Here Is Why Gsa Schedule Is Important For Your Business
If youre wondering, whether you should apply for a Schedule, here are three major reasons why you should:
- The market is huge. As said above, overall spending within the Multiple Awards Schedule is massive. It revolves around $33 billion since 2015 and shows no signs of weakening. This is more than the entire budget of the Department of Justice! Even a tiny part of this sum can be life-changing for your business.
- GSA needs everything.The complete list of GSA Schedules covers virtually every business sphere, almost every service and product a business could offer. This means, theres a place for your companys products and services.
- Most contracts are 5-years. If a GSA certified company wins a Schedule, it is allowed to provide its services to any federal, local and state government organizations for five years.
Types Of Goods And Services
Due to the wide and varied nature of work which government employees perform from RCMP officers to armed forces, from street cleaners to administration staff the Government of Canada purchases a wide variety of goods and services every year.
With the help of Public Works and Government Services Canada , the governments common service provider and main purchaser, the federal government spends approximately $15 billion a year on goods and services ranging from airplanes to paperclips, as well as a wide variety of services.
Government Contracting Procedures Briefly
Each agency of the federal government conducts business with the public through three specific authorized agents, called contracting officers. These officers are:
- The Procurement Contracting Officer awards contracts and deals with contract terminations in the event the contractor defaults on the terms of the contract.
- The Administrative Contracting Officer administers the contract.
- The Termination Contracting Officer deals with contract terminations when the government chooses to terminate the contract for its own reasons.
Depending on the situation, the same person may the PCO, the ACO, and the TCO.
As a sovereign entity , the federal government retains rights that commercial businesses do not have. Perhaps most importantly, the government has the right to unilaterally change the terms of the contract, provided that the changes are within the general parameters of the contract.
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How To Apply For A Gsa Contract
Now, lets get to the point. You know GSA Schedule is a great opportunity for you, but how do you obtain a GSA Schedule contract?
The process requires a lot of steps and each step should be done with maximum accuracy, as even a single typo or a form filled with a mistake results in rejection of your offer. Provided the review of each offer is lengthy, it is vital to do everything correctly from the beginning.
Getting Gsa Schedule Approved
How do you get on the gsa schedule. The GSA certification process is time and effort-consuming with a number of pitfalls that may ruin months of preparation to GSA Schedule.
Formal requirements to a business
In order to get an accreditation from GSA, the company must comply with the following requirements:
- At least 2 years in business. Most GSA contracts can only be taken by established businesses that operate several years on the market.
- Revenue of $100,000+/ per year. Your company must generate at least this amount in revenue in each of the last two consecutive years. Some Schedules may require higher amounts.
- The company is not in debt.
- TAA compliance. Products and Services the company offers should be produced in TAA compliant countries.
- Specific requirements. Some Schedules may require specific skills or experience from the contractor. Make sure to refer to the GSA solicitation for exact details.
GSA Schedule offer review duration
Typically, the process of obtaining a GSA contract takes about one year from the first steps to the award. This includes registering the company, preparing documents, submitting documents, negotiating details, waiting for the review process to complete, and award.
Typical reasons for rejection
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How To Register As A Government Contractor
- B.S., Texas A& M University
For thousands of small businesses, contracting for the sale of their goods and services to the federal government agencies opens the doors of growth, opportunity and, of course, prosperity.
But before you can bid on and be awarded government contracts, you or your business must be registered as government contractor. Getting registered as a government contractor is a four-step process.
Understanding Historical Agency Buying Patterns
Knowing what Agencies have procured in the past can help determine what they may be interested in procuring in the future. The General Services Administration’s Integrated Award Environment operates and maintains the Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation. The FPDS is the central repository of statistical information on federal contracting and can be a very useful tool for market research. The system contains detailed information on contract actions over $25,000 and summary data on procurements of less than $25,000. The system identifies who bought what, from whom, for how much, when and where. The FPDS maintains historical contracting information dating back to 1981.
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Access Portals To Selling Green Products To The Federal Government:
Federal Business Opportunities : Federal Business Opportunities, is the single point of universal electronic public access on the Internet for government-wide, federal procurement opportunities/solicitations that exceed $25,000. Government buyers post business opportunities on the FedBizOpps site. Commercial vendors seeking federal markets for their products and services can search, monitor and retrieve opportunities/solicitations posted by the entire federal contracting community through this portal. FedBizOpps also sends feedback to vendors through an e-mail notification service.
