Intermediate Track • Topic 26

GSA Delivery Orders under the SAT

Ordering from GSA schedules for purchases under the Simplified Acquisition Threshold. Understand when you need competition, how to conduct it, and what documentation you must keep.

Training

Ordering Against GSA Schedules

GSA Federal Supply Schedules are pre-competed contracts. But that doesn't mean you can skip the ordering process. This page covers the codified FAR Subpart 8.4 baseline and the streamlined GSAM 538.71 procedures used under the RFO/agency-deviation framework.

Which framework applies. This page discusses both the codified FAR Subpart 8.4 framework and the RFO/agency-deviation framework. Use the procedures and citations adopted by your ordering agency. Do not assume the model deviation applies unless your agency has implemented it.

1 What Is a GSA Schedule Order?

GSA Federal Supply Schedules (also called Multiple Award Schedules or MAS) are pre-competed, pre-priced contracts between GSA and commercial vendors. When you order from a GSA schedule, you are not conducting a new procurement — you are placing an order against an existing contract.

The schedule contract already established that the prices are fair and reasonable at the contract level. Under the codified baseline, FAR Subpart 8.4 contains the ordering procedures. Under the RFO model or an agency-adopted deviation, the framework directs users to GSAM 538.71. The current Simplified Acquisition Threshold is $350,000.

The critical thing to understand: GSA schedules are a contract vehicle, not a procurement method. Ordering from a GSA schedule still requires you to follow the framework actually adopted by your ordering agency.

RFO model change: The codified FAR still contains detailed ordering procedures at FAR 8.405-1 and 8.405-2. When an agency adopts the RFO Part 8 deviation, the streamlined framework directs users to GSA's ordering procedures at GSAM 538.71. The practical steps are similar, but use the citations in the framework that applies to your agency.

2 When Can You Use a GSA Schedule?

A few conditions must be met before you can place a GSA schedule order:

The requirement must be a commercial product or service. If it's available on a GSA schedule, it's commercial. If it's not commercial, it won't be on a schedule.

You must confirm the vendor has a current, active schedule contract. Check GSA Advantage or GSA eLibrary. Schedules expire. Always verify the contract is still in force before you place the order.

What you're ordering must be on the contractor's schedule. If it's listed on their schedule contract, you're good. You can verify this on GSA Advantage or eLibrary.

Ordering from GSA schedules satisfies the competition requirement. You do not need a separate J&A or competitive action on the open market. The pre-competition at the schedule level is your competition.

Important: GSA schedules are not mandatory. They are one tool among many. If you can get a better deal through open market procedures, you can do that instead.

3 Orders at or Below the Micro-Purchase Threshold ($15,000)

Per GSAM 538.7103-1, for orders at or below the micro-purchase threshold (MPT), you can place the order directly with any schedule contractor that can meet the need. No additional competition is required beyond the competition already inherent in the schedule program.

You still need to verify that the contractor has an active schedule and the item or service is on their schedule. You should also try to distribute orders among FSS contractors when possible. Document the file: what you bought, who you bought it from, the schedule contract number, and the price.

This is the fastest path: Find it on GSA Advantage, confirm the schedule is active, place the order, and document it. Done.

4 Orders Above the MPT but at or Below the SAT — Above $15,000 Through $350,000

This is the core of GSA ordering. Per GSAM 538.7103-2, for orders in this range, you must seek competition among schedule holders. How you do it depends on whether the requirement is clearly defined.

If the product or service is clearly defined and available at a fixed price (538.7103-2(a)), you have four options — use any one:

  1. Survey at least three FSS contractors on GSA Advantage — look up the pricing, screenshot it, and document your selection. This is the simplest path for clearly defined, fixed-price items.
  2. Review FSS contract catalogs of at least three contractors
  3. Publish an RFQ on GSA eBuy
  4. Issue an RFQ directly to at least three FSS contractors

If the product or service is NOT clearly defined — it involves a statement of work/objectives, order-level materials, or is not available at a fixed price (538.7103-2(b)) — you must either:

  1. Publish an RFQ on GSA eBuy, or
  2. Issue an RFQ to at least three FSS contractors

In either case, evaluate the quotes, award to the contractor offering best value, and notify unsuccessful quoters.

Quotations are not offers. Per GSAM 538.7102-2(a), FSS quotation procedures are not considered negotiations or source selections. You do not need evaluation plans, scoring sheets, or competitive ranges. Keep it simple.
Do not skip the competition step. Even though GSA schedules are pre-competed, GSAM 538.7103-2 requires you to consider at least three FSS contractors for orders above the MPT. That doesn't necessarily mean sending out RFQs — if the requirement is clearly defined and priced, you can survey three contractors on GSA Advantage, screenshot the pricing, and document your selection. Of course, you can always request discounts from the contractor you select. But you do need to show you looked at more than one option.

