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Quick answer: A Technology Refresh (TR) is how a NASA SEWP contract holder changes what is on its contract: adding CLINs, end-of-lifing products, raising or lowering prices, and updating descriptions. On a SEWP VI RFQ, every item you quote has to be on your contract when you quote it, so the TR is the step that makes a product or service quotable. You build it as a text file, upload it through the TR Upload tool in CHOP, and the SEWP Program Office reviews it before anything goes live.
We've written about the SEWP VI TR and CLIN learning curve and the onboarding clock leading up to November 1. The question we keep hearing on sales calls goes one level deeper: how much work is the TR process, really? One SEWP VI holder told us this month that the uncertainty about that workload was the main thing holding up their tooling decisions. This post walks through the mechanics, based on the SEWP VI Contract Holder User Manual (CHUM) dated August 21, 2026.
What is a SEWP Technology Refresh (TR)?
The CHUM defines TRs as "the process in which Contract Holders update their offerings on the SEWP contracts." In practice, a TR request can do four things:
- Add CLINs (contract line item numbers) to your contract and storefront
- Mark products end-of-life (EOL) so they come off the contract
- Increase or decrease pricing
- Update product descriptions
Think of your SEWP contract as a catalog the government has approved. The TR is the only way to change that catalog.
Do you need a TR for every SEWP quote?
Not literally, but it's close. The CHUM's rule for RFQs is that "CLINs must be on contract at time of quoting," and each quote must include a verification file listing the CLIN, unit price and quantity for every item ordered, adding up to the order total.
So if a customer asks for something already on your contract at the right price, you can quote it. If it isn't on your contract yet, or the configuration or price has changed, you need an approved TR first. For holders who sell a broad or fast-moving catalog, that happens constantly, which is why the TR feels tied to every quote.
One special case: for "To Be Quoted" (TBQ) solutions, the manual says a holder "will have to submit a TR containing a TBQ child CLIN for each instance where this solution would be quoted."
How do you submit a SEWP TR, step by step?
- Build the TR file. A TR is a plain text file in a keyword-value format with predefined keywords, separated by a bracket ([) delimiter. Each CLIN carries fields such as the part number, provider, CLIN type and description.
- Upload it through CHOP. CHOP is SEWP's contract holder portal. TRs go in through its TR Upload tool.
- Pass the test system. The file is checked by a test system first. If it finds no issues and the FORWARDNOERRORFLAG is set to Y, the TR is forwarded to production.
- Wait for the Program Office review. You'll get status emails along the way, such as "TR Received," "Possible Problem CLINs" (flagged for extra scrutiny), "TR Approved in Full," "TR Approved with Deletions," or "TR Overwritten" (nothing added).
- Send backup data when asked. Some CLINs, like labor bundles and maintenance, need supporting documentation through a SEWP support case. The manual is blunt: wait for that submission to be reviewed and approved, because skipping the step "will result in the entire TR being overwritten."
How much work is the SEWP VI TR process?
The upload is the easy part. The workload comes from the rules around what goes into the file:
- Volume limits. A regular TR can hold up to 5,000 line items, and the manual sets a normal pace of one or two regular TRs a day. A "Provider TR" (up to 5,000 lines from a single provider) can go in up to 10 times a day, with only two allowed between 7:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern.
- One CLIN per configuration. You "CANNOT have a CLIN on contract that you reuse for different configurations, pricing strategies, support options, etc." Every variation of a configurable product is its own line.
- Bundles and labor. Bundle CLINs should cost no more than the sum of their parts, and labor rates have to be on the contract before they can be bundled.
- No placeholder pricing. Holders found using ceiling CLINs get an automatic downgrade in contract adherence.
- Fast turnarounds. When SEWP emails a holder to add a needed CLIN, the manual gives three business days to respond.
Put together, the effort scales with three things: how many products you carry, how often your OEMs change part numbers and pricing, and how many configurations your customers ask for. A services-focused Category B or C holder with a stable list of labor categories will feel this far less than a Category A reseller carrying thousands of hardware and software SKUs.
What should SEWP VI holders do before November 1?
According to the SEWP Program Office, the SEWP VI period of performance is anticipated to run from November 1, 2026 through October 31, 2036, and its transition update names November 1 as the anticipated start date for SEWP VI request submissions. SEWP V has been extended through January 31, 2027, but SEWP V quotes aren't valid once SEWP V ends.
That leaves a short window to get the catalog you actually plan to sell onto SEWP VI. A practical order of operations:
- Start with the products and services your existing SEWP or other vehicle customers buy most, so you aren't blocked on the first RFQs.
- Map every configuration and support option you quote to its own CLIN before you upload.
- Decide who owns TRs internally, and how OEM or distributor price changes reach that person.
- Gather backup documentation for labor and maintenance CLINs ahead of time.
Where Govly fits
Two parts of SEWP VI eat time: sorting a much larger RFQ stream, and keeping your catalog current through TRs. Govly tailors your SEWP VI opportunity feed so what reaches your inbox fits your category and catalog. It also templatizes TR files for your catalog, so the TR step becomes a repeatable process instead of a fire drill on every quote. If you're also tracking other private vehicles, here's why contract vehicle RFQs don't appear on SAM.gov.
If your team is sizing up the TR workload before ordering opens, book a demo and we'll walk through it with your catalog.
FAQ
Do CLINs have to be on contract to answer a SEWP RFI?
No. The CHUM says CLINs don't have to be on contract when responding to an RFI, and no verification file is required. That only changes when the request becomes an RFQ.
Can a SEWP holder quote an item at $0?
Not if the CLIN has a contract price above $0. The manual prohibits quoting such a CLIN at zero dollars.
How big a discount off contract price is allowed on a SEWP quote?
The CHUM sets no fixed percentage for excessive discounts, though it calls a 10% discount clearly acceptable.
Do holders need permission before sending an extra TR?
No. The manual says that if you occasionally need to send a third or fourth TR in a day, just do so, and asks holders not to email for permission.
How quickly do storefront CLINs need to be added?
The CHUM gives contract holders three business days to have all storefront CLINs added.
