Treasury Partners with GSA to Launch SAVE Program with Strengthened Oversight Role

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of the Treasury in partnership with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), today announced the launch of the Savings Award for Verified Efficiencies (SAVE) Program. This joint initiative empowers federal employees to identify and eliminate wasteful spending in federal contracts, delivering measurable savings for taxpayers while maintaining mission readiness. Under GSA's leadership, successful elements of the Treasury program may be expanded government-wide.

"Through this strengthened partnership, Treasury and GSA are setting a new standard for responsible stewardship of public funds," said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. "Together, we are building a cost-saving model that can be scaled across government. We look forward to working with our partners across the Trump Administration to ensure that every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely and efficiently."

"GSA is excited to work with Secretary Bessent and his team at the Treasury on this important initiative," said GSA Acting Administrator Mike Rigas. "The SAVE program exemplifies inter-agency collaboration at its best by combining GSA's procurement expertise with Treasury's fiscal oversight. By empowering frontline federal employees to act decisively on wasteful contracts, we are driving a cultural shift toward greater accountability and efficiency government-wide."

The SAVE Program builds on insights gained from GSA's highly successful Defend the Spend initiative, which focused on identifying areas where government contract dollars could be used more efficiently. Treasury has adapted and expanded this approach, creating a system where eligible employees can submit well-documented cost-saving proposals and, once verified, be rewarded for their contributions.

GSA Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum noted, "We are proud to partner with Treasury on SAVE to facilitate the formal implementation of a proven, battle-tested process to help government 'defend the spend'. Through this incentive program, the initiative places the tool directly in the hands of federal workers across agencies. By rewarding the federal workforce, we are democratizing savings efforts across government and strengthening our collective role as responsible fiduciaries to the American taxpayer."

Background:

After Treasury's Office of the Procurement Executive (OPE) completes its review and approves a SAVE record, GSA independently reviews the case, coordinating with OPE to address any concerns and confirm all details. GSA validates that the contract termination or scope reduction occurred as described, confirms the accuracy of the claimed savings, and ensures the savings are directly attributable to the submitting employee's actions. GSA's concurrence is mandatory before any monetary award can be issued, ensuring transparency, fairness, and full compliance with acquisition regulations.

Under the SAVE Program, non-Senior Executive Service (SES) federal Treasury GS or GS-equivalent employees can submit proposals for contract cancellations, descopes, or other cost-reducing actions within their program area. Approved actions that result in verified savings can earn employees an award of up to 1% of the savings, capped at $10,000 per contract action.

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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government. GSA manages a nationwide real estate portfolio of over 360 million rentable square feet, oversees more than $110 billion in products and services via federal contracts, and delivers technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA's mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.

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