The General Services Administration struck a new OneGov deal with OpenAI that will provide ChatGPT access to all government employees through Dec. 31, 2028, replacing the current $1 per-agency agreement set to expire Sept. 30. The deal shifts to consumption-based pricing, meaning agencies pay only for what they use with no upfront spend commitment.
Federal agencies will receive half-off token-based usage across ChatGPT models, including those in FedRAMP-authorized environments. OpenAI is also waiving the monthly $15 per-user license fee and eliminating platform-access fees. Access extends to federal, state, local, and tribal governments through OpenAI directly, resellers, and supported cloud marketplaces.
GSA Administrator Ed Forst said the deal supports the government's AI initiative in that it "enhances federal performance, reduces administrative burden, and ensures that agencies can devote more time to delivering results that directly benefit the American people."
What the deal includes
Beyond discounted model access, the agreement covers training and enablement resources to support agency adoption and integration of AI tools. OpenAI said agencies will also get half-off access to Daybreak, its cybersecurity platform. The company confirmed that over 1 million government employees already use ChatGPT through existing agreements, and this deal expands potential access to roughly 23 million people.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the company is "honored to continue collaborating with GSA." He added that "giving public servants secure access to the best AI tools can help government be more efficient, strengthen cybersecurity, and improve the services people rely on."
Timing and broader context
The announcement arrives as three popular AI deals near their Sept. 30 expiration. Agreements for Google's Gemini and Anthropic's Claude are also set to lapse, with no renewal plans announced yet. Federal Acquisition Service acting Commissioner Laura Stanton said that as "agencies increasingly integrate AI into their regular operations, providing consumption-based access is the next logical step."
Stanton also invited other AI companies to explore OneGov opportunities: "We welcome additional AI technology companies to engage with GSA and explore opportunities to bring their capabilities to agencies through OneGov as we continue to expand choice, increase competition, and deliver value for taxpayers."
GSA reported that OneGov has achieved nearly $1.7 billion in cost savings, with $1.4 billion coming from AI tools serving about 3.5 million federal employees. The agency said it is renewing agreements where appropriate as existing offers expire.
Why this matters for government employees
The shift to consumption-based pricing removes the per-agency barrier that limited adoption under the previous structure. For agency teams, this means access to tools like AI for Government workflows without navigating separate procurement processes or justifying a fixed license fee. The no-minimum-spend model lets smaller offices experiment with AI capabilities at their own pace, while the training resources included in the deal address a common bottleneck: knowing how to use the tools effectively once access is granted. With the contract locked through 2028, agencies gain enough runway to build AI into long-term operational planning rather than treating it as a short-term pilot.
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