Update: GSA Released Its Latest MAS Modification, Schedule MAS Refresh 16

GSA recently released its latest MAS modification, Schedule MAS Refresh 16. We summarize the changes below. GSA Schedule holders will need to log into the MASS Mods website and accept this bilateral modification. We are standing by if you have any questions.

A: Changes to Overall MAS Solicitation:

1. Incorporate the following updates to SCP-FSS-001 (see GSA Interact notice attachment for revised text):
a. Incorporate Joint Venture (JV) specific offeror instructions to clarify how standard MAS offeror requirements apply to JV entities, for example, but not limited to:

i. Startup Springboard is available for JV entities with less than two years of corporate experience.
ii. Companies can hold individual MAS contracts and be partners on up to three (3) JV MAS contracts.
iii. JV entities that can’t demonstrate past performance can use the past performance of its JV partners.
iv. JV entities that do not have Most Favored Customers (MFC), must complete the Price Proposal Template (PPT) with the MFC information for the partner providing the services/products.
v. Supporting documentation may be sourced from the JV entity or a JV partner.
vi. Commercial Sales Practice (CSP) must disclose JV partner’s commercial sales practices if the JV entity is not providing the proposed services/products.
b. Incorporate a mandatory solicitation attachment for JV offerors that will be published on the MAS Roadmap on GSA.gov

2. Incorporate the following Small Business Administration (SBA) updates:

a. Small Business Size Standards: Manufacturing and Industries with Employee- Based Size Standards in Other Sectors except Wholesale Trade and Retail Trade
i. Effective March 17, 2023, SBA published a new table of size standards that changes the employee business size standard for multiple NAICS in the MAS Program.

3. Incorporate updated Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS) Wage Determinations

a. FAS is incorporating an updated WD index in accordance with current FAS policy:
i. There are no clause changes or policy changes to the application of SCLS at this time.
ii. Offerors and contractors should ensure pricing and WD numbers are updated and included in their SCA matrix.
iii. A complete set of incorporated WDs can be found at the following link: www.gsa.gov/mascategoryrequirements

4. Various changes to Price Proposal Templates:

a. Offer and Modification Products Price Proposal Templates
i. ‘Supporting Invoice or Document Number (Initial submittal)’ and “Page Location’ columns added to align with the Offer and Modification Services and Training Price Proposal Templates.

b. Modification Products & Services and Training Price Proposal Templates
i. Templates now include a Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) tab and Non- TDR tab for Economic Price Adjustments.

c. Offer and Modification Products & Services and Training Price Proposal Templates
i. Instructional language related to joint venture offerors added to the ‘Read Me First’ tab.
ii. Revising column header, ‘Difference in GSA Price (exclusive of IFF) and MFC Price (%)’ to ‘Difference between GSA Discount and MFC Discount (%)’

5. Incorporate clause and provision updates, as necessary, through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2023-02 and GSAR Change 164.

6. Removal of FAR Clause FAR 52.223-99 Ensuring Adequate COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors from the MAS Solicitation.

a. On May 9, 2023, Executive Order (E.O.) 14099 Moving Beyond COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Federal Workers was issued to end the COVID- 19 vaccine requirements for Federal Contractors. Executive Order (E.O.) 14099 rescinds E.O. 14042 Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors, which required agencies to ensure that contracts and contract-like instruments include a clause incorporating COVID-19 vaccination requirements consistent with guidance issued by the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force and to the extent permitted by law. Accordingly the GSA issued Class Deviation 2021-13 that required Federal Supply Schedule (MAS) contractors to accept a modification to incorporate FAR 52.223-99 Ensuring Adequate COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors was canceled effective May 11, 2023. FAR 52.223-99 will be deleted from the MAS Solicitation.

Note: GSA has taken no action to enforce E.O. 14042 in order to ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction.

