The General Service Administration’s (GSA) Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) are long-term contracts negotiated by GSA with vendors. State, local and education entities, as well as other eligible buyers, can purchase IT, security, and law enforcement products and services under certain Special Item Numbers (SINs) through GSA MAS contracts.
To use a GSA schedule:
- Confirm your eligibility to use GSA contracts. Note that your entity may already have received an eligibility determination from GSA. You should also confirm that GSA contracts meet your entity’s own requirements. (You can add GSA contracts as an approved “Contract Source” for your entity so anyone from your entity can know they can use them!)
- Confirm that the products or services you’d like to purchase are part of the cooperative purchasing program. Not all categories (“Special Item Numbers” or “SINs” at GSA) are eligible for cooperative purchasing by state, local, and education entities. Once you’ve identified a vendor on a GSA contract, confirm that the items you want to purchase fall within these cooperative eligible categories.
- Purchase directly from the vendor. You should include the MAS contract number on the order. On your order or request for quote, you can include this language: “This order or RFQ is placed under the Cooperative Purchasing program. Include your GSA MAS contract number on your quote.” You can reach out to the awarded vendor on Pavilion to confirm pricing and availability. You can also access GSA’s online ordering system, GSA Advantage, for some awarded vendors.
Contracts that appear in Pavilion’s default search experience have been awarded to vendors that sell some products and services that are available for cooperative purchasing by state, local, and education entities. You can confirm that a contract you’re reviewing is available for cooperative use in GSA’s eLibrary and on GSA Advantage, but you must also confirm that the products and/or services you’re purchasing fall in under cooperative-eligible categories.
Are GSA contracts competitively awarded?
GSA contracts meet competitive requirements as outlined in the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and Competition in Contracting Act (CICA). However, since each entity may have its own additional specific rules, regulations, or procedures in place guiding utilization of specific sources, even if you are eligible by GSA to purchase from their contracts, you should confirm that purchasing from GSA is approved by your organization.
How are GSA MAS contracts awarded?
GSA awards MAS contracts to businesses after they submit their proposal and GSA approves them. GSA evaluates proposals to ensure compliance with regulations and that the firm's proposed pricing is fair and reasonable. As a Multiple Award Schedule, GSA contracts are awarded to multiple vendors that meet eligibility requirements, not a single vendor. Each awarded contract specifies the products and services offered, pricing, terms, and conditions.
How are GSA prices determined?
GSA negotiates prices with vendors that have been awarded. Note that pricing is a “ceiling” price - depending on your expected purchase quantities, you may be able to negotiate additional discounts beyond list pricing.
What happened to Schedule 70 (IT) and Schedule 84 (Law Enforcement, Security, Facilities Management, and Safety Services)?
Previously, GSA organized products and services that were eligible for cooperative purchasing as numbered schedules; only Schedule 70 and Schedule 84 were available for cooperative use by state, local, and education entities. In recent years, GSA has consolidated its Schedules into Multiple Award Schedules (MAS). Now, products and services that are available for cooperative purchasing are listed by Special Item Numbers (SINs) instead of Schedule 70 and Schedule 84.
Can I use GSA contracts for disaster purchasing?
Some GSA MAS contracts are also available for disaster purchasing. Pavilion does not currently pull these contracts from GSA, since they are not available for cooperative purchasing, but you can find them on GSA’s website.
