GSA GSA Specialist Schedule Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) under the GSA Schedule program?
- A type of GSA contract reserved for large businesses only
- A streamlined purchasing arrangement between a federal agency and a Schedule contractor to fill repetitive needs (Correct answer)
- A government-wide contract vehicle for IT services only
- A mandatory source agreement for office supplies
Correct answer: A streamlined purchasing arrangement between a federal agency and a Schedule contractor to fill repetitive needs
A BPA is a simplified acquisition method that establishes charges against a Schedule contract to fill repetitive needs for supplies or services, reducing administrative burden.
Question 2: Under FAR 8.405, when must federal agencies consider small businesses when placing orders against GSA Schedule contracts?
- Only for orders above $1 million
- Only when the agency has a specific small business set-aside goal
- Agencies must give preference to small business Schedule contractors whenever possible (Correct answer)
- Small businesses are automatically excluded from Schedule orders above $150,000
Correct answer: Agencies must give preference to small business Schedule contractors whenever possible
FAR 8.405-5 requires ordering activities to give preference to small business concerns when placing Schedule orders and to document why small businesses were not used when larger firms are selected.
Question 3: What is the maximum order threshold (MOT) in the context of GSA Schedule contracts?
- The maximum dollar amount a single task order can reach
- The order value above which a vendor may decline an order without penalty (Correct answer)
- The annual sales threshold that triggers a contract audit
- The spending limit per fiscal year for a single agency
Correct answer: The order value above which a vendor may decline an order without penalty
The Maximum Order Threshold is the dollar level identified in a Schedule contract above which vendors may decline individual orders, though they should still attempt to fulfill them.
Question 4: What is the Industrial Funding Fee (IFF) charged on GSA Schedule contracts?
- A fee charged to agencies for using Schedule contracts, currently 0.75%
- A fee paid by Schedule vendors to GSA as a percentage of reported sales, currently 0.75% (Correct answer)
- A one-time application fee paid by vendors to get on the Schedule
- A fee charged per transaction processed through GSA Advantage!
Correct answer: A fee paid by Schedule vendors to GSA as a percentage of reported sales, currently 0.75%
The IFF is a fee that Schedule contractors pay to GSA, currently 0.75% of all Schedule sales, which helps fund the administration of the Schedule program.
Question 5: Which GSA Schedule Special Item Number (SIN) category covers professional IT services?
- SIN 23 7
- SIN 54151S (Correct answer)
- SIN 874 1
- SIN 71 1
Correct answer: SIN 54151S
SIN 54151S covers IT professional services under the GSA MAS program, including software development, system design, and IT consulting.
Question 6: What action must a GSA Schedule contractor take when it discovers it has charged the government more than its MFC price?
- File a contract modification request with the contracting officer
- Issue a credit to affected agencies and notify the GSA contracting officer immediately (Correct answer)
- Submit an Inspector General report
- Request a waiver from the Office of Management and Budget
Correct answer: Issue a credit to affected agencies and notify the GSA contracting officer immediately
When a Schedule vendor finds it has overcharged the government relative to MFC pricing, it must promptly issue a credit to affected agencies and notify GSA to maintain compliance with the Price Reductions Clause.
GSA GSA Specialist Schedule Management 2
What is a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) under the GSA Schedule program?