Note: Waste management as defined for SIN 561210FAC is the processes involved in managing waste from cradle to grave. 

As defined for SIN 561210FAC, waste management is managed from cradle to grave. This includes the collection, transportation, and disposal of waste by landfill, incineration, recycling, and/or composting. It also includes monitoring waste materials produced as a result of human activity and recommending ways to minimize the generation of waste. 

To include the monitoring of waste materials produced as a result of human activity and recommending ways to minimize the generation of waste. 

Note: Ancillary supplies are included under this SIN; however, supplies awarded under this SIN shall not be the primary purpose of the work but be an integral part of the total solution offered. Supplies provided under this SIN must be ancillary to the services offerings under this SIN and may only be ordered in conjunction with the purchase of services under this SIN. 

 Furniture & Furnishings (C): 

  1. Packaged Furniture Subcategory (C07): SINs 337121P Packaged Household Dormitory and Quarters Furniture, 337127P International Packaged Furniture, 33721P Packaged Office Furniture, 339113P Packaged Healthcare Furniture. 
  2. Add note to SIN description: 

NOTE: Schedule-level Contractor Teaming Agreements (CTAs) apply to all orders under SIN 337121P, 337127P, 33721P and 339113P. The CTA Lead and Member(s) must be small businesses on set-aside orders. For more information on MAS Contractor Teaming Agreements (CTAs), please visit the ‘Team up with other MAS contractors’ gsa.gov page.

Industrial Products (E): 

  1. Hardware & Tools Subcategory (E04): SIN 332510S – Hardware Store, Home Improvement Center, Industrial or General Supply Store, or Industrial Maintenance Repair and Operations (MRO) Distributor – Store Front. 
  2. Remove the following statement from the SIN instructions: “Contractors submitting an offer under this SIN shall include your complete storefront(s).” 
  3. Industrial Products Subcategory (E05): SINs 335220D Domestic Appliances & 335220E Export Appliances. 
  4. Revise SIN instructions regarding FOB note to: 
  5. FOB Note: FAR 52.247-32 – F.O.B. ORIGIN, FREIGHT PREPAID is only applicable under this SIN for individual items that are 70lbs or more. For the clause to be applicable, an individual item (based upon unit of issue) must be 70 lbs. or more. 
  6. The contract level FOB terms are based upon the preponderance of items offered; however, there are specific FOB terms that may apply at the item level. 
  7. Contractors/offerors must request and identify FOB Origin pricing for a particular line item over 70 lbs. The FOB terms at the line-item level must be approved by the contracting officer at the MAS level. 
  8. For products offered at the pallet level (e.g., paper by the pallet), the product must be awarded on their contract as a unit of issue PALLET (PL) at the line-item level for a customer to order by the unit of issue PL. 
  9. Contractor must identify instances where FOB Origin would be applicable in their contract terms and conditions text file. The contractor’s catalog file (uploaded through SIP/EDI or FCP) must list their FOB terms on an item-by- item basis. 
  10. Orders for multiple items with an aggregate weight exceeding 70lbs would not invoke the FOB Origin clause. It is at the vendor’s discretion to consolidate ordered items for shipping purposes. 
  11. Vendors must have adequate staff to provide open market shipping/freight quotes to customers prior to the completion of an order in GSA Advantage for items that possess FOB Origin terms in the vendor’s GSA Advantage catalog. The invoice must be marked to appropriately identify shipping as open market. 


Information Technology (F): 

  1. IT Services Subcategory (F03): Revision to SIN 54151HACS Highly Adaptive Cybersecurity Services (HACS). 
  2. Add the following SIN instructions: 

HACS SIN Labor Categories shall be in alignment with the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies (NICCS) Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NICE Framework). The NICE Framework is a nationally focused resource to help employers develop their cybersecurity workforce. It establishes a common lexicon that describes cybersecurity work and workers regardless of where or for whom the work is performed. The NICE Framework applies across public, private, and academic sectors and includes: 

  1. 7 work role categories: A high-level grouping of common cybersecurity functions. 
  2. 52 work roles: A grouping of work for which someone is responsible or accountable. Note: work roles are not synonymous to job titles or occupations. 
  3. 2,200+ task, knowledge, and skill (TKS) statements: A set of discrete building blocks that describe the work to be done (in the form of tasks) and what is required to perform that work (through knowledge and skills). 
  4. 11 competency areas: Clusters of related knowledge and skill statements that correlate with one’s capability to perform tasks in a particular domain. 

When submitting new offers or modifications to add SIN 54151HACS, offerors shall include in the “keywords” column of the Price Proposal Template (PPT) the NICE Framework work role IDs that align with the labor categories proposed. Work role categories and roles (along with associated work role IDs) can be found on the NICE Framework website. The website also provides a spreadsheet with updated NICE work roles & categories, competency areas, and task, knowledge, and skill (TKS) statements to help the offeror identify the appropriate roles. 

  1. IT Solutions Subcategory (F05): SIN 518210FM Financial Management Quality Service Management Office (FM QSMO) Core Financial Management (FM) Solutions and IT Professional Services.

    FM Solution/Service Definition Template.
    1. Update the Federal Financial Management (FFM) Function-Activity List reference tab to align with Financial Management Capability Framework (FMCF)-1; FFM.050 was previously retired from the FFM Federal Integrated Business Framework (FIBF) business standards.
    2.     Update the Towers-SubTowers reference tab to align with changes published in Technology Business Management (TBM) V4.1.

     

    Technical Narrative Response Template. 

