Contractors supplying goods or services to the government through Federal Supply Schedules should expect increased scrutiny of their pricing in the coming months. In a July 2015 report [pdf], GAO released the results of a year-long performance audit analyzing government competition and pricing practices for FSS orders. The report highlights inconsistencies across FSS procurements, including purchasers’ frequent failure to ask FSS contractors for discounts to list prices (required by FAR 8.405-4 for orders exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold).

The main issues identified in the GAO report are nothing new. GSA is already taking steps to address the inconsistent usage of the FSS system among buyers. In March 2015, GSA proposed a rule that would impose a new transactional data reporting requirement upon FSS vendors. (For an explanation of current Price Reduction Clause requirements, take a look at our discussion here.) The proposed rule is aimed at increasing transparency in pricing across government procurements, with the end goal of an overall reduction in prices paid for FSS supplies and services. While the rule is still pending, a number of the nearly three dozen comments submitted during the comment period reveal considerable opposition to the proposed changes. Regardless of whether the proposed rule is enacted, contractors can prepare to effectively contract through supply schedules in a few simple ways.
Continue Reading Increased government attention to Federal Supply Schedule pricing may soon have contractors sharpening their pencils