Short Answer
GSA MAS product modifications let you add or delete products, raise or lower prices, update descriptions, and change administrative details on your contract. Catalog changes are made through a modification in eMod paired with a Product File in the FAS Catalog Platform, and each type has its own documentation requirements.
A GSA Schedule isn't static. Manufacturers release new models, discontinue old ones and raise prices, and your contract has to keep pace. Every one of those changes is a modification.
Here's a quick overview of the product modifications available, what each one involves, and the mistakes that slow them down.
How product modifications work
Every catalog change has two parts: a modification in eMod, which changes your contract and carries your supporting documents, and a catalog action in the FAS Catalog Platform (FCP), where you load a Product File with the item data. Your contract must have an approved FCP baseline first. See The FCP Baseline Modification Explained.
The product modifications you can make
| Modification | What it does | What it typically needs |
|---|---|---|
| Add Products | Adds new items to your contract | Signed cover letter, commercial pricing with an effective date, product literature, Product File, and supplier authorization where required |
| Delete Products | Removes discontinued or unwanted items | Cover letter and Product File |
| Price increase (EPA) | Raises prices under your contract's economic price adjustment method | Support for the increase, such as a revised commercial price list or manufacturer notice |
| Price decrease | Lowers prices permanently or temporarily | Cover letter; temporary reductions also need dates and affected items |
| Descriptive change | Updates product details without creating a new product | Updated literature and Product File |
| Part number or manufacturer change | Corrects an item's identity | Handled by deleting and re-adding the item in FCP |
| Revise Terms and Conditions | Updates contract terms, including setting your EPA method | Cover letter and updated terms |
| Administrative | Updates contacts, addresses and similar details | Cover letter and supporting documentation |
A few things worth knowing
Accept your mass mods first. GSA won't approve any modification while you have overdue mass modifications on your contract.
Price increases follow your EPA method. GSA's consolidated EPA clause (GSAR 552.238-120) replaced the older clauses, and it doesn't set fixed caps on how often or how much. But increases have to be supported under the method on your contract, and the contracting officer can deny or negotiate them. If your contract hasn't adopted a method under the new clause, that comes first.
Supplier authorization has changed. GSA's Verified Products Portal is now the authoritative source for whether you're authorized to sell a manufacturer's products. Items flagged as unauthorized won't be awarded, and awarded items flagged this way must be removed.
How you describe your company matters. Whether you're the manufacturer or a reseller changes what GSA will ask for. We've seen a price increase returned simply because the cover letter described the relationship inaccurately.
Why product modifications get rejected
GSA's modification guide lists the common reasons, including:
- Items out of scope for the SIN
- Duplicate items or part numbers, or items already on the contract
- Math or pricing errors
- Choosing the wrong modification type in eMod
- Incomplete or irrelevant documentation
- Slow responses to the contracting officer
Most of these are avoidable with a careful review before submission.
How long it takes
GSA doesn't set a timeline for modifications. Its guide cites averages of about 7 to 10 days for administrative mods and 10 to 30 days or more for others. IT contracts in GSA's FASt Lane program can have eligible mods processed in under 48 hours.
Let us handle it
Product modifications look simple until the file fails validation or the contracting officer asks for documentation you didn't expect. We prepare the Product File, the cover letter and the supporting documents, and manage the modification through award, so your catalog stays current without pulling your team off their work.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a GSA product modification take?
GSA doesn't set a timeline. Its modification guide cites averages of about 7 to 10 days for administrative mods and about 10 to 30 days or more for others. A complete, clean submission is what keeps you at the short end.
How often can I raise my GSA prices?
The current consolidated EPA clause, GSAR 552.238-120, doesn't set a fixed number of increases per year or a percentage cap. Increases follow the EPA method on your contract, and the contracting officer can deny or negotiate them.
Do I need a Letter of Supply to add products?
Only in limited cases: for the IT Large Category and printing and photographic equipment, when the manufacturer isn't in GSA's Verified Products Portal. Otherwise, the portal or your modification submission serves as the authorization.
Can I just upload a new full catalog?
No. Once your contract is baselined in FCP, changes are made through specific add, change and delete actions. There's no modification that replaces the whole catalog at once.
Written by Kurt Karslioglu, Director of Sales
Kurt leads business development at Pera Inc. and guides small businesses through GSA MAS offers, OASIS+ submissions, and federal construction and defense proposals.
Related Guides
GSA MAS Services Modifications: What You Can Change and How
Every type of GSA MAS services modification: adding labor categories and SINs, rate increases, deletions, description changes and admin updates.
GSA MASThe FCP Baseline Modification Explained: Moving Your GSA Catalog to FCP
What the FAS Catalog Platform is, how the FCP baseline works, what you can and can't change, and why baseline files fail validation.
GSA MASYou've Been Awarded a GSA Schedule. What Happens Next?
After a GSA MAS award: loading your catalog in FCP, the Terms and Conditions file, sales reporting, the Industrial Funding Fee, mass mods and minimum sales.