Request for Information 3- Next Generation of the GSA SmartPay® Master Contract

THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION IS SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND PLANNING PURPOSES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION. Responses to this RFI do not constitute an offer and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or otherwise pay for the information requested and/or received in response to the request. Responses will be treated as information only and not as a proposal. Information received in response to this RFI will be safeguarded adequately from unauthorized disclosure. Proprietary information should be clearly marked.

Purpose and Introduction

The General Services Administration (GSA) Payment Solutions Service Center (PSSC) is responsible for overall program management and leadership of the GSA SmartPay® program. This government-wide program and awarded master contracts currently provides commercial charge card and payment related services to approximately 250 federal government agencies, certain eligible organizations, and Native American Tribal organizations. In fiscal year (FY) 2025, approximately 4.2 million GSA SmartPay 3 card/account holders spent nearly $40 billion, through 82 million transactions.  The current period of performance for the GSA SmartPay 3 master contract ends November 29, 2031, if all options are exercised.

Since 2024, PSSC has been conducting market research and acquisition planning for the next iteration of the GSA SmartPay master contract. PSSC has actively engaged GSA SmartPay customers, current GSA SmartPay master contract awardees and partners, and prospective new industry providers.  The goal of this acquisition is to develop a program that is responsive to the unique needs of GSA SmartPay customers, while encouraging participation from both traditional financial institutions and innovative new entrants.

Through market research activities, PSSC collected customer feedback about the GSA SmartPay 3 master contract and program that includes the following:

• Concerns about charge card management system functionality
• Desire to leverage commercial innovation while balancing aging systems and government policies and regulations
• Need for prospective offers with the appropriate financial capabilities and fundamentals to support government operations and needs
• Need for more flexibility and control over agency or organization-specific requirements for their programs and task orders

Conclusions from industry feedback about the GSA SmartPay 3 master contract and program include:

• Both traditional financial institutions and innovative new entrants are likely able to support the scope of services for the GSA SmartPay program
• There are barriers to entry, which are based in aligning the next program with commercial practices and include the following:
  • Pricing structure and period of performance
  • Non-commercial requirements
  • Stringent security requirements

As such, for the development of the next iteration of the GSA SmartPay program/contract(s), PSSC has focused on three themes:

• Commerciality
• Innovation
• Security

PSSC is seeking feedback from both GSA SmartPay customers and the commercial payments industry for the draft Pricing (Section B) and Performance Work Statement (PWS) (Section C) (Attachment 1).  The intention of the drafts is to ensure that GSA SmartPay customers benefit from ongoing commercial payments innovation while meeting the mission critical and government-specific needs.  At the same time, the draft pricing and PWS focuses on leveraging existing and emerging secure commercial functionality and processes to reduce barriers for entry for prospective offerors.

Submission of Feedback/Comments

Interested parties are invited to submit all feedback/comments regarding the Draft GSA SmartPay 4 Pricing and Performance Work Statement (PWS) in the attached Excel response template (Attachment 2 - Feedback Template) format via email to SPcard@gsa.gov and jennifer.g.richards@gsa.gov. The email subject line shall include the text "PWS Feedback: RFI 47QRAB26N0003”. Emails without this text in the subject line may not be acknowledged. Do not submit responses in the text of an email. Submission of a general statement of capability or company profile is acceptable for informational purposes. Responses that fail to follow the required format may be excluded from consideration or review.  

This RFI is being conducted for market research purposes only. A company’s decision to submit or not submit a response, and/or the extent of the government’s review/consideration of any submitted response, will have no impact on a contractor's ability to compete for any future requirements that may follow this RFI.

Submission of Questions

Interested parties are invited to submit questions that may impact their ability to respond to the RFI in writing via email to SPcard@gsa.gov and jennifer.g.richards@gsa.gov. The email subject line shall include the text "Questions: RFI 47QRAB26N0003”. Emails without this text in the subject line may not be acknowledged. GSA will endeavor to respond to all questions before the response due date. 

THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION IS SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND PLANNING PURPOSES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION. Responses to this RFI do not constitute an offer and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or otherwise pay for the information requested and/or received in response to the request. Responses will be treated as information only and not as a proposal. Information received in response to this RFI will be safeguarded adequately from unauthorized disclosure. Proprietary information should be clearly marked.