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Restoring Common Sense: How GSA’s New Acquisition Strategy is Saving Billions

In a move to make the government work better and cost less, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is fundamentally transforming federal procurement. Led by Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum, the agency is prioritizing a “common-sense” approach to buying, acting as an uncompromising fiduciary of taxpayer dollars. This shift isn’t just about policy; it’s about delivering real, measurable value to the American people.

Massive Savings Through Smarter Buying

Since early 2025, the GSA has driven more than $60 billion in contract savings across the federal government. By identifying and cutting excess, the GSA also took internal action to eliminate over $500 million in waste by canceling underperforming or unnecessary contracts. This leaner approach ensures that every dollar spent is scrutinized for maximum impact.

The OneGov Strategy: Leveraging Bulk Power

One of the most significant shifts is the OneGov Strategy, launched in April 2025. With federal IT expenditures topping $82 billion annually, the government has historically missed out on the benefits of its own scale. By negotiating as a single, unified entity, GSA has secured 17 agreements with major technology providers—including Microsoft, Amazon (AWS), Google, OpenAI, and Adobe.

These agreements have secured standardized terms and pre-negotiated pricing, delivering discounts of up to 90% on widely used commercial software and cloud services. This move eliminates the complexity of individual agency negotiations and ensures the taxpayer always gets the best possible deal.

Centralization and Efficiency

To combat the inefficiency of fragmented spending, the GSA established the Office of Centralized Acquisition Services. This office focuses on consolidating the $490 billion spent annually on common goods and services. By reducing duplication, agencies can stop worrying about procurement logistics and focus entirely on their core missions.

Part of this “rightsizing” includes the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program. In 2025, GSA eliminated approximately 1,600 unnecessary or low-demand contracts that failed to meet sales thresholds, resulting in an annual cost saving of over $24 million.

Modernizing Fleet and Travel

The drive for efficiency extends to how federal employees move. In 2025, GSA successfully consolidated 1,123 vehicles into its centralized leased fleet, working toward a goal of 100% conversion for several agencies.

Travel is also seeing a digital overhaul with the upcoming launch of GO.gov, a single travel management solution for civilian agencies. Furthermore, a new rideshare partnership with Uber has already allowed agencies to report savings of over 50% compared to traditional ground transportation, and up to 80% savings when replacing expensive shuttle contracts.

Transparency and the Path Forward

Transparency is being bolstered through the expansion of Transactional Data Reporting (TDR). By tracking exactly what the government buys and the prices paid, the GSA can further enhance its data capabilities to drive down costs. As the GSA looks toward 2026, the focus remains on merging innovation with accountability, supporting small businesses, and securing the federal supply chain with robust cybersecurity.

The current era of government acquisition is defined by a simple principle: if it doesn’t make sense for the taxpayer, it doesn’t happen.

Analogy: Think of these changes like a large family that used to let every person buy their own groceries at different corner stores; by switching to a single wholesale club membership and buying in bulk, they are finally seeing the massive savings that come from their collective size.

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