5 Documentation Requirements

GSA schedule orders under the SAT don't require heavy documentation. Your contract file just needs:

  • Funding — PR&C, MIPR, or other funding authorization
  • Requirement description — what you're buying (SOW, specs, or a clear written description)
  • Market research — evidence the item is on the contractor's schedule and the schedule is active
  • Quotes / pricing — quotes received or screenshots from your GSA Advantage survey
  • Abstract / award documentation — your best value rationale
  • Delivery order / PO — the actual order referencing the schedule contract number

Check out the File Checklist tab to track these as you build your file.

Keep it simple. For an under-SAT GSA order, a one-page email RFQ with a clear description of what you need is perfectly fine. You're not running a source selection — you're placing an order.

6 Common Mistakes

  • Ordering something that's not on the contractor's schedule. Verify it's actually available on their schedule contract before placing the order.
  • Not verifying the schedule contract is still active. Schedules expire. Always check GSA Advantage or eLibrary.
  • Skipping competition for orders above the MPT. "It's GSA, I don't need to compete" is wrong. GSAM 538.7103-2 still requires you to survey or solicit at least three FSS contractors.
  • Doing too much paperwork. An under-SAT GSA order is not a source selection. Don't create work that the GSAM doesn't require.
  • Treating quotations like offers. FSS quotations are not offers. You don't need evaluation plans, scoring sheets, or competitive ranges. Keep it simple.
  • Overcomplicating a clearly defined requirement. If you can find it on GSA Advantage at a fixed price, you just need to survey three contractors — not publish an RFQ. Use the simplest method that fits your situation.
Walkthrough Scenario

Your shop needs 50 ergonomic office chairs for a building renovation. The estimated cost is $35,000.

This is above the micro-purchase threshold ($15,000) but below the SAT ($350,000). The chairs are a clearly defined, fixed-price item — so you can use the simplest competition method:

  1. Go to GSA Advantage and search for ergonomic office chairs that meet your specs. Find at least three schedule contractors with pricing.
  2. Screenshot the pricing from each contractor. Compare on price, delivery timeline, and whether they meet your requirements.
  3. Select the contractor offering the best value. You can contact them to request a discount — it's a permitted practice.
  4. Place the delivery order referencing their schedule contract number.
  5. Document your file: funding, requirement description, your GSA Advantage screenshots, your selection rationale, and the order.

Submitting an RFQ on GSA eBuy

Under the SAT, you have flexibility on how to compete a Schedule order, but the default is real competition among schedule holders. If you compete properly and only one contractor chooses to quote, the file can support a one-quote award, but the file must show who you solicited, how long they had to respond, why only one came back, and how you established price reasonableness. One quote received after competition is not the same thing as one quote requested. If you intend from the start to go to a single source, that is a limited-sources path and requires a justification under GSAM 538.7104-3 (see the FAR Part 8 limiting-sources training). eBuy is still the cleanest tool to solicit two or more sources, especially when you want a clean record of who saw the requirement and who chose not to quote. This walkthrough covers the screen-by-screen flow using a small-business set-aside for office furniture as the example.

A note on citations. The GSAM cites in this walkthrough describe the RFO/agency-deviation framework. Under the codified baseline, use FAR Subpart 8.4. Cross-check the framework adopted by your agency and the current text on acquisition.gov before relying on a cite in a written justification or solicitation.

1Before you log in

Three decisions to make on paper first:

  • Schedule and SIN. Which Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Special Item Number does the work fall under? For our walkthrough example, MAS » Furniture & Furnishings » Office Furniture » SIN 33721 Office Furniture » subgroup Miscellaneous Office Furniture and Accessories. If you cannot pick a SIN, your market research is not done.
  • Set-aside or open competition. Under the codified baseline, FAR 8.405-5 addresses set-asides. Under an RFO/agency deviation, use the set-aside authority and citation in that framework. eBuy will let you filter the contractor pool by Small Business, 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, EDWOSB, SDVOSB, VOSB. Decide before you start the request.
  • Attachments you will need. Salient characteristics or specifications. Pricing schedule (CLINs). And the offer-submission instructions / evaluation criteria document. Most COs use a single attachment that covers the latter two as the FAR Part 8 analogue to FAR 52.212-1 and 52.212-2. We provide a template at the bottom of this tab.

2Pick the request type

Log in to ebuy.gsa.gov. Click Create Request. eBuy asks what type of request you want to create:

  • RFQ (Request for Quotation). Use this when you intend to award an order from the quotes received. This is the path for our walkthrough.
  • RFI (Request for Information). Use this for market research before issuing an RFQ. RFIs do not result in award.
  • RFP (Request for Proposal). Used when the order is large or complex enough that proposals (not quotes) are appropriate. Less common on schedule buys; FAR 15 procedures still do not apply, but the eBuy workflow accommodates a longer evaluation cycle.

