We recently authored an article outlining the provisions and ramifications of the General Services Administration’s (GSA) final rule governing transactional data reporting, released on June 23, 2016. As the most significant change to the GSA Federal Supply Schedules (FSS) program in the last two decades, the new rule requires each vendor subject to the provisions to electronically submit monthly reports that provide 11 transactional data elements and replaces the current requirements relating to Commercial Sales Practices (CSP) disclosures and the Price Reduction Clause (PRC). While many remain skeptical of the benefits of the new rule, the GSA believes the transactional data clause will reduce the administrative burden on contractors, promote competition and transparency, and benefit small businesses that often lack the necessary resources to devote to business intelligence and development.
Continue Reading Update: GSA Requests Comments on Releasing Data Obtained through the New Transactional Data Reporting Rule
Price Reduction Clause
Major Changes to GSA’s Federal Supply Schedules Program
By Todd Overman on
On June 23, 2016, the General Services Administration (GSA) released a final rule that will result in the most significant change to the GSA Federal Supply Schedules (FSS) program in the last two decades. 81 FR 41103 (New Rule). The New Rule introduces a transactional data reporting element to the FSS program, effectively replacing the current requirements relating to Commercial Sales Practices (CSP) disclosures and the Price Reduction Clause (PRC).
Under current FSS regulations, contractors are required to submit CSP disclosures with their initial offer for a FSS contract, which includes a broad disclosure of discounts the contractor offers to commercial customers for similar products and services. The CSP disclosures are used to identify a “tracking customer,” which consists of a customer or category of customers that will be tracked to identify pricing discounts to GSA customers. The PRC requires the contractor to monitor its ongoing commercial sales to ensure that the government receives the same price reductions given to the “tracking customer.” Through the New Rule, GSA is replacing the CSP disclosures and PRC requirements with a different method of award monitoring: transactional data reporting.Continue Reading Major Changes to GSA’s Federal Supply Schedules Program