Frequently Asked Questions on GSA Schedule Contract

What is the GSA acronym?

The General Services Administration, or GSA, is a federal organization that was started in 1949. The agency has changed throughout the years, and its current responsibilities include administering government real estate and buildings, supporting the purchase of goods and services, and creating laws and regulations.

The GSA Schedules Program and GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Contracts, often known as Federal Supply Schedule Contracts or the GSA Schedules, are what GSA Contract is most known for. The purpose of the GSA Schedules Program is to expedite government purchases of commercial goods and services while maximizing the federal government's purchasing power.

What is the GSA schedule contract?

Indefinite delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts under the General Services Administration's Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Program are referred to as GSA Schedule Contracts, commonly known as GSA Schedules or Federal Supply Schedules. To make it easier for federal employees to buy goods and services, the GSA Schedule Contracts were created. These contracts include pre-negotiated rates, delivery schedules, warranties, and other terms and conditions that simplify the purchasing process.

Is a GSA Contract required for my business to do business with the government?

It is not required by law for contractors doing business with the federal government to be on the GSA schedule. However, a lot of organizations will only use GSA Schedule Contracts to place orders. As a result, organizations that work closely with the federal government eventually discover that they need to get a Schedule Contract.

Why ought my business obtain a GSA Contract?

Full and open competition is used to award purchases made through GSA Schedules. Evaluation cycles are shorter since prices have already been determined to be fair and reasonable and contracts are following all applicable laws and regulations. Direct purchases can be conducted through a contractor's GSA Schedule Contract, doing away with the need to respond to intricate RFPs and hold protracted discussions.

• To satisfy recurring product/service needs, agencies and contractors under the GSA Schedule form blanket purchase agreements (BPAs). By getting rid of tedious ordering processes, BPAs cut administrative costs.
• Contractor Team Arrangements (CTAs) are agreements between two or more GSA Schedule Contract holders to collaborate to offer a comprehensive response to an agency's request.
• Federal government agencies can examine, compare, and directly purchase goods and services offered through GSA ScheduleContracts through GSA Advantage!, an online marketplace.

Can my business obtain a GSA Contract?

Each GSA Schedule has a slightly different set of requirements for obtaining a contract. However, a business must generally satisfy the following requirements:

• Monetary stability
• 2 Years or More in Business
• Previous Experience
• Commercially available products

Items that adhere to the Trade Agreements Act. The final product must be made in the United States or a "specified country" as described under the Trade Agreements Act.

How does my business become a GSA Contract?

How Can I...?

• Enroll in the GSA List?
• Obtain GSA Certification
• and acquire a GSA number?
• Receive GSA approval?
• Get GSA pricing

Because it is referred to in a variety of ways, the GSA Schedules Program can be difficult to understand. Obtaining a GSA Schedule Contract is often referred to as being added to the GSA list, being GSA certified, or receiving a GSA number. Understanding the procedure can be made easier by realizing that it is a government contract and not just a certification, a number, or a spot on a list. Companies who want to be considered for GSA Schedule Contracts must submit a proposal.

When can I expect to receive a GSA Contract?

There are two phases to the process of obtaining a GSA Schedule Contract: Creating your proposal, reviewing it with the GSA, and negotiating the contract award are the first two steps. It could take several months to more than a year to write a proposal from scratch. Depending on whatever GSA Schedule category you are pursuing, the evaluation period will change after your request has been submitted to GSA. The IT Large Category reviews take about three to four months, whereas the Furniture and Security Categories take more than a year.

If my business is awarded a GSA Contract, who can I sell to?

You can reach out to a huge number of federal clients with a GSA Schedule Contract, including:

• Governmental and Executive Organs
• Defense Department (DOD)
• District of Columbia government
• Government contractors with permission to use federal funds
• A few organizations and international institutions

Need Assistance Joining the GSA Schedule?

For years we are assisting businesses in obtaining GSA Schedule contracts. From choosing the proper GSA Schedule categories and creating pricing strategies to putting together your submission and handling talks with GSA, we can assist you at every stage of the procedure.

Is It Easy Getting On GSA Schedule Program? Things You Need To Know

Obtaining a GSA contract is a challenging process. Before thinking about obtaining a GSA contract, you need to know about getting into the GSA Schedule program. For that, you need to make preparations to be eligible and acquire GSA certification. 

Basically, The GSA Schedule is a long-term governmentwide contract with commercial companies. It provides access to commercial products and services to the government. Due to this contracting vehicle, the products and services are sold at a reasonable and fair price.

