The General Services Administration (GSA) is the US federal government’s central procurement agency. It centralises the procurement of goods and services and makes these available to other federal agencies via standardised framework agreements – known as GSA Schedules (now: Multiple Award Schedules, MAS). This facilitates procurement worth billions of dollars annually.
For companies, the GSA Schedule is one of the most important gateways to the US government market. Instead of going through each tender individually, listed suppliers can offer their products and services directly to government agencies via a pre-negotiated contract. Prices, terms and conditions, and compliance requirements are checked and set in advance.
A key aspect is the high level of regulatory compliance: products and services on a GSA Schedule contract must be consistently TAA-compliant, as the underlying contract value is generally above the relevant thresholds. This means that both the origin and the supply chain of the products offered must meet the requirements of the Trade Agreements Act – regardless of how small an individual order may be.
Inclusion in a GSA schedule is a complex process. Companies must provide extensive documentation regarding pricing, product catalogues, origin and compliance. Regular reviews and adjustments during the contract term are also common, particularly when products, supply chains or regulatory requirements change.
