General Services Administration’s eTools – Tools for Contract Management
by Victoria Tollossa
News Insights
The General Services Administration’s (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) has several electronic contract management tools, referred to as “eTools”, to help contractors manage their MAS. A list of the GSA eTools can be found here. Below are the eTools that are most commonly used by contractors, as well as some additional eTools not covered on GSA’s website.
Every contractor will have to register their contract for GSA’s eTools once their contract has been awarded prior to uploading their pricelist in the Schedules Input Program (SIP). After contractors register their contract in GSA’s eTools, the system will generate a password for the contractor to use in SIP as well as to access GSA eBuy.
Schedules Input Program (SIP)
SIP is where contractors go to upload their pricelists that are posted on GSA eLibrary and GSA Advantage!® after their contract is awarded or a modification has been approved. For more information on SIP and SIP uploads, please see our blog here.
Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Sales Reporting Portal (SRP)
The FAS SRP is the system where contractors are required to submit sales monthly or quarterly and remit their Industrial Funding Fee (IFF) payments. For more information on how the MAS Consolidation has effected the FAS SRP, click here.
This is the online system where Request for Quotation (RFQ), Request for Information (RFI), and Request for Proposal (RFP) information can be found. eBuy notifies contractors via email when opportunities for their Special Item Numbers (SINs) appear on eBuy. Contractors can only see RFQs/RFIs/RFPs for the SINs they are awarded. Contractors can manage email notifications and eBuy points of contact in their eBuy profile.
In this system contractors and prospective contractors submit new and streamlined offers and modification requests. Contractors will need an active digital certificate to access both systems. Be sure the name and email in your digital certificate match the name and email entered in the eMod system EXACTLY; if they do not match you will not be able to access the system. Authorized Negotiators will need to be assigned signature authority to sign modifications in eMod or new offers in eOffer.
GSA Advantage!® is GSA’s online shopping system that holds all products and services offered by GSA contract holders through the MAS program. Contractors’ pricelists will appear here and in eLibrary after being uploaded and approved in the SIP program. GSA eLibrary will also allow contractors to view their awarded SINs, participation in the optional purchasing programs through the MAS, and their Contracting Officer’s contact information.
Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Schedule Sales Query (SSQ) Plus
The previous system used for the FAS SSQ has been replaced by the FAS SSQ Plus. The SSQ can provide sales data that has been reported monthly or quarterly by contractors in the FAS SRP. The sales data can be searched for and displayed by several different factors such as contract number, SIN, or DUNS number. After reports are pulled in the “Control Panel” tab of the SSQ, the “Report Builder” tab can be used to further refine the search results by Fiscal Year (FY) or Quarter.
FedBizOpps (Now in beta.SAM.gov)
FedBizOpps is no longer active and has been fully integrated into beta.sam.gov under “Contract Opportunities”. This area on beta.sam.gov is the single location for government opportunities over $25,000.
System for Award Management (SAM)
All contractors who wish to do business with the US Government are required to be listed in SAM. SAM contains contractor information such as the company’s business type, business size, address, full business name including any “doing business as” (dbas), and NAICS codes. Companies can be searched for by name or DUNS number in this system. Contractors will need to be sure they have at least one applicable NAICS code for each SIN they are proposing in SAM prior to submitting an offer in eOffer.
This system is where contractors will go to accept all MASS Modifications when they are released by GSA. To accept the MASS Modification contractors will enter their contract number in the search bar and select the open MASS Modification. Contractors will need the PIN sent to them from GSA for the assigned MASS Modification in order to accept the modification.