For small businesses, getting on a GSA Schedule can be overwhelming due to the complex and detailed submission process. If you carry out your tasks in a systematic approach then it can be a lot easier. There are requirements that you need to fulfill as a commercial company or federal contractor to become a GSA contractor. So, you must know all the requirements and follow a definite path systematically till you successfully obtain the GSA certification.

In this blog, we will talk about the eligibility criteria for getting into the GSA Schedule program. We will also mention what you need to do to obtain GSA contracts. Before that you need to understand should you consider getting on the GSA Schedule program.

Should you consider getting on a GSA Schedule?

A GSA Schedule contract can be a valuable tool to increase federal sales if your company has the following things.

• Customers are requesting you get a GSA Schedule. 
• You have gathered experience in selling to government agencies. 
• Your competitors have GSA Schedule 
• Your market research is supporting GSA Schedule sales. 
• Your products and services are already registered in GSA Schedules. 
• Your products and service fit in with the GSA Schedule contracts.

If you don’t want to respond to time-consuming, costly RFQs and RFPs. The process for receiving orders becomes far simpler than a traditional RFP after obtaining a contract. Small and large businesses, commercial products manufacturers and resellers, consulting firms, and professional service firms from all industries can obtain GSA contracts. Now you can decide if you should consider getting on the GSA Schedule program. 

Know the eligibility criteria to become a GSA contractor

You need to make sure that you are eligible to become a GSA contractor before you go through the process of completing a GSA Schedule process. The GSA wants to ensure that the companies are responsible. They also make sure that the companies have gathered experience, and have good financials. The companies also need to have products and services that abide by government regulations. The requirements are mentioned below:

• Before acquiring a GSA Schedule contract, contractors need to gather at least two years of experience. 
• The contractors either need to have 3 CPARS reports or need to provide 3 to 5 customer references. 
• Potential contractors who are going to provide services need to provide fully executed Statements of Work and descriptions of past projects similar in scope to each SIN they are proposing. 
• Contractors who are going to provide products must have TAA-complaint and must have fair and reasonable pricing.

If you cannot meet all these requirements then you can partner with an authorized GSA Schedule reseller on their contract. In this way, you can be a subcontractor and obtain GSA contracts.

How to get on the GSA Schedule? 

Now it is time to know how to get on the GSA Schedule. To understand the process we have broken it down into 4 phases for getting on a GSA Schedule.

• Phase 1 – GSA preparation & submission 
• Phase 2 – GSA review & contract negotiation 
• Phase 3 – GSA contract award and start-up 
• Phase 4 – On-going GSA contract management & marketing

GSA preparation & submission

Based on the specific GSA Schedule’s solicitation you prepare a GSA proposal. After that, you submit it to GSA through the GSA’s eOffer system. This is the very first phase of getting ona GSA Schedule and in the very beginning, you need to prepare and submit all the necessary documents. 

GSA review & contract negotiation

The GSA reviews the proposal to determine if the commercial company or federal contractor is a responsible vendor. GSA evaluates the prices that have been offered by the contractors. After proper evaluation, GSA tries to negotiate better terms. Once the negotiation is done, GSA awards the contract to the federal contractor. Phase 2 can be time-consuming, as it takes four to twelve month.

GSA award & start-up

After obtaining a GSA contract, you will have to take certain important steps and these are:

• Registering the contract. 
• Uploading the price list and catalog to GSA Advantage (an official website of GSA). 
• Setting up your profile in eBuy.

On-going GSA contract management and marketing

The fourth phase involves managing and maintaining GSA contracts. In this phase, marketing is also an important part. As a GSA contractor, you must prepare a contract modification request for approval, if you want to change the prices, add or delete products or services. To ensure everybody is in compliance with the GSA contract terms, contract administrators must work with the team of sales and marketing. Your team of sales and marketing must know how to utilize the GSA Schedule and take all the benefits of the offers of a GSA contract.

Conclusion

So we have explained all the phases that you need to go through to obtain a GSA Schedule contract. We have also mentioned if getting on a GSA Schedule is perfect or not. As you have already read the eligibility criteria to become a GSA contractor, now you need to take steps for becoming one.

Is Consulting for GSA Schedules Expensive?

GSA consulting services are less expensive than you would assume.

This article is for you if you're still undecided about whether to conduct the complete GSA Schedule preparation and proposal submission in-house or employ a third-party GSA Schedule consulting business. We've gathered all of the data you'll need to decide. A common misconception is that GSA Consulting is prohibitively expensive for small businesses. We're going to show you that this isn't true. Continue reading!

