Become a Preferred Government Vendor Using the GSA Schedule
The General Services Administration (GSA) administers the bulk purchasing division of the federal government. What does this mean? It means that anyone in any location within the federal government can buy your registered product or service by simply going online and ordering through a shopping cart.
Think “Amazon” for government buyers – any quantity that you allow, at pricing and terms you set, without having to go through the normal contracting process.
A GSA schedule (also referred to as the Federal Supply Schedule) serves as a valuable contractual arrangement between a contractor and the federal government. It spans a five-year term and establishes agreed upon pricing and terms on standard commercial products and services. The contract may be renewed for three 5-year periods; up to a total of 20 years.
Notably, a GSA schedule contract is a formal agreement but does not involve immediate funding or product/service delivery, known as an IDIQ contract (Indefinite Quantity, Indefinite Delivery). Funding only takes place when a federal agency places an order under the terms of your GSA Schedule.
Procurements made through the GSA schedule encompass a wide array of items, from industrial and office products and computers to diverse professional services including IT staffing and facilities management. For the fiscal year ended 2022, the federal government spent $41.1 Billion through GSA Schedule vendors.
GSA Schedules are the preferred procurement method for federal buyers due to their efficiency, and ease of processing an order with fully vetted vendors at pre-negotiated terms and pricing. The advantage for the vendor is reduced competition and increased exposure to government buyers, which can accelerate your business’s timeline to government contracting success.
To become an approved vendor under a GSA Schedule, contractors must navigate a rigorous application process. A pivotal aspect of this process involves negotiating fair and reasonable prices for your products or services to be offered.
FedBiz Access offers its GSA Schedule Proposal Assistance Program designed for businesses that want a professional team to handle the entire proposal preparation process. The outcome of the work is a ready-to-submit GSA Schedule proposal, written for easy GSA review and award.
You will be responsible for providing your corporate experience data, discounting practices, and pricing data using templates and instructions we provide. We prepare the complete GSA proposal ready for submittal.
One of the biggest benefits of outsourcing the GSA Schedule application process to a seasoned professional is the pricing negotiations. From the government side, GSA Contracting Specialists are trained negotiators whose mission is to get the best pricing for the U.S. government. We help you avoid pricing missteps and act as your advocate at the negotiating table.
Upon successful negotiation, the vendor gains approval to be listed as an official supplier for that specific product or service under a Special Item Number (SIN) on the GSA Schedule. Federal agencies’ buyers can then make use of the GSA Advantage portal, an online marketplace dedicated for government buyers to purchase directly from GSA Schedule holders.
When orders are placed under a GSA Schedule, the buyer essentially searches online and requests specific products or services, similar to ordering on Amazon. An approved order establishes a funded contract award between the purchasing agency and the GSA Schedule holder, adhering to the terms and conditions of the vendor’s GSA schedule contract.
One significant advantage of GSA Schedules is the reduction in competition for individual orders due to predetermined prices and terms upon contract award. Nonetheless, proactive sales efforts remain crucial for generating orders. A consistent marketing effort is required to build relationships with contracting officers and small business liaison offices in the agencies you want to work with.
To get in front of buyers and small business liaisons the MatchMaker provides strategy, research, and marketing to win awards. It gives you full access to the Market Intel Database, monthly one-on-one engagement coaching and solicitation review, and personalized email campaigns to contracting officials.
From both the buyer’s and the vendor’s standpoint, the pre-set pricing and terms for ease of purchase are the key attractions of GSA Schedules. These features offer substantial benefits to both parties. Buyers can sidestep the time-consuming bid establishment process while ensuring fairness in pricing decisions. The GSA Schedule presents a contractual mechanism that aligns with procurement rules and facilitates quick and straightforward sales.
Another attractive feature for vendors under GSA Schedule contracts, annual renegotiations can include price adjustments based on factors like commercial cost increases or economic indices. Vendors also have the flexibility to provide discounts for specific agency orders without affecting the contract prices.
In addition to federal agencies, state and local agencies may directly purchase products and services for use by items law enforcement and disaster recovery, among other things.
The federal government continues to push the adoption of purchasing through GSA Schedule holders as a more effect procurement method across agencies for better buying power. Also, the lower administrative costs associated with delivering products or services under GSA Schedules are notably more efficient compared to managing individual contracts.
FedBiz Access (“FedBiz”) has an experienced team that works with small businesses and takes the time to get to know your business and ask questions to ensure you have a solid contracting plan. FedBiz is a leading government contracting business development and marketing firm that provides engagement strategy coaching, SAM & DSBS registration, set-aside certification registrations, GSA Schedules, proposal writing, and targeted market research.
FedBiz has over 22 years of experience working with thousands of companies worldwide to help them win over $35.7 billion in awards. From registration to award, FedBiz helps businesses succeed in the government marketplace.
Your Government Registration Level (“GRL”) is your roadmap from registration to award.