Pick RFQ. Click Continue.

3Drill into the schedule

eBuy presents 12 large categories that mirror the MAS structure. Each one drills down into subcategories, then into MAS, then into specific SINs.

  1. Pick the large category. For our example: Furniture & Furnishings.
  2. Pick the subcategory: Office Furniture.
  3. Pick MAS (Multiple Award Schedule).
  4. Pick the SIN: 33721 Office Furniture. eBuy shows you a one-line description of what the SIN covers; if you are not sure your requirement fits the SIN, this is the moment to back up to market research.

At this point eBuy knows the universe of contractors on the SIN. It will now ask you to filter that universe.

4Filter the contractor pool

Two filters on the Select Contractors screen. Both shape who actually sees your RFQ.

Socio-Economic Designation. Each entry shows how many contractors on the SIN hold that designation. Under the codified baseline, FAR 8.405-5 addresses this set-aside; under an RFO/agency deviation, use the authority in that framework. For our example we pick Small Business, which on this SIN shows 185 holders. Two-or-more rule is satisfied; the set-aside is appropriate.

Subgroups. Many SINs are sliced into subgroups that further specialize the contractor pool. SIN 33721 has six: Casegoods, Desks and Systems Furniture, Filing and Storage, Miscellaneous Office Furniture and Accessories, Seating, Tables and Collaborative Furniture. Pick the subgroup that matches what you are buying. For our walkthrough, Miscellaneous Office Furniture and Accessories.

Tip. Counts shrink as you stack filters. If your filtered pool drops below two contractors, you have a sole-source decision in front of you, not a competition. Either widen the filter (different SIN, broader subgroup) or write the limited-sources justification under GSAM 538.7104-3 (see the FAR Part 8 limiting-sources training).

5Complementary SINs (the question that confuses most COs)

Before eBuy lets you write the RFQ body, it asks: "Would you like to allow contractors to offer supplies and/or services under one or more of the following Complementary SINs?" with options for Ancillary and OLM. Both are real, and both are useful. Quick translation:

Ancillary SIN. Lets a contractor include incidental services or supplies that complement the primary work but are not on the main SIN. For our furniture buy: installation, removal of existing furniture, in-place furniture protection, delivery beyond standard inside-delivery terms. Without the Ancillary SIN added to the RFQ, a contractor whose primary award is Office Furniture but who also wants to bid the installation labor cannot include it cleanly. The Ancillary SIN is what tells the contractor "yes, you may quote installation as part of this order."
OLM SIN (Order-Level Materials). Authorized under FAR 8.403(b). Lets a contractor include items that are not awarded on their MAS contract but are needed for the specific order. Capped at $250,000 per task or delivery order under the OLM rule. For our furniture buy, OLM might cover specialized hardware, custom finishes, or transit-protection materials that are not pre-priced on the contractor's MAS. The CO documents price reasonableness on OLM at order award; the underlying schedule pricing analysis does not cover OLM items.

Both are off by default. eBuy adding them does not expand or shrink your pool of contractors who see the RFQ. It just puts the contractor on notice that they may include those categories of items in their quote. For our walkthrough, we pick YES on Ancillary (we want installation quoted) and NO on OLM (the requirement is straightforward enough that we do not anticipate off-schedule materials).

Trap. If you forget to enable Ancillary and your requirement actually needs installation services, contractors will either (a) leave installation out and the customer will have a half-finished delivery, or (b) include installation anyway with a footnote that may not be enforceable. Add Ancillary at the eBuy stage when you know installation is in scope.

6Request Info: the meat of the RFQ

eBuy presents a structured form. Fill it in the order it asks:

  • Request Title. Plain language. e.g., "Squadron Conference and Break Room Furniture Refresh."
  • Reference # / uPIID. Optional internal reference; helps your office track the action.
  • Follow-on Requirement. Check this box if the order follows a previous task order. eBuy will ask for the prior PIID. Useful for FPDS tracking and CPARS lineage.
  • Previous RFI Information. Check this box if you posted an RFI on this requirement before issuing the RFQ. Attach the RFI if relevant.
  • Description. Detailed description of what you are buying and any evaluation criteria. eBuy will append a boilerplate "this is a set-aside" sentence automatically when a set-aside filter is selected. Your description should reference the attached salient characteristics and the attached instructions / evaluation criteria document.
  • Contract Type. Select firm-fixed-price for a furniture buy. Other types include time-and-materials, labor-hour, or hybrid. Most schedule buys are FFP.
  • Commercial / Non-Commercial. For MAS or VA Schedule buys, Commercial is mandatory. For MAC and GWAC orders, cost-type contracts are Non-Commercial.
  • Close Date and Time. Eastern time. Default is 5 calendar days; minimum is 2. Once the RFQ is submitted you cannot pull the close date earlier. Avoid weekends and federal holidays.
  • Award Method. LPTA or best-value tradeoff. Match this to what your evaluation criteria document says. (Mismatched eBuy field and attached criteria invites protest grounds.)
  • Ordering Contracting Officer / Specialist. Name, title, agency, phone, AAC code. Both fields if you have both.

