FAR 38.201—Coordination requirements.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 38.201 sets out the coordination and approval requirements for managing Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contracts. It explains when contracting officers must work with and obtain approval from the General Services Administration’s Federal Supply Service (FSS) before taking certain schedule-management actions, including establishing new schedules, discontinuing existing schedules, changing the scope of agency or geographic coverage, and adding, deleting, or revising special item numbers (SINs) and national stock numbers (NSNs). The section also identifies where requests should be sent: the GSA Federal Supply Service Office of Acquisition (FC) in Washington, DC. In practice, this rule exists to keep schedule structure, coverage, and item classifications centrally coordinated so the FSS program remains consistent, controlled, and aligned with governmentwide acquisition policy. For contracting officers, it means these changes are not unilateral decisions; they require coordination and approval unless an applicable interagency agreement provides otherwise. For contractors and other stakeholders, it signals that schedule changes may involve formal review and can affect what products or services are available under the schedule and how they are described and ordered.
Key Rules
FSS approval is required
Contracting officers responsible for awarding Federal Supply Schedule contracts must coordinate with and obtain approval from GSA’s Federal Supply Service before making the listed schedule changes. This is a mandatory control point, not a discretionary best practice.
New schedules need review
Before establishing a new schedule, the contracting officer must secure FSS coordination and approval. This helps ensure the new schedule fits within the broader FSS structure and does not duplicate or conflict with existing schedules.
Existing schedules cannot be ended unilaterally
Discontinuing an existing schedule requires prior FSS approval. The rule prevents abrupt or uncoordinated removal of schedule vehicles that agencies and vendors may rely on.
Scope and coverage changes are controlled
Any change to the scope of agency or geographic coverage of an existing schedule must be coordinated and approved. This includes expansions or reductions that could affect who may use the schedule and where it applies.
Item classification changes require approval
Adding or deleting special item numbers, national stock numbers, or revising their descriptions requires FSS approval. These changes affect how items are identified, ordered, and managed across the schedule program.
Requests go to GSA FSS Acquisition
Requests should be forwarded to the General Services Administration Federal Supply Service Office of Acquisition (FC), Washington, DC 20406. This provides the designated channel for submitting coordination requests.
Interagency agreements may affect process
The rule is subject to interagency agreements, meaning existing agreements may modify how coordination and approval are handled. Users must check whether a governing agreement changes the default process.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officers
Coordinate with GSA FSS and obtain approval before establishing, discontinuing, or changing schedules, and before adding, deleting, or revising SINs, NSNs, or their descriptions. They must also route requests to the designated GSA office.
General Services Administration Federal Supply Service (FSS)
Review coordination requests and provide approval for the specified schedule actions. FSS serves as the approving authority for changes affecting the structure, scope, and item identification of Federal Supply Schedule contracts.
Agency/Interagency Agreement Owners
Ensure any applicable interagency agreements are identified and applied, since those agreements may govern or alter the coordination and approval process for schedule actions.
Contractors and Schedule Holders
Monitor proposed schedule changes that may affect their offerings, item descriptions, or coverage, and respond to requests for information or modification as needed during the approval process.
Practical Implications
This section is a gatekeeper for major schedule changes, so contracting officers should build extra time into acquisition planning for FSS coordination and approval.
A common pitfall is treating schedule scope, geographic coverage, or SIN/NSN edits as routine administrative updates; under this rule, they require formal approval.
Because the rule is subject to interagency agreements, users should verify whether a specific agreement changes the normal approval path before acting.
Poorly drafted requests can delay approval, so submissions should clearly identify the proposed change, the affected schedule, and the reason for the modification.
For contractors, changes to SINs, NSNs, or descriptions can affect marketability and ordering visibility, so they should watch for proposed revisions that may impact their contract offerings.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) Subject to interagency agreements, contracting officers having responsibility for awarding Federal Supply Schedule contracts shall coordinate and obtain approval of the General Services Administration’s Federal Supply Service (FSS) before- (1) Establishing new schedules; (2) Discontinuing existing schedules; (3) Changing the scope of agency or geographical coverage of existing schedules; or (4) Adding or deleting special item numbers, national stock numbers, or revising their description. (b) Requests should be forwarded to the: General Services Administration Federal Supply Service Office of Acquisition (FC) Washington,DC 20406.