GSA CONSULTING FIRM TYPES

Let's be honest: not all GSA consulting firms are created equal. Costs, services offered, delivery timeframes, and reliability vary widely among agencies. In general, all GSA Contract consultants fall into one of two categories: 

• GSA consulting firms that provide only a portion of their services
• Full-service Consulting businesses that work with the GSA

HOW MUCH DOES CONSULTING FOR THE GSA SCHEDULE COST?

After reading the foregoing, you may believe that hiring a GSA consulting firm is out of your price range. Don't put your faith in it. Let's do a quick calculation to determine if it's better to stick to in-house GSA contract preparation or outsource this task to an agency.

In-house

If you opt to handle everything related to your GSA Schedule contract in-house, you'll need to delegate this responsibility to one of your workers, either part-time or full-time. She or he would need a place to work.

If this individual works part-time for the GSA, he or she will presumably have to dedicate a portion of his or her time to other responsibilities. That is not the best option unless you are prepared for some of your major responsibilities to be jeopardized as a result. Furthermore, your in-house staff may not be fully conversant with the government purchasing system. As a result, there's a chance that supplied documents may contain errors, that chances will be missed, that forms will be incorrectly filled, that compliance concerns will arise, and so on. Of course, we are not claiming that all of these will occur. However, based on our previous experience, that is a very likely consequence.

Overall, the GSA Schedule costs about $15,000-$17,000 if done in-house.

Companies that provide only a portion of their services

Even if you only want to delegate a portion of the process to a third-party business, hiring GSA Schedule consultants is a good option. Because the GSA's standards are so high, even minor assistance is appreciated. This approach will undoubtedly save you money, but keep in mind that you are still responsible for numerous areas that the partial-service agency does not cover. This essentially indicates that you must still appoint a person to that task; however, a part-time solution is acceptable in this circumstance.

The cost of engaging a partial-help GSA consulting firm, plus the cost of part-time in-house staff, is roughly $5000.

Firms that provide a complete service

When it comes to all-inclusive organizations, how much does GSA consultancy cost? Let's see what happens. In all interactions and communications with the GSA, a full-cycle GSA consulting organization acts entirely on your side and legally represents you. This indicates that only a small portion of GSA contractual activity, such as signing agreements, making crucial decisions, establishing strategies, and so on, cannot be delegated. The full-service firm assists you with document preparation, form completion, contract negotiation, and (if necessary) clarification of certain GSA contract terms and conditions. The costs of such services appear to be higher. In general, you may anticipate paying between $20,000 and $25,000.

Does it appear to be more expensive than doing it in-house? Not so fast, my friend. Keep in mind that you're getting an all-inclusive package! Because 90 percent of first GSA applications are rejected, the penalty of a single error is prohibitively expensive. Surely, your in-house expert can devote his time examining the Federal Acquisition Regulation, creating perfect documentation for GSA submission, and securing a GSA contract with flying colors for you. But what are the possibilities that you currently have such an individual on your payroll?

A full-service firm, on the other hand, ensures a faster application, a higher likelihood of approval due to zero errors in the submission documents, lower rates as a consequence of negotiation, and a positive connection with the GSA contracting officer (this bonus will pay off in the future). Furthermore, a full-service firm will maintain your GSA contract long after it has been awarded (see below), promptly resolving any issues that arise.

Keep in mind that the cost of a GSA schedule consultation is determined by a variety of criteria, including your industry, competition in your GSA category on the federal market, the structure of your company, labor categories, commercial practices, and so on.

Know About 5 Years GSA Schedule Contracts to Understand the Time Period

If you want to obtain a 5 years GSA contract then before submitting your offerings to the GSA, there are some basic areas that you need to review. Consider these areas before pursuing GSA Schedule contracts.

 

The GSA Schedule is a long-term governmentwide contract. These contracts between the federal agencies and contractors have a definite time duration. Millions of commercial products and services are available to federal customers. These products and services are offered at reasonable and balanced prices to the federal agencies due to the GSA Schedule program.

The blog will give an idea about the time frame which will help readers to understand the stages of the contract. The years of the GSA Schedule contract are divided into various kinds of activities and concerns.

So that is why it is important to understand all the stages of GSA contracts. Therefore, readers must be aware of all the 5 years of GSA Schedule contracts.  

Gather experience at first

If you have a business with no experience then you need to wait. So, if you have a start-up company then it is most likely you need to wait before diving into obtaining GSA Schedule contracts. It is because commercial companies or contractors need to provide at least 2 years of financial documents.

Basically, applicants for 5 year GSA contracts need to gather an ample amount of experience and generate revenue to obtain GSA Schedule contracts. Your company must have at least 2 years of experience. That is why gathering experience is necessary before diving into the procurement process of government contracting.

