Everyone talks about GWACs like they're golden tickets to federal IT work, and in some ways, they are. One award gives you access to hundreds of agencies and billions in potential task orders without running a new procurement every time. But here's what trips up most contractors: the real competition starts after you win the seat. Between navigating task order evaluations, meeting quarterly reporting requirements, and competing against dozens of other holders on every RFQ, your capture process needs to move faster than it ever did on open market bids. This guide covers how GWACs actually work, which vehicles matter in 2026, and what separates contractors who win steady work from those whose seats go unused.

TL;DR

• GWACs are pre-competed, government-wide IT contract vehicles that cut task order awards to 30 days

• Holding a GWAC seat gives you access to all federal agencies with one award, but only 10% of holders win the most spending

• Major vehicles include Alliant 3 ($75B), Polaris ($28B for small business), and SEWP VI ($90B for IT products)

• You compete twice: once for the base contract seat, then again for each task order against other holders

• GovDash surfaces task orders from GSA eBuy daily and cuts task order proposal time from two weeks to 48-72 hours

What is a GWAC (Government-Wide Acquisition Contract)?

A GWAC (Government-Wide Acquisition Contract) is a pre-competed, multiple-award IDIQ contract that any federal agency can use to buy IT products and services. A sponsoring agency (like GSA or NIH) runs a full competition, awards contracts to qualified vendors, and makes the vehicle available government-wide. When an agency needs IT support, they issue a task order under the GWAC rather than running a new procurement. This saves agencies time in procurement and reduces compliance risk. For contractors, GWACs offer access to opportunities across agencies with a single contract award.

How GWACs Work: The Procurement Process Explained

GWACs operate through a two-tier process. First, a sponsoring agency awards GWAC prime contracts to vendors through full and open competition. GSA manages Alliant and Polaris, NIH runs CIO-SP, and NASA administers SEWP.

Once contracts are in place, any federal agency can issue task orders. The requesting agency obtains Delegation of Procurement Authority from the executive agent, then issues requirements to eligible GWAC holders. FAR 16.505 requires agencies to provide all contract holders the opportunity to compete, unless an exception applies.

This eliminates full procurement cycles. Task order awards typically happen in weeks' time, not months.

Major GWAC Programs and Contract Vehicles

The federal government maintains several major GWAC programs, each with distinct focus areas and eligibility requirements.

GSA manages the largest portfolio, covering both unrestricted and socioeconomic set-asides. NASA SEWP focuses on the procurement of products and hardware, while NIH CIO-SP specializes in health IT and life sciences applications.

GWAC vs IDIQ: Understanding the Key Differences

All GWACs are IDIQs, but not all IDIQs are GWACs. The difference matters when deciding which vehicles to pursue.

GWACs must be designated Best-in-Class by OMB and restricted to IT products and services. Agency-specific IDIQs (such as MATOC vehicles at USACE or branch-specific contract vehicles at DOD) cover any scope but serve only the owning agency. GWACs provide government-wide access, meaning a single award opens doors to every federal department.

GWACs typically have higher qualification bars. Agency IDIQs may accept smaller players.

For contractors, GWACs offer broader reach but stiffer competition. Agency IDIQs give focused access.

GWAC vs GSA Schedule: Which Contract Vehicle is Right for You?

GSA Schedule (Multiple Award Schedule, or MAS) and GWACs serve different purposes. Schedule contracts accept rolling applications year-round, covering over 11 million commercial products and services from office supplies to IT. GWACs open only during specific competition windows every 5-10 years and limit scope strictly to IT services.

Pricing differs, too. Schedule contracts follow commercial pricing with disclosed discount structures and posted rates. GWACs require full price competition at the task order level, where you compete against other holders on each requirement.

Many firms hold both. Schedules offer easier entry and steady transactional business. GWACs demand higher qualifications but unlock larger, more complex projects government-wide.

Benefits of GWACs for Federal Agencies

Federal agencies choose GWACs to cut procurement cycles and minimize risk. Pre-competed vendor pools mean agencies can award task orders in 30 days or less, rather than running 6-month open competitions. Every GWAC holder has already passed the responsibility and technical evaluation, reducing the due diligence burden.

GWACs also deliver socioeconomic credit. When agencies order from small-business set-aside vehicles like Polaris or 8(a) STARS III, those dollars count toward small-business goals without additional compliance steps. Protest risk drops because scope and eligibility rules were settled at the vehicle level.

Benefits of GWACs for Contractors

For contractors, winning a GWAC seat opens doors across the federal government with one award. That single contract provides access to hundreds of agencies and billions in task-order opportunities without re-proving past performance for each buyer.

Bidding costs drop after the award. Rather than full RFPs at every agency, you compete on streamlined task order proposals. Proposal cycles shrink from months to weeks.

GWACs create a predictable pipeline. Agencies rely on preferred contract vehicles, so GWAC holders receive steady requirements. Being selected signals credibility and reduces procurement risk for agencies.

Simply holding a seat doesn't guarantee revenue. Roughly 10% of contractors capture majority spending. Active business development and fast response to task orders set winners apart from seat warmers.

