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GSA Rushes to Embed Revolutionary FAR Changes into Major GWACs by End of January
The General Services Administration (GSA) is preparing for a rapid overhaul of its major governmentwide acquisition contracts (GWACs) and multiple award vehicles, aiming to complete the refresh by the end of January. This ambitious deadline was recently announced by Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Deputy Commissioner Laura Stanton.
The core mission of these updates is to embed recent modifications to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) directly into the contracts agencies use most frequently to purchase technology and services, such as Alliant 2 and Oasis+.
The MAS Template: Refresh 30
GSA has already established the blueprint for these changes with its highly successful Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program refresh. The MAS program, a government-wide procurement vehicle that streamlines purchasing from pre-approved vendors, exceeded an impressive $51.5 billion in sales during fiscal year 2024.
The agency released MAS Refresh 30 in November, a move that Stanton described as “pretty significant.” This refresh specifically takes deviations stemming from the Trump administration’s Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) and integrates them into the MAS. The RFO aims to modernize the FAR, which serves as the essential rulebook federal agencies must follow when purchasing everything from military equipment to software.
The scale of change in Refresh 30 was substantial: GSA updated 53 clauses and provisions, added five new clauses, and eliminated 36 others.
Focus on Commerciality and Simplification
The overarching goal of the RFO and subsequent contract updates is simplification and increased focus on commerciality. This push for modernization and simplification is consistent with recent acquisition policy guidance and executive orders.
In fiscal year 2025 alone, GSA removed over 480 pages from the FAR and eliminated more than 110 clauses that were not tied to statute. The idea is to intensely focus on utilizing commercial products and services.
GWACs and BPAs: What’s Next
Following the MAS precedent, similar updates are coming swiftly to GSA’s other multiple award contracts. These refreshes will incorporate the identical FAR policy changes and deviations now found in the schedule program.
GWACs like Oasis+ and Alliant 2 are on deck. Alliant 2 has already begun the process of adding blanket purchase agreements (BPAs), incorporating some of the initial FAR changes. Stakeholders can expect similar updates across all major contracts. Oasis+, for instance, is set to integrate blanket purchase agreements by the end of January.
Tags: GSA, FAR, GWAC, MAS, Laura Stanton, Acquisition Policy, Alliant 2, Oasis+, Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, Blanket Purchase Agreements, marketus