In FY2019, approximately $718 million in sales were made via GSA Advantage!®. Agencies can browse available Multiple Award Schedule and GSA Global Supply items and select the one that is the best value for their requirements. MAS vendors also have the opportunity to highlight their green products on GSA Advantage!® with environmental icons, allowing customers to quickly identify products that meet green purchasing requirements. Environmental icons are added to product listings by vendors via the Schedules Input Program . Documentation to substantiate the use of environmental attributes, or icons, in GSA Advantage!® may include:
- Product specifications
For more information on how to sell green products and services through a variety of GSA programs .
Finding Business Opportunities With Fedbizopps
Generally speaking, federal contractors and businesses interested in providing goods and services to the government must:
Businesses should first visit Federal Business Opportunities, or FedBizOpps, and register there to be notified of newly posted opportunities in their industries. FedBizOpps provides a comprehensive database of all major government solicitations, contract awards, subcontracting opportunities, surplus property sales, and foreign business opportunities with the federal government.
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Register In System For Award Management
Once you have an understanding of the process from the PTAC counselor, you must register to do business with the federal government through the System for Award Management . Registration is free. Be sure to gather pertinent information ahead of time, including your companys DUNS Number and tax identification number.
During the registration process, you must indicate you want to participate in the Disaster Response Registry. This allows contracting officers to locate your company through the Disaster Response Registry Search.
The Association for Procurement Technical Assistance Centers offers step-by-step guidance for registering.
Top Commodities Procured For Disasters
Before starting the process to become a contractor with FEMA after a local disaster, review our list of most needed items to find areas where you can make the biggest impact. For more information, send an email with CUSI Information Request in the subject line to the . A program representative will respond if there is a potential basis to do business.
- Infant/Toddler Products
For more information on the Commonly Used Sheltering Items , with the subject “CUSI Information Request.” Your inquiry will be reviewed and sent to applicable representatives.
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Why Are Commodity Codes Important
There are three primary reasons you should select commodity codes and keep them up to date:
In addition to entering in codes when you register it is important that you keep your codes current. If your business changes what it offers or adds a product or services, making sure that your SIGMA VSS profile is up-to-date ensures that you won’t miss out on any opportunities.
Doing Business With Fema
Learn about the four-step process your company or organization can follow to do business with FEMA, in accordance with the Robert T. Stafford Act.
If you are doing business in a FEMA facility, be aware of the recent White House Executive Order on Protecting the Federal Workforce and Requiring Mask-Wearing and contact your Contracting Officers Representative for more information.
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Items You Will Need For Registration
Here are some of the things you will need when registering your business.
- Your NAICS codes
- Your Federal Supply Classification codes
Obviously, all of these codes and certifications are geared toward making it easier for the federal government purchasing and contracting agents to find your business and match it to their specific needs.
Vets First Verification Program
In order to qualify for participation in the Veterans First Contracting Program, eligible SDVOSBs/VOSBs must first be verified. OSDBUs Center for Verification and Evaluation manages the Vets First Verification Program, which affords verified firms owned and controlled by Veterans and Service-disabled Veterans the opportunity to compete for VA set asides. Verification extends eligibility for set-asides and sole source contract awards to SDVOSBs and VOSBs. Please visit the Vets First Verification Program website for more information about the VA verification process and how Public Law 109-461 relates to the Veterans First Contracting Program.
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Updating Your Vendor Profile:
If you are a NYC-certified company and your profile in the NYC Online Directory of Certified Businesses is incorrect, you can update your information. If you want to update your:
- NIGP codes: you must log into the City’s Procurement and Sourcing Solutions Portal . Please choose *only* the NIGP codes that best describe the products and/or services your business provides. For assistance, please complete the Contact PASSPort form.
- Contact information: please call us at 513-6444 or complete our contact form.
- Business address, company description, and/or experience listed in your profile: you must send a signed request on company letterhead with both old and new information to:
NYC Department of Small Business Services1 Liberty Plaza, 11th FloorNew York, NY 10006Attn: Certification Unit, Division of Financial and Economic Opportunity
*Please note that for changes that may affect your businesses’ certification eligibility, we may request additional documentation before updating your profile.
Find Your Companys Naics Code
While its not absolutely necessary, chances are you will need to find your North American Industry Classification System code. NAICS codes classify businesses according to their economic sector, industry, and location. Depending on the products and services they offer, many businesses may fit udner multiple NAICS industry codes. When you register your business in the SAM database, be sure to list all of its applicable NAICS codes.
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Submit Your Company Capabilities Or Request A Meeting With The Fema Voluntary Vendor Profile Form
The vendor profile form can serve as a secondary market research or vendor presentation meeting resource. Information supplied should not be proprietary or sensitive in nature. Please be specific about how your product and/or service can support FEMAs mission.