Alliant 3: The Next Generation Unrestricted GWAC

GSA launched Alliant 3 to replace Alliant 2, which saw its ceiling increased to $82.5 billion in December 2024. The new vehicle removes spending caps and prioritizes AI, quantum computing, and cloud-native architectures.

GSA plans to award 60-76 contracts, split between the unrestricted and small business pools. Awards roll out in 2025 with a 10-year ordering period through 2035.

Small Business Set-Aside GWACs: Polaris, 8(a) STARS III, and VETS 2

GSA created three specialized GWACs to direct federal IT spending to small businesses, each serving a distinct socioeconomic category.

Polaris supports service-disabled veteran-owned (SDVOSB), HUBZone, women-owned (WOSB), and economically disadvantaged women-owned (EDWOSB) firms. GSA awarded 23 SDVOSB seats from 251 proposals and 30 HUBZone contracts from 180 submissions.

8(a) STARS III exclusively serves 8(a)-certified firms across IT services, from application development to cybersecurity. The vehicle replaced STARS II, which had updated technical requirements.

VETS 2 targets service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, carrying an $85 billion ceiling through 2029.

How to Get on a GWAC: Qualification Requirements and Strategy

GWAC competitions require contractors to meet technical capability thresholds, hold cybersecurity certifications (CMMC, NIST 800-171), demonstrate past performance on similar contracts, and offer competitive pricing. Solicitations use self-scoring, where vendors assess themselves against evaluation criteria before GSA validates claims. On-ramps open occasionally between full competitions, so timing and readiness matter when contracts span a decade between recompetes.

Winning GWAC Task Orders: Post-Award Capture Best Practices

Holding a GWAC seat means nothing without active task order capture. Most spending flows to holders who treat the contract as a starting point.

Build relationships before RFQs drop. Identify agencies with matching mission needs, attend industry days, and schedule capability briefings. Federal buyers prefer known entities when issuing task orders.

Monitor GSA eBuy daily for new requests. Set alerts for your GWAC vehicles and capability areas. Response windows close fast, often in 10-15 days.

Teaming extends reach. Prime on requirements that match your strengths; sub where gaps exist. Clarify roles, work sharing, and pricing before RFQs are issued.

Task order evaluations assess technical approach, past performance, and price. Winning proposals directly address the criteria and cite relevant contracts.

Managing GWAC Contracts: Reporting and Compliance

GWAC contractors must submit quarterly sales reports through their sponsoring agency's portal: GSA's GWAC Dashboard for Alliant and Polaris, NIH iTRACS for CIO-SP, or NASA for SEWP. Contractors report all task order revenue and pay contract access fees, usually 0.75% of sales.

Ordering agencies handle FPDS-NG reporting, but contractors should verify entries match internal records to track ceilings and past performance. Agencies evaluate contractors through CPARS at task order closeout, which directly influences future awards.

How GovDash Streamlines GWAC and Task Order Pursuit

GovDash Discover scans GSA eBuy and procurement feeds daily, surfacing task orders that match your GWAC seats and capabilities. When an RFQ drops, AI-assisted proposal drafting pulls compliance matrices, past performance, and technical narratives to build first drafts in hours. Teams that previously spent two weeks on task order proposals now respond in 48-72 hours. The pipeline management tool tracks both GWAC base contract awards and every downstream task order pursuit, showing which vehicles generate the most opportunities, where your win rates sit by agency, and which task orders need attention before deadlines pass.

Final Thoughts on GWAC Strategy for Contractors

A GWAC seat gives you government-wide access, but converting that access into wins requires speed and visibility. Task orders move fast, often with 10-15 day response windows, so your team needs tools that surface relevant opportunities and draft compliant proposals without starting from scratch. GovDash monitors GSA eBuy and agency feeds, then builds first-draft proposals in hours instead of weeks, book a demo to see how it works for your contracts.

FAQs

What is the main difference between a GWAC and an agency-specific IDIQ?

GWACs are Best-in-Class vehicles restricted to IT that any federal agency can use government-wide, while agency-specific IDIQs cover any scope but only serve the owning agency. A single GWAC award gives you access to every federal department, whereas agency IDIQs provide access to a single buyer.

How long does it typically take to win a task order on a GWAC?

Task order awards typically happen in a matter of weeks, with response windows often closing in 10-15 days. Agencies can award in 30 days or less because GWAC holders already passed technical and responsibility evaluations at the contract level.

Can small businesses compete for GWAC contracts?

Yes, GSA maintains three dedicated small business GWACs: Polaris (for SDVOSB, HUBZone, WOSB, and EDWOSB firms), 8(a) STARS III (exclusively for 8(a)-certified companies), and VETS 2 (for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses). Alliant 3 also includes a small business pool.

What happens if I win a GWAC seat but don't actively pursue task orders?

Holding a seat without active capture generates no revenue. Roughly 10% of contractors capture the majority of GWAC spending. You need to monitor GSA eBuy daily, build agency relationships before RFQs drop, and respond to task orders within tight 10-15 day windows to convert your seat into actual contract wins.

Do I need both a GSA Schedule and a GWAC contract?

Many firms hold both because they serve different purposes. GSA Schedule accepts rolling applications year-round and covers transactional business across all products and services, while GWACs open only during specific competitions every 5-10 years and unlock larger, more complex IT projects government-wide.