Also known as: Multiple Award Schedule · MAS · Federal Supply Schedule
Long-term, government-wide contracts GSA pre-negotiates with vendors so agencies can buy at set prices without a full bid.
The GSA Schedule — officially the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), also called "schedules" or the Federal Supply Schedule — is the GSA program under which "federal, state, local, tribal governments, and other eligible buyers get commercial products, services, and other solutions at good prices." (Under FAR 8.402(a), the Federal Supply Schedule program "provides Federal agencies... with a simplified process for obtaining commercial supplies and commercial services at prices associated with volume buying.") GSA pre-negotiates these long-term contracts with commercial vendors, so a company can "sell commercial products, services, and solutions at pre-negotiated prices." Once a company becomes a GSA "schedule holder," government buyers can order directly from it without running a full competitive bid every time, which dramatically shortens the sales cycle.
Source: GSA — Multiple Award Schedule
A GSA Schedule is a government-wide set of pre-negotiated contracts any eligible agency can buy from, while an IDIQ is typically a specific agency's contract vehicle. Both let the government order repeatedly without re-competing, but the Schedule is broader in reach.
Definitions are educational and may be modified by your specific policy language, endorsements, and state rules. For regulatory guidance, refer to the California Department of Insurance or the NAIC.
Last updated: July 2026.