B: Changes to Specific Large Category, Subcategory or SIN:

1. Office Management (A):
a. Mail Management (A04): SIN 561499M – Mail Management, Systems, Processing Equipment and Related Solutions
i. The description of SIN 561499M will be revised to expand the scope of the SIN to include keywords and enhanced descriptions of existing services (i.e., Intelligent Mail Barcoding, Mail Tracking, Address Management, and Postage Meter) to help customer agencies find these services more easily when performing market research.

2. Facilities (B):
a. Facilities Maintenance and Repair (B01): SIN 561210FAC – Facilities Maintenance and Management
i. Updated SIN instructions to match the terminology of the SIN subgroups used on GSA eLibrary.

b. Facilities Services (B02): SIN 541690E – Energy Services
i. The description of SIN 541690E will be revised to remove the “Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPC)” reference from the SIN description.

3. Furniture (C):
a. Packaged Furniture (C07): Revision to Packaged Office Subcategory
i. Updated the Maximum Order Threshold from $5 million to $250,000 for the below SINs:
– SIN 337121P Packaged Household Dormitory and Quarters Furniture
– SIN 337127P International Packaged Furniture
– SIN 33721P Packaged Office Furniture
– SIN 339113P Packaged Healthcare Furniture
4. Industrial Products (E):
a. Hardware and Tools (E04): SIN 332510C – Hardware Store, Home Improvement Center, Industrial or General Supply Store, or Industrial Maintenance Repair and Operations (MRO) Distributor – Catalog
i. Removed the following sentence from the SIN instructions note: “Contractors submitting an offer under this SIN shall include your complete storefront(s).”

5. Information Technology (F):
a. IT Services (F03): SIN 54151HEAL – Health Information Technology Services
i. Revised Section I Instructions for IT Offerors, specifically 6) Relevant Project Experience section to: “Each completed example of project experience shall have been completed within the last two years. All examples of completed services shall have been found to be acceptable by the ordering activity.”

b. Telecommunications (F07): SIN 517410 – Commercial Satellite Communications Solutions (COMSATCOM)
i. Revised Section I Instructions for IT Offerors, specifically 6) Relevant Project Experience section to: “All completed projects shall have been completed within the last two years prior to submission of the COMSATCOM SIN proposal.”

6. Transportation and Logistics Services (K):
a. Package Delivery (K03): SINs 492110 – Package Delivery and Freight Trucking & 492110SB – Local Courier Delivery Services (SBSA)
i. Added additional elements such as Most Favored Customer (MFC), Service Description, GSA Rate excluding Industrial Funding Fee (IFF) to the required SIN specific price proposal templates under the Transportation and Logistics Services Large Category.
ii. Updated Category Specific Attachment for SIN 492110 – Package Delivery by adding clarification language to inform Offeror’s that certain Freight Transportation services (regular Truckload and Truckload) are to be offered under the GSA’s Freight Management Program. All the core services such as Express Same Day, Express Heavyweight, and Expedited Freight Shipments remain unchanged.

b. Transportation of Things (K05): SINs 485 – Ground Transportation & 532111 – Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing – Rental Supplemental Vehicle Program (RSVP)
i. Added additional elements such as Most Favored Customer (MFC), Service Description, GSA Rate excluding Industrial Funding Fee (IFF) to the required SIN specific price proposal template under the Transportation and Logistics Services Large Category.

7. Travel (L):

a. Lodging (L02): SIN 531110 – Long Term Lodging
i. Added additional elements such as MFC, Service Description, GSA Rate excluding IFF to the required SIN specific price proposal template under the Travel Large Category.

b. Lodging (L02): SIN 531110 – Long Term Lodging
i. Updated Category Specific Attachment for SIN 561599L – Lodging Negotiations and Management Services by adding the definition of ‘Meals’ to page 2 of the Statement of Work (SOW).

c. Travel Agent and Misc. Services (L03): SIN 561510 Travel Agent Services
i. Updated Category Specific Attachment for SIN 561510L – Travel Agent Services by updating definitions for Centrally Billed Account (CBA) and Individually Billed Account (IBA) to GSA SmartPay®.