A Comprehensive Guide on How to Get a GSA Schedule Contract

At some stage of your journey in federal government contracting, you may find yourself contemplating the process of acquiring GSA Schedule contracts. This enticing prospect has attracted numerous businesses, and while not every adventurer who pursues it will end up crashing on the rocks, those who lack understanding of government-wide contracts face a significant risk of sinking their ships.

In reality, GSA Schedule contracts can hold immense value and profitability for your government contracting enterprise. However, there are numerous considerations to keep in mind. Even failure to carefully evaluate each one could result in discovering that the efforts invested in pursuing such contracts may not yield substantial returns.

That’s precisely why we have compiled this guide- not to provide a one-size-fits-all approach to obtaining GSA Schedules, as the process varies for each business. Instead, the purpose of this article is to assist you in determining whether pursuing a GSA Schedule aligns with your specific circumstances, as the answer might surprise you.

Let’s begin the article by covering the fundamentals!

What are the GSA Schedule Contracts

Simply speaking, GSA Schedules serves as a government procurement catalogue that specially designed to minimize redundant contracts throughout the federal government. These catalogues expedite the procurement process for frequently purchased goods and services, such as cleaning supplies and IT services.

Businesses that secure a position on these catalogues are granted the chance to sell their listed products and services to the federal agencies at pre-negotiated prices. By purchasing from a schedule, contracting professionals can procure from your company without undergoing the cumbersome government solicitation process.

How Do Companies Obtain GSA Schedule Contracts?

To secure a contract or schedule with the government, companies must submit a proposal in accordance with the GSA’s solicitation guidelines. However, unlike other proposals that have specific submission deadlines, GSA Schedule proposals can be submitted at any time.

To begin the process, check out the GSA’s multiple award schedule solicitation on beta.SAM.gov to carefully review all the requirements. Next, determine the specific service area within the 12 available options that you wish to pursue. If you possess ample experience in bidding on federal contracts, you should be able to navigate the solicitation package and develop your own compliance matrix and proposal plan. It is crucial to include details about your past performance, quality assurances, and a comprehensive overview of your business, while ensuring strict adherence to all terms and conditions.

Well, the process of how to get a GSA contract can be quite lengthy and time-consuming. If you require additional support, it may be beneficial to enlist the assistance of a GSA Schedule consultant.

However, before embarking on the solicitation response process, it is essential to determine whether the products or services you wish to sell are actually offered within the Multiple Award Schedule program.

You might be wondering: How to accomplish this? Keep reading to learn more information on this fact.

What Goods and Services are Offered through GSA Schedule Contracts?

As of the latest update in FY2020, there are 12 distinct categories encompassing a wide range of product and service contracts. These categories include various sectors such as Furniture, Transportation and Medical Products. The comprehensive list of categories is as follows, with each category expanding into subcategories that provide more specific details about the products:

  1. Industrial Products and services
  2. Office Management
  3. Furniture and Furnishing
  4. Information Technology
  5. Facilities
  6. Human Capital
  7. Professional Services
  8. Scientific Management and Solutions
  9. Security and Protection
  10. Transportation and Logistics Services
  11. Travel
  12. Miscellaneous

These 12 categories cover a broad spectrum, so it may require some creativity to identify the most suitable category for your specific product or service. Once you have found a category that aligns with your offerings, you can further proceed with confidence, knowing that investing time and effort into pursuing a place on the relevant GSA Schedule is worthwhile.

Should Your Business Consider Pursuing a GSA Schedule Contract?

If your product or service is already registered in GSA Schedules, it may be a viable option for your business. Once registered, you can utilize the schedule for its entire performance period, provided you meet the annual criteria for minimum revenue and maintain a favourable contractual performance record.

However, it's important to note that GSA schedules differ from standalone contracts in that they have multiple awardees. This means that you will still be competing with other companies offering similar products or services. In the government contracting industry, multiple award schedules are often likened to "hunting licenses." While obtaining one is a significant achievement, it does not guarantee revenue. To succeed, you must proactively identify target agencies, establish connections with buyers, and promote your business and schedule offerings.

While there may be occasional instances where proactive government contracting professionals directly approach schedule holders for contracts, such opportunities are rare and typically reserved for companies eligible for set-aside contracts.

If you cannot locate your products within GSA Schedules, you might find success with the VA Federal Supply Schedule, which focuses primarily on medical supplies. This is especially true if your business is veteran-owned or service-disabled veteran-owned, as the VA follows the "rule of two" construct that requires them to award contracts to businesses in this community.

With the right tools and knowledge, GSA Schedules can provide an efficient pathway for contracting with the government and prove to be lucrative for your business. If you discover a strong product-market fit within any of the 12 service areas and are prepared to invest the necessary hard work and focus to secure a place on the multiple award schedule, we wish you the best of luck in your journey!

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