Also referred to as GSA Schedule and Federal Supply Schedule contracts, these are indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts issued by federal agencies worldwide. GSA awards and administers Multiple Award Schedule, or MAS, contracts pursuant to 40 U.S.C. 501, Services for Executive Agencies. Under the MAS program, GSA enters into government-wide contracts with commercial firms to provide more than $11 million commercial supplies and services. Agencies place orders directly with MAS contractors. Interagency agreements are not required when placing orders against MAS contracts. The Economy Act does not apply when placing orders against MAS contracts.
GWACs (government-wide acquisition contracts)
Task order or delivery order contracts for information technology are established by one agency for government-wide use (see Federal Acquisition Regulation 2.1, Definitions). 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 when placing orders under GWACs. To use GWACs, agencies may either obtain a delegation of authority from the GWAC Program Office or work through a procurement support operation, such as GSA's Office of Assisted Acquisition Services.
IDIQs are contracts for any type of product or service and are available by the establishing agency. MACs are multi-agency contracts, meaning task order or delivery order contracts established by one agency for use by government agencies to obtain a variety of supplies and services (see FAR 2.1, Definitions). The Economy Act (FAR 17.5) is applicable to orders placed under MACs, with the exception of MACs for information technology that are established pursuant to the Clinger-Cohen Act.
BPAs (blanket purchase agreements)
A GSA Schedule BPA is an agreement established by a customer with a GSA Schedule contractor to fill repetitive needs for supplies or services (FAR 8.405-3). It simplifies the filling of recurring needs while leveraging a customer's buying power by taking advantage of quantity discounts, saving administrative time and reducing paperwork.
