After Your GSA MAS Contract Award: Important Next Steps

Receiving your GSA MAS contract award is a significant milestone. You put real time and effort into earning a General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract. But the award is not the end of the process. It marks the start of your responsibility to manage, maintain, and use your contract.

GSA MAS contracts come with ongoing administrative, reporting, compliance, and marketing duties. If you miss these requirements, you can create avoidable problems. In some cases, you may even put your contract at risk. GSA offers guidance and resources to help contractors meet these obligations. Still, it is up to you to understand and follow the terms of your contract.

So, what should you do once GSA awards your contract? These ten steps will help you build a strong foundation for managing your GSA MAS contract.

10 Steps to Take After GSA MAS Contract Award 

• Review your final awarded contract carefully and confirm exactly what you have been awarded. Start by reviewing the complete award package, including your approved Special Item Numbers (SINs), labor categories, pricing, terms and conditions, and other contract-specific requirements. Make sure your internal team understands what is and is not included in the contract.  

• Register with the Vendor Support Center and establish access to GSA’s contract management systems. The GSA Vendor Support Center (VSC) provides important resources for new and existing MAS contractors. After award, make sure your company and appropriate personnel are registered and that you have access to the systems needed to manage your contract. Review the VSC’s Contractor Start-up Kit and other post-award guidance to familiarize yourself with your responsibilities. 

• Get your awarded contract information published accurately on GSA’s online platforms. Your awarded electronic contract data must be published through GSA’s catalog systems so federal buyers can find your company, offerings, and pricing. This includes your electronic catalog and required Terms and Conditions information, which are made available through GSA Advantage!, eBuy, and eLibrary. New contractors should pay particular attention to the 30-day requirement following award and respond promptly when they receive notification that their contract is ready for catalog processing. 

• Set up your sales reporting process before your first reporting deadline. Determine whether your contract is subject to Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) and register for access to the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Sales Reporting Portal. Establish an internal process for tracking Schedule sales by SIN and reporting the required information on time. Contractors should also understand their Industrial Funding Fee (IFF) obligations and ensure that someone within the organization is responsible for completing sales reporting, including reporting zero sales when required. 

• Understand your order acceptance obligations and make sure your staff knows how to respond. MAS contractors need to understand the requirements that apply when government buyers place orders. For orders within the applicable minimum and maximum order limits from executive branch agencies, contractors must follow the acceptance requirements established by the contract, including specified response timeframes. Orders involving governmentwide commercial purchase cards also have specific notification requirements, so your contracts and sales personnel should know how to handle these situations. 

• Create an internal process for handling contract modifications. Your contract will change over time as your business changes and GSA requirements evolve. Establish a process for identifying when a modification is necessary and assigning responsibility for preparing and submitting it through eMod. Modifications may be needed for changes such as pricing, labor categories, company information, or other contract details, and your awarded contract terms can only be changed through an authorized modification. 

• Monitor GSA solicitation refreshes and respond to mass modifications on time. GSA periodically updates MAS solicitations through refreshes and may issue mass modifications requiring contractors to accept updated terms. Monitor your GSA communications and the Mass Modification System for new requirements and applicable deadlines. When a mass modification requires action, make sure an authorized negotiator completes the process within the required timeframe. 

• Assign clear internal responsibility for ongoing contract compliance. Post-award compliance should not be treated as the responsibility of one person who checks the contract only when a deadline approaches. Establish clear ownership for sales reporting, modifications, mass modifications, catalog updates, and other applicable obligations. Your GSA industrial operations analyst can provide guidance during the contract term, but the contractor remains responsible for complying with its contract requirements. 

• Track your contract sales and work toward the applicable minimum sales requirement. A GSA Schedule contract does not guarantee that orders will come to you. Contractors are responsible for actively marketing their Schedule offerings and pursuing opportunities through tools such as SAM.gov and eBuy. The guidance provided by GSA identifies a $100,000 sales requirement during the first five years and $125,000 during each subsequent five-year period, making a deliberate business development strategy an important part of post-award contract management. 

• Build a long-term schedule management calendar and monitor changes throughout the life of the contract. Post-award responsibilities extend well beyond the first few months of a contract. Track recurring reporting deadlines, catalog updates, contract modifications, changes to company information, option periods, and other requirements that may apply to your contract. Maintaining a centralized calendar and periodically reviewing your contract against current GSA requirements can help prevent important deadlines from being overlooked. 

Key GSA Resources for MAS Contractors 

Once your MAS contract is active, several GSA systems will become part of regular maintenance for your contract: 

• Vendor Support Center (VSC): Vendor Support Center provides post-award guidance, contractor resources, and information to help Schedule contractors understand their responsibilities. 

• eOffer/eMod: eOffer/eMod is used to submit contract modifications and manage changes to your master contract. 

• FAS Catalog Platform (FCP): FAS Catalog Platform is used to manage your contract catalog and required contract files and connects with eMod for applicable catalog updates. 

• eBuy: eBuy is the GSA platform where contractors can find and respond to Requests for Information (RFIs), Requests for Quotes (RFQs), and other opportunities associated with their SINs. 

• FAS Sales Reporting Portal: Sales Reporting Portal is used to report Schedule sales and pay the applicable Industrial Funding Fee. 

Make Post-Award Management a Priority  

Obtaining a GSA MAS contract can open the door to federal contracting opportunities, but maintaining the contract requires continued attention. Contractors that establish clear internal processes, monitor their obligations, keep their contract information current, meet reporting deadlines, and actively pursue Schedule opportunities are better positioned to make effective use of their award. 

If you have questions about what comes next after your GSA MAS contract award, reach out to Global Services for assistance with maintaining your contract and staying compliant.