  1. Update descriptions of evaluation indicators TD1.D1, TD2.A1, and TO4.B1 to align with FMCF-8; updates to Cybersecurity (CYB) and Information Technology Services (ITS) FIBF business standards.

    Core Financial Services (FS) Pre-Built Business Information Exchanges (BIE) Response Template. 

  1. Add interface requirements with the Payments, Claims and Enhanced Reconciliation (PACER) existing government centralized solution. 
  2. Update interface requirements for travel solutions to acknowledge forthcoming agency transition from E-Gov Travel Service 2 (ETS2) solutions to the ETSNext solution.

    Core FS Operational Capabilities Demonstrations (OCD) Execution Plan. 

  1. Add a layer of additional instructions and clarifications to business scenarios based on industry feedback and questions to reduce ambiguity. 
  2. Update Bill-to-Collect use case steps in business scenarios S.5 and S.6 to align with changes to the FFM FIBF business standards.

    Transportation and Logistics Services: 

  1. Motor Vehicles (non-Combat) Subcategory: 
  2. SIN 532112 Leasing of Passenger Cars, Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs), Vans and Light Trucks Minor updates to SIN specific template and offer requirements document. 
  3. SINs 336212 Trailers and Attachments & 3361V Vocational Vehicles: Add note to Instructions: Offerors are encouraged to use alternative, sustainable materials to the maximum extent practicable and shall not utilize any materials that are banned by regulation or law in their vehicle or trailer body designs and manufacturing.

    Travel (L): 

  4. Travel Agent and Misc. Services Subcategory (L03): SIN 561510 – Travel Agent Services 
  5. Travel Agent Services Statement of Work (SOW). 
  6. Section 2 Scope: Add reference and hyperlink to the Price Proposal Template (PPT) on the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) site. 
  7. Section 7 Deliverables: Add Monthly Report of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to Table 1 Deliverables with a reference to Table 5 Item 24. 
  8. Section 8 Definitions: Add definition for Nonforeign Outside the Continental United States. 
  9. Section 15 Service Level Agreements: 
  10. Add requirement to submit the Monthly Standardized Scorecard to the Task Ordering Agency and the GSA Travel Management Company (TMC) Program Management Office (PMO); tied to 3.a.ii above. 
  11. Convert 15.3.3 Occupancy Rate from an SLA to a KPI referenced in Table 5 Item 24. 
  12. Update 15.6 Chatbot Response Time to clarify Chatbot vs. Agent – a copy and paste error. 
  13. Convert 15.7 Chatbot Handoff and Fallback from an SLA to a KPI referenced in Table 5 Item 24.

    Section 16 TMC Implementation & Transition In & Out Services:
    1. Restructure the section to clarify what services are required for Transition In and Transition Out by adding subsections and putting content in the appropriate subsection.

    Section 18 ETSNext Requirements:
    1. Add the following language applicable to TMCs supporting the ETSNext program.
    2. The Contractor shall utilize one of the following Global Distribution Systems (GDS) to support ETSNext: Amadeus, Sabre, and/or Travelport Plus.

    Section 18.2 ETSNext Technology Mission Skills Program (MSP) and the Travel & Expense Business Standards: 

  14. Add bullet 8. A Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed (RACI) Chart breaking out the TMCs responsibilities will be available the TMC Service Integration and Relationship Plan Guidance. 
  15. Add Footnote 6: The TMC Service Integration and Relationship Plan Guidance is being updated and may be renamed. The document will be provided prior to a kick off meeting with the ETSNext Technology MSP.

    Section 26 Reports: 

  1. Update Table 5 Item 24 Standard Call Center Metrics (Supporting Customer Service Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)) similar to items referenced above. 
  2. Add Section 26.2 Standard Reports provided to GSA’s TMC PMO moving Chatbot Handoff and Fallback calculation formulas from the SLAs to the KPIs here.

    Section 28 Standard Services to be Priced: 

  1. Add instructions to see the PPT for the Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) for each service. 
  2. Add the following instructions to Outside the Contiguous United States (OCONUS) based TMC Locations table 7 section: Can be a single rate and negotiated at the task order for each country requested by the Task Ordering Agency. 
  3. Price Proposal Template (PPT). 
  4. Add Instruction Tab (Read Me First) to the Travel Agent Services Price Proposal Template (PPT) based upon the Instruction Tab used in the other Price Proposal Templates. 
  5. Add Reserved CLINs, to each Service Section for future use by the TMC PMO. 
  6. Update formulas as appropriate. 

Changes to Modification and mass modification guidance. 

  1. Revisions to Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Modification Guide and Sample cover letters on gsa.gov. 
  2. Update requirement for associated SINs to be identified with number of products being added, deleted, increased/decreased, part number changes and product/service description changes. 
  3. Update the Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) Price List requirement to a reminder:  

Reminder: Contractor’s entire updated Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) Price List showing the entirety of awarded offerings and terms and conditions that will be displayed on GSA Advantage! must be received no later than 30 days after the completion of the modification. 

  1. Update Supporting Documentation requirement to be consistent with the Solicitation. 
  2. Provide supporting pricing documentation which may consist of one or more of the following: 
  3. Commercial Catalog/Price List (CPL) with effective date or Market Rate Sheet. 
  4. Copies of invoices for items affected by the modification that shows the price. 
  5. Quote sheets. 
  6. Previously awarded contracts/orders (government or commercial contracts), showing the prices, items, and item descriptions. 

 

These changes are anticipated for December 2024. Contractors, make sure to be on the lookout for the solicitation drop on SAM.gov.