The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) have launched the Savings Award for Verified Efficiencies (SAVE) Program, a joint initiative aimed at reducing wasteful spending in federal contracts. The program encourages federal employees to identify unnecessary expenses, with the goal of achieving measurable savings for taxpayers while supporting agency missions.
According to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, “Through this strengthened partnership, Treasury and GSA are setting a new standard for responsible stewardship of public funds. 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 Acting Administrator Mike Rigas stated, “GSA is excited to work with Secretary Bessent and his team at the Treasury on this important initiative. 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 expands upon GSA’s previous Defend the Spend initiative by allowing eligible employees to submit detailed proposals for cost-saving measures in federal contracting. If these proposals result in verified savings after review, employees may receive awards as recognition.
Josh Gruenbaum, GSA Commissioner, commented, “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 federalworkers 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.”
The process requires initial review by Treasury’s Office of Procurement Executive (OPE), followed by an independent review from GSA before any monetary award is issued. This two-step verification ensures transparency and compliance with acquisition regulations.
Under SAVE guidelines, non-Senior Executive Service (SES) GS or GS-equivalent employees within Treasury can propose contract cancellations or other actions that reduce costs within their area of responsibility. Approved actions resulting in verified savings may qualify for an award up to 5% of those savings, capped at $10,000 per contract action.
