GSA
General Services Administration
Government AgenciesDefinition
The General Services Administration manages government-wide contracts, purchasing vehicles, and shared services that other federal agencies use to buy goods and services. GSA's Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) program is one of the most widely used contracting vehicles in federal procurement.
A GSA Schedule (now called GSA MAS — Multiple Award Schedule) is a long-term contract between your company and GSA that pre-negotiates pricing for your products or services. Once you're on the schedule, any federal agency can purchase from you using a streamlined ordering process — no separate competitive solicitation required for orders under certain thresholds.
Getting on a GSA Schedule typically takes 4-6 months and requires demonstrating commercial sales history, submitting pricing documentation, and negotiating with a GSA contracting officer. The effort is worthwhile — GSA Schedule sales represent billions in annual federal spending.
GSA also manages government buildings, the federal vehicle fleet, and IT contracting vehicles like Alliant 2 and STARS III (for 8(a) firms).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the General Services Administration do?
GSA manages government-wide contracts, purchasing vehicles, and shared services that other federal agencies use to buy goods and services — from office space and fleet to IT and professional services. Its Multiple Award Schedules program is one of the most widely used contracting vehicles in federal procurement.
What is a GSA Schedule?
The Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) program: long-term, government-wide contracts with pre-negotiated pricing that let agencies buy commercial products and services without running a full open competition for each purchase.
Do you need a GSA Schedule to win federal contracts?
No. Many federal contracts are awarded through open solicitations, set-asides, and other vehicles. A Schedule helps most for commercial products and recurring services where agencies prefer pre-negotiated vehicles — but new contractors regularly win work without one.
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