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Supplier Diversity And Equity Action Plan

This Plan outlines the General Services Administration’s (GSA) approach 

to supplier diversity, supporting the Administration’s overall goal of 

increasing Small Disadvantaged Businesses1 (SDB) spend by 50% over 

the next five years.

Part of an acquisition system that delivers timely best value solutions and 

achieves public policy objectives is spearheading efforts that foster an 

inclusive and collaborative environment, one that ensures a continuous 

focus on improving supplier diversity among SDBs and other underserved 

communities2. 

To attain this objective, GSA looked at each phase of the acquisition 

lifecycle, and at all of its contract vehicles, gathered and assessed data, 

and identified initiatives that will increase access and opportunities for 

industry to meet the Government’s requirements, all while ensuring a fair 

playing field for competition.

This Plan identifies initiatives in the contract lifecycle to improve contract 

accessibility pre/post award, create new markets, increase outreach and 

education, and measure progress. 

Improve Contract Accessibility Pre/Post Award

Improving accessibility to federal procurement opportunities is an 

important component of strengthening supplier diversity. To ensure 

procurement opportunities are available and accessible, GSA will 

1 The term “small disadvantaged business” refers to a small business that is at least 51% owned and 

controlled by a socially and economically disadvantaged individual or individuals. The following 

individuals are presumed to be socially disadvantaged: Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian 

Pacific Americans, Subcontinent Asian Americans, and Native Americans. Other individuals can qualify if 

they show by a "preponderance of the evidence" that they are disadvantaged. U.S. Small Business 

Administration

2 The term “underserved communities” refers to populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as 

geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects 

of economic, social, and civic life, including procurement and contracting opportunities. A representative 

list of underserved communities can be found in Section 2 of Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial 

Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.
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implement the following steps throughout the contract lifecycle: 

● Making it easier for firms to obtain a Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) 

contract and improve vendor education3

. This includes updating the 

MAS Roadmap to simplify processes and launching an updated 

Vendor Support Center website with a wide range of resources. 

● Building SDB opportunities into new acquisition programs (e.g., 

Polaris, 8(a) STARS, Next Generation Services Multi-Agency 

Contract ) to support federal agencies.

● Ensuring SDB access throughout the life of major GSA or 

Government-wide Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) 

contracts by providing periodic onboarding opportunities through “onramps4

.” 

● Enhancing e-tools to make it easier for contractors to find and 

evaluate federal marketplace opportunities. 

● Introducing a new post-award support pilot program to help GSA 

contractors understand contract requirements, customer 

expectations, and position themselves to obtain business. 

Create New Markets

GSA has long been a key force in introducing new products and services to 

the federal marketplace. GSA is committed to diversity, equity, and 

inclusion in its business processes. Currently GSA is exploring new 

markets created by the Administration’s focus on climate and sustainability, 

such as: 

● Building Back Better with low embodied carbon construction materials 

that have less climate impact associated with mining, manufacturing, 

and transportation.

3 The Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program is the government’s largest commercial acquisition 

vehicle containing approximately 12,000 small businesses, of which over 5,000 are disadvantaged 

businesses.

4 “On-Ramping” is a technique that structures long-term contracts to maximize opportunities for small 

businesses by periodically bringing new contractors onboard throughout the contract’s life. Appendix 1 

provides a list of major GSA or Governmentwide IDIQ contracting vehicles with projected onboarding/on 

ramping. 
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● Increasing the proportion of the fleet to Zero Electric Vehicles (ZEVs) 

to modernize the way we use transportation.

● Providing infrastructure solutions that include the installation of 

charging and refueling stations for electric vehicles, along with 

consulting and ancillary services.

● Buying sustainable products and services that comply with statutory 

and regulatory requirements and conform to specifications, 

standards, and ecolabels recommended by the Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA). 

● Supporting electrification and net zero emissions targets by using allelectric equipment for HVAC, domestic water heating, appliances in 

new construction and major renovation projects, and providing 100% 

renewable electricity sources for GSA owned real estate portfolio by 

2025.

Increase Outreach and Education 

GSA will continue to foster healthy and productive relationships with its 

Industry partners through open dialogue and the exchange of information 

by: 

● Building SDB awareness of the “open continuous5” on-boarding 

opportunities under the MAS Program. A continuously open 

solicitation maximizes both competition and opportunity for SDBs.

● Conducting industry roundtables and forums to convene a crosssection of industry to participate in critical discussions.

● Providing education opportunities for SDB and other underserved 

communities. 

● Cultivating long-standing relationships with the supplier community 

through regular meetings and vendor surveys.

● Providing education opportunities for the federal acquisition 

workforce on small business programs.

5 “Open Continuous” refers to a continuously open solicitation with no deadline for proposal submissions 

resulting in continuous opportunity for new contract awards.
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Measuring Progress

GSA will measure progress by: 

● Ensuring leadership accountability for achieving targeted small 

business contracting goals, with measurable actions included in 

performance plans, in accordance with Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) Memo M-22-03.

● Establishing and tracking performance metrics, including:

○ Total dollars awarded to small disadvantaged businesses;

○ Total number of contracts awarded to SDBs;

○ Total number of “new entrants” as defined by the Interagency 

Policy Committee and;

○ Total number of new GSA contractors that succeed in obtaining 

obligations.

Plan Review 

This Supplier Diversity Plan will be reviewed annually for effectiveness and 

modified as needed.
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APPENDIX 1

GSA Acquisition Programs/Contracts

This Appendix identifies major GSA or Government-wide Indefinite-Delivery 

Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) Programs/Contracts, which GSA anticipates 

future access opportunities for Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDBs). 

The column on the left identifies the GSA acquisition and the column on the 

right identifies whether the opportunity is a new contract, an existing 

contract that will have an on-ramping opportunity, or if GSA anticipates 

both a new contract award and future on-ramping opportunities. 

More details on contracting opportunities are found on sam.gov. The 

Forecast of Contracting Opportunities Tool provides information on 

expected federal contracting opportunities.

GSA 

Acquisition Programs/Contracts

Opportunity

Federal Supply Schedules Open to new entrants 24 x 7 

GSA Global Supply New Contracts regularly established

Polaris New Contract coming soon. 

On-ramping in the future

8(a) STARS III On-ramping

Public Buildings Service Electric Vehicle 

Construction Contract Multi-Agency 

Contract (MAC)

*New Contract coming soon.
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Alliant 3 *New Contract

2nd Generation Information Technology 

(2 GIT) BPA

On-Ramping

Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) On-Ramping

ASTRO On-Ramping (as required)

Complex Commercial Satellite 

Communications (SATCOM) Solutions 

(CS3) 

On-Ramping

PBS National and Regional IDVs New Contract and On-Ramping

Services Multi-Agency Contract (MAC) *New Contract 

Federal Acquisition Services Electric 

Charging Stations, Electric Vehicles 

Supply Equipment (EVSE)

*New Blanket Purchase Agreement(BPA) 

coming soon.

Commercial Platform New Contract for platform providers and 

suppliers may join existing platforms

Public Buildings Service GSA Leasing 

Support Services (PBS GLS)

Planning for next follow-on Broker Contract 

(after GLS Plus) and is addressed in the 

Project Charter as a guiding 

principle/opportunity 

*Note: As of March 8, 2022, the GSA acquisition program or contract(s) were in development. 

Acquisition programs or contracts may include on-ramping or continuously open opportunities at 

completion.