File name structure: Company Name_State_MMDDYYExample: Best Vendor_DC_071520
Solid Reputation Drives In More Commercial Market Clients
The GSA Approved badge means the U.S. Government trusts you and orders your products. For your clients, this is a golden sign of stability and reliability too. In other words, being a GSA approved vendor is a huge advantage even if you dont sell to the government but merely hold a Schedule. Although, selling to GSA is vital or your Schedule is cancelled.
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Four Common Contracting Concerns In The Defense Supply Chain
As a defense supplier, keep in mind that you must adhere to the needs of a very strict and demanding supply chain. Although the aerospace and defense industry has aggressive programs, they still experience delays in deliveries. To help you understand the defense industry market more and how you can solve their problems, let’s discuss four other common concerns that DoD project-focused program managers and buyers have when sourcing a new supplier.
Obtaining A Gsa Schedule Contract
Another way to sell to the government is by obtaining a General Services Administration Schedule contract. Schedules are long-term, government-wide contracts between commercial suppliers and the government that allow you to sell to any federal agency. Vendors are pre-approved and ceiling prices and other terms are pre-negotiated, so the process is a lot quicker and more streamlined than with public bidding, plus youll face less competition.
GSA Schedules are categorized by types of products and servicesyou can find the list of Schedules on the GSA website. For instance, IT services and software are sold through IT Schedule 70.
Keep in mind that holding a GSA Schedule contract only qualifies you to sell to government agencies it doesnt guarantee sales, so youll still need to market yourself. But first, to get approved youll have to complete a number of registrations and certifications, and youre typically required to have been in business for at least two years.
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What Exactly Does Gsa Compliant Status Mean
GSA Approval is a status that signifies a vendor is ready to sell to the government and the General Services Administration approves this by awarding it with a Schedule. GSA Approved contractors are eligible to bid for government contracts. Also, only if a company is GSA compliant, it is allowed to publish its offers on federal buying platforms such as GSA Advantage!
How To Register As A Small Business
STEP 1
Register for a Data Universal Number System, or as its more commonly known as, D-U-N-S number
10 minutes // 1-2 business days to approve // free
A D-U-N-S number, issued by Dun & Bradstreet, is a unique code is used to identify your business and establish your business credit file.
STEP 2
Identify the classification of your products and services
As part of the federal registration process, you will also need to know where your products or services classify under the North American Industry Classification System code for administrative, contracting and tax purposes. You can search for your NAICS code using keywords which best describe your business. The Small Business Administration uses NAICS as the basis for its size standards and all procurements utilize NAICS codes to describe the principle purpose for the acquisition.
Common NAICS codes for digital services include:
- 511210 Software publishers
- 541511 Computer software programming services, custom
Register your business with the System of Award Management
1 hour // 4 days or less to approve // free
Pre-requisites: D-U-N-S number Tax ID number , NAICS Code
SAM is the system of record for vendors doing business with the federal government. Using SAM you can self-certify your business’ size and socio-economic status.
Instructional video on how to register:
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Becoming A Government Supplier
Governments are significant purchasers of goods and services, which means there are many opportunities for businesses interested in becoming a supplier or vendor with both the federal and state governments.
There are many opportunities for businesses offering a wide variety of products and services in many industries. To learn more about the opportunities for entering into government contracting, please contact your local Procurement Technical Assistance Center .
Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity
GSA has awarded several Multiple Award IDIQ contracts to procure technical expertise in areas such as cost estimating, architect/engineer services, seismic/structural/blast services, construction management and inspection, general construction, repair and alteration, design-build, demolition and remediation services.
GSA’s PBS IDIQ Contract Listing – July 2015
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Procurement Agents: 5 Facts For Government Contractors
Government contractor jobs can be very lucrative, but the process of acquiring these government contracts is much different than working within the private sector. Each government agency has procurement agents to help facilitate the selection of contractors, and its smart to understand a bit about these important individuals.
When it comes to government contractor jobs, the word procurement will become very important to you. Procurement refers to the process by which all government agencies acquire goods and services from the private sector. Every agency of the federal government and most state government agencies will have procurement agents on staff specifically to help with finding government contractors. Here are a few helpful facts about these government agents.
1. Procurement Agents Are Crucial Decision MakersWhile the owner of a private company can simply select a vendor, the heads of government agencies cannot just decide that they want a good or service, call up a company and purchase what they need. They must first submit a request or purchase order to the procurement agents serving their agency.
There are many examples online of solid Capability Statements, and we highly recommend that you take a look, and follow their lead. A great statement, just like a great resume, truly can set you apart from other companies.
