MANAGING A GSA CONTRACT

GSA Contract Management for New MAS Vendors: An Administrator’s Guide

New GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) vendors should treat the contract as an operating system for a federal sales channel. That means assigning an owner, reading the contract, setting up monthly reporting and fee payment, keeping information current, and building a plan for sales. This guide is aimed at the person who has just been handed the contract binder.

Who should own the contract?

Name a contract administrator and a backup. In small companies, this is often the owner or an operations lead. The administrator should be able to:

• Explain the reporting, fee, and price reduction clauses in plain language
• Process orders, quotes, and invoices consistent with the contract
• Handle modifications in eMod
• Coordinate with sales, finance, and suppliers

Document who does what. The most common compliance problems in new contracts happen when everyone assumes someone else is watching the calendar.

What should you read first?

• Your awarded SINs and pricing: confirm that they match what you expect, and report errors to your contracting officer
• Clauses on sales reporting, price reductions, the Trade Agreements Act, and examination of records
• Terms for orders, delivery, and payment
• Option periods and key contract dates
• Any modification instructions, including the TDR participation modification

What should you set up in the first weeks?

Monthly reporting and quarterly payment

Set up Transactional Data Reporting through the FAS Sales Reporting Portal. Reports are due within 30 days after month end, including zero-sales confirmations. Plan for IFF remittance of 0.75 percent of reported sales through Pay.gov at least quarterly. See TDR and the Industrial Funding Fee.

Catalog and offerings

Publish your offerings through the FAS Catalog Platform where it applies, within the timeframe your contract states. Confirm listings in GSA Advantage, eLibrary, and eBuy.

Registrations

Keep SAM.gov active. Confirm FAS ID access for the people who need it, with multi-factor authentication.

Modifications

Learn eMod before you need it. GSA issues mass modifications, and you will also request your own.

What about people and process?

• Train sales staff on what they can and cannot promise buyers
• Teach them the difference between a contract sale and a sale outside the contract
• Keep contract records in one place. Records must be available for examination for three years after final payment
• Review supplier origin data for TAA
• Schedule a quarterly review of contract health

How do you plan for sales?

Create a target agency list, watch eBuy and SAM.gov, and follow up. Aim for sales above the minimum sales criteria, which are generally $100,000 in the first five years and $125,000 in each later five-year period. See How to Succeed with a GSA MAS Contract.

Where can you learn more?

GSA’s Vendor Support Center offers training and guides. See GSA Vendor Support Center. If you would like help setting up your processes, TurboGSA can assist. Start with the TurboGSA FAQ.