If you are seeking to be a prime contractor in federal contracting your firm will more than likely need to be on a GWAC such as GSA Schedule MAC contract which can provide you with contract opportunities for at least 20 years.
What are the key differences between a Government Wide Acquisition Contract
(GWAC) contracts and federal government Multi-agency contracts (MACs)?
WHAT IS A GWAC?
A Government wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) is a pre-competed, multiple-award, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract that agencies can use to buy total IT solutions.
ARE GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) SCHEDULES GWAC’S ? YES.
GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) or sometimes referred to as Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contracts are indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts available to all federal agencies worldwide. GSA awards and administers GSA MAS contracts pursuant to section 201 of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended. Under the MAS Program, GSA enters into government wide contracts with commercial firms to provide over 4 million commercial services and products. Agencies place orders directly with GSA MAS contractors. Interagency agreements are not required to use GSA MAS contracts. The Economy Act does not apply to orders placed against GSA MAS contracts.
Government wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs) are task orders or delivery order contracts for information technology established by one agency for government wide use. Each GWAC is operated by an executive agent designated by the Office of Management and Budget pursuant to section 5112(e) of the Clinger-Cohen Act. The Economy Act does not apply to orders under GWACs. An example of another type of GWAC is the NASA SEWP V contracts.
WHAT IS A MAC, Multi-agency Contracts (MACs) are task order or delivery order contracts established by one agency for use by government agencies to obtain a variety of supplies and services. The Economy Act (Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 17.5) applies to orders placed under MACs, with the exception of MACs for information technology that are established pursuant to the Clinger-Cohen Act.
So what does all of this mean to a firm seeking to do business with the federal government? It means before you step into the water your firm must have a clear understanding of the GWAC market. You will need to know what firms are awarded in the area of your expertise. This GWAC market of products/services are closed to you if your firm is not directly listed on a specific GWAC. The products and services are only advertised to those firms that have been approved. Of course, you may become a subcontractor to firms awarded. Therefore, you will not see each individual delivery order, RFP, RFQ’s publicly advertised on the popular federal government SAM website. If you are going to market to the federal government, a basic requirement is for your firm to understand clearly how the federal government purchases what you sell and do I need a GWAC to be a successful federal government contractor?
Fill free to contract us for a free advisory on any GWAC category.