If your company sells cloud solutions to the government, the upcoming GSA Ascend Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) should be on your radar. For the past several years, the General Services Administration (GSA) Information Technology Category (ITC) has been planning the Ascend BPA in an effort to make federal cloud purchasing a little less complex.
With the potential to become a Best-in-Class (BIC) solution, Ascend could soon become the go-to contract vehicle for federal buyers looking to secure cloud solutions. To compete for this new opportunity, your company must hold a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Contract with the Cloud Special Item Number (SIN).
The Latest on GSA Ascend BPA
Based upon GSA’s latest update, the window of opportunity is closing, but companies may still have time to obtain a GSA Contract or add the Cloud SIN to their existing contract. While the Ascend BPA has experienced significant delays from the original timeline, GSA now anticipates releasing the final Request for Quote (RFQ) for Pool 1, which covers IaaS and PaaS, between January and March of 2025.
If this timeline holds, companies offering IaaS and/or PaaS have as little as three months to acquire a GSA MAS Contract or add the Cloud SIN to their contract. Companies that offer SaaS or cloud related IT services have additional time, as those Pools are still in the market research phase.
Learn More & Prepare to Compete for GSA Ascend
- What is GSA Ascend?
- What Cloud Solutions Can Be Sold on Ascend?
- Who Can You Sell to Through GSA Ascend?
- How to Prepare for the Ascend BPA?
- Timeline for the Ascend BPA
- More on Cloud SIN 518210C
- Get Expert Help to Obtain a GSA Contract or Add the Cloud SIN
What is GSA Ascend?
Ascend is a multiple-award, governmentwide GSA Schedule Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) designed to help federal agencies streamline the purchase of cloud solutions. The period of performance for the contract will likely be eight years – a three-year base with one three-year option period and two one-year option periods.
The goal of the Ascend BPA is to establish minimum baseline requirements for Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) and cloud related IT services. Ascend is intended to reduce duplicative contracts and efforts, standardize requirements, and simplify the ordering process for secure and compliant cloud solutions.
What Cloud Solutions Can Be Sold on GSA Ascend?
The Ascend BPA will include commercial cloud service solutions divided into the three primary pools listed below. A separate Request for Quote (RFQ) will be issued for each Pool:
Pool 1: IaaS and PaaS | Status: Final RFQ Expected FY 2025 Q2
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) solutions help government agencies process and store data, maintain networks, and deploy consumer-facing applications.
Pool 2: SaaS | Status: Market Research Stage
Software as a Service (SaaS) provides applications that run on cloud infrastructures, such as websites, browsers or programs.
Pool 3: Cloud IT Professional Services | Status: Market Research Stage
Cloud IT professional services support the government’s digital transformation and management of commercial cloud services.
Who Can You Sell to Through GSA Ascend?
Since Ascend will be a GSA Schedule BPA, the contract can be used to sell to any ordering entity authorized to use the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS). That includes local, state and federal government agencies, along with tribal governments and educational institutions under 40 U.S.C. § 502(c).
How to Prepare for GSA Ascend BPA?
One of the baseline requirements to compete for Ascend, regardless of the Pool, is that you must hold a GSA MAS Contract with SIN 518210C, Cloud Computing and Cloud Related IT Professional Services. Keep in mind, it generally takes a minimum of 3-4 months to obtain a GSA MAS Contract. While GSA has a FASt Lane program to expedite certain GSA proposals and modifications, you must be prepared to respond to GSA requests within two hours to avoid losing FASt Lane eligibility.
While there will be additional requirements based upon the Pool(s) and sub-pool(s) you would like to pursue, at minimum you should ensure:.
- Your Company Holds a GSA MAS Contract with Cloud SIN 518210C.
- Your GSA MAS Contract Term Does Not End Before 2034.
- If Your Contracts Ends Prior to 2034, You Will Need to Obtain a New Contract Preferably Under the Streamlined New Offer Process.
- Your cloud services are FedRAMP/DCAS-authorized. You must provide an attestation with the FedRAMP/DCAS authorization level for the IaaS/PaaS within each sub-pool you pursue.
- Your cloud services are awarded under the Cloud SIN 518210C. You may not offer cloud services that are not currently awarded under your GSA MAS Contract Cloud SIN.
Timeline for GSA Ascend BPA
The release date for GSA Ascend has been a moving target since 2021. While this has been frustrating for those waiting, the delayed timeline has been good news for companies that do not yet hold a GSA MAS Contract or the Cloud SIN, but are interested in competing for the upcoming cloud BPA.
Latest Info and Timeline for GSA Ascend BPA
- A separate solicitation will be issued for each pool
- GSA hopes to issue the final solicitation for Pool 1 in FY 2025 Q2 (Jan-Mar)
- Review the final draft solicitation for Pool 1 here
- Pool 2 is still in the market research phase. You can view the most recent Pool 2 Request for Information (RFI) here.
- Pool 3 is still in the market research phase. You can view the most recent Pool 3 RFI here.
More on Cloud SIN 518210C
Approximately 900 companies hold a GSA MAS Contract with SIN 518210C. Nearly 80% of these companies are classified as small businesses.
Federal buyers are increasingly turning to the GSA MAS Contract to meet their cloud needs. With the final quarter of fiscal year 2024 not yet reported, sales under the GSA Cloud SIN have already exceeded $1.7 billion, with approximately $11 million in sales to state and local government.
The Ascend BPA will likely expand awareness and create additional opportunities for cloud service providers as it streamlines the government cloud purchasing process.
Get Expert Help to Obtain a GSA Contract & the Cloud SIN to Compete for Ascend
Is your company ready to compete for the Ascend BPA? Whether you need to update your GSA Contract, add the Cloud SIN, or obtain a GSA Contract with the Cloud SIN, FEDSched can help! Our team of GSA Contract experts has been helping companies quickly and successfully obtain and manage their GSA Contracts since 1986.
Contact our team today and ensure you’re ready to compete for Ascend!