7Delivery, attachments, and line items

Delivery. Pick one: a number of days After Receipt of Order (ARO) for supplies, or a date-of-award-to-date-of-completion or specific period of performance for services. Furniture with installation typically uses ARO for delivery and a completion date for installation; document both in the attached SOW.

Attach Documents. This is where the Section L / Section M analogue lives. The minimum useful attachment set on a competed schedule buy:

  • Attachment 1: Instructions to Quoters and Evaluation Criteria. The FAR Part 8 equivalent of FAR 52.212-1 and 52.212-2. We provide a template at the bottom of this tab.
  • Attachment 2: Salient Characteristics or Specifications. What the items must do or contain to be acceptable.
  • Attachment 3: Pricing Schedule. Optional if you are using eBuy line items directly; needed if your CLIN structure is more complex than eBuy's interface allows.

Line Items. Optional in eBuy because the same information can live in your pricing-schedule attachment. Use the eBuy line-item function for simple, small-CLIN-count buys. For a complex pricing schedule, attach an Excel and skip the line-item entry.

Shipping Address or Place of Performance. Required. Use the actual delivery address; it appears in the contractor's order for routing.

8Submit and monitor

Submit. eBuy distributes the RFQ to the filtered contractor pool. Quoters submit through eBuy. The CO monitors via My Requests, can issue amendments (which require quoter acknowledgment), and can answer questions through the eBuy Q&A function. After close, eBuy locks the quotes and the CO downloads them for evaluation.

Evaluation, award, and order issuance happen outside eBuy: the CO documents the technical-acceptability determination, price-reasonableness analysis, and best-value or LPTA selection in the contract file, and issues the order through the agency's contract writing system.

9The template

Most COs writing their first eBuy RFQ pause at the Attach Documents step because there is no equivalent of FAR 52.212-1 / 52.212-2 to drop in. The download below is a starting point. It is built around a sample scenario (squadron conference and break room furniture refresh, small business set-aside, LPTA basis). Replace every bracketed field, swap in your salient characteristics, and you have an Attachment 1 ready to upload.

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eBuy RFQ Instructions and Evaluation Criteria Template

FAR Part 8 analogue to FAR 52.212-1 and 52.212-2. Submission method, format, required content, validity period, late-quote rules, technical-acceptability factor, price-reasonableness method under FAR 8.404, past performance, tiebreaker, reserved rights. Sample scenario included for reference.

↓ Download (DOCX)
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eBuy RFQ Salient Characteristics Template (Attachment 2)

Per-CLIN structural, performance, and compliance specs (ANSI/BIFMA, TB 117 flammability, GREENGUARD or BIFMA e3 emissions, TAA, PFOS/PFOA prohibition). Built around the same squadron conference and break room scenario, with eight CLIN-by-CLIN spec blocks ready to tailor.

↓ Download (DOCX)
One word of caution. The template is a starting point, not a finished document. The salient characteristics, evaluation factors, and price-reasonableness language all need tailoring to your actual requirement. Cross-check your local agency clause matrix (each component layers its own supplements on top of FAR Part 8) before posting.

Contract File Checklist

What you should have in your file for an under-SAT GSA schedule order. Check them off as you go.

GSAM 538.71 — FSS Ordering Procedures

The ordering procedures for GSA Federal Supply Schedules. Under the RFO, FAR 8.4 points here. This is where the actual rules live now — MPT, above-MPT/below-SAT, and above-SAT ordering.

Open GSAM 538.71

FAR 8.4 — Federal Supply Schedules

The FAR subpart on GSA schedules. Post-RFO, it's been streamlined to a single section that directs you to GSAM 538.71 for ordering procedures.

Open FAR 8.4

GSA Advantage

The official GSA online shopping system. Search for FSS contractors, verify contract numbers, survey pricing, and place orders.

Visit GSA Advantage

GSA eBuy

Post RFQs to FSS contractors electronically. One of the four competition methods under GSAM 538.7103-2 for orders above the MPT.

Visit GSA eBuy

GSA eLibrary

Search GSA schedule contracts by contractor or product category. Verify schedules are current and confirm the item is on the contractor's schedule.

Visit GSA eLibrary

FAR Part 8 Deviation Guide (RFO)

The official RFO deviation guide explaining what changed in FAR Part 8 and where the ordering procedures moved.

Open Part 8 Deviation Guide