In case, you are going to pursue IT Schedule 70 then there is a program designed by the government of the United States. This program is called ‘Start-up spring board’. By getting to this program you can submit even without having 2 years of experience. The GSA Schedule contracts continue for 20 years. The duration of each option or phase is 5 years that can be renewed 3 times.

How much time does it take to obtain a GSA Schedule contract?

In order to obtain a 5 year GSA contract, you need to have patience and go through the process which is time-consuming. The time duration for obtaining a GSA schedule contract can be divided into 2 parts. Each part has specific concerns and activities associated with the process.

Time duration for making preparation for your proposal. The review process of your proposal by GSA and the time period for negotiation of your contract award. If you can understand these two parts then going through the process of the GSA Schedule contract would be clear to you.

It takes time to make preparations for getting the desired outcome. It can take anywhere from a few months to over a year to prepare your proposal on your own. After finishing the preparation of your proposal you can submit it to the GSA.

The second stage is the time period for reviewing the proposal that you have sent to the GSA. Going through the process of reviewing this stage will determine whether you will be able to a 5 year GSA contract or not. The time of reviewing process varies depending on the category of the GSA Schedule that you are pursuing in the federal market. The review process can take up to 2 to 3 months on average. If your proposal gets accepted then you will be able to obtain a GSA Schedule contract for the first 5 years. 

Renewal of GSA Schedule Contract

We have already said that the 5 year GSA contract continues for 20 years. Once your proposal gets accepted by the GSA then you will be able to obtain the contract which will have 5 years duration. After each 5-year period, you can renew your GSA Schedule contract. In this way, you can continue for 20 years. This is an option for extension of the GSA Schedule contract. With the option of 3 times renewal, the time period is divided into 4 sections and each section contains 5 years option period. You will be getting an email regarding a contract option extension from the contracting officer. They will send you an email six months before to give you a remainder. So basically, 5 years GSA contracts can be extended up to 20 years.

Conclusion

So start preparing for your government contracting goals and acquire a GSA Schedule contract for the first 5 years. We understand it is a time-consuming process but it is worth putting effort to generate stable income for 20 years. Make sure to stay committed for a long time as these are long-term contracts that can be extended up to 20 years.

So Far, the GSA has Had a Busy 2022: Inflation, 876, and a New Strategy.

The Federal Acquisition Service has had one of its busiest six months in recent memory, with the General Services Administration's upcoming spring GSA schedule 2022 update to its federal marketplace strategy.

It's difficult to recall a period when FAS had to deal with so many moving parts. Since January, the changes and updates have come fast and furious, from the long-awaited transition to the Universal Entity Identification number (UEID) from the DUNS number to the now-much-maligned Polaris small business governmentwide acquisition contract (GWAC), to the unexpected challenges brought on by inflation, which affects nearly every aspect of the public and private sectors.

So, in case you missed some of GSA's critical work over the last few months, here's a quick rundown. This isn't an exhaustive list; rather, it emphasizes some of the most important memos, chances, and objects you may have overlooked.

GSA Schedule 2022 Federal Marketplace Strategy

Through the GSA schedule 2022 and GWACs that the FAS regulates, Sonny Hashmi, the organization's commissioner, continues to make the purchasing and selling experience easier.

GSA has announced that it would undertake a new buyer experience effort based on human-centered design to achieve this goal.

In an April 13 statement, GSA stated, "This breakthrough will eliminate pain points that federal agency purchasers, suppliers, and GSA acquisition experts have identified in feedback." "The improved buyer experience will provide buyers with acquisition tools and market research solutions, as well as paperwork, templates, and price resources to aid in acquisition planning."

GSA stated that its intentions with these news tools are standard, such as lowering responsibilities and streamlining the client agency's experience.

However, when you delve a little further, you'll find that FAS is attempting to solve several long-standing criticisms about its menu.

Inflation adjustments are still on the way.

Contractors requesting assistance to deal with the nation's 7.9% inflation were immediately responded to by the GSA.

On March 17, GSA's senior procurement officer, Jeff Koses, and FAS's Office of Policy and Compliance's associate commissioner, Mark Lee, temporarily modified restrictions around the Economic Price Adjustment (EPA) contract terms.

• Reduce the contracting director's approval for price hikes beyond the EPA clause ceiling to one level above the contracting officer;
• Reduce the time limits on EPA increases;
• Limits on the number of EPA increases a contractor can request should be relaxed; and
• GSA will not enforce the prohibition on adding the same item back at a higher price if a contractor has deleted an item from their Schedule contract.

"While EPA clauses are meant to protect GSA's interests, they are making it more difficult for federal agencies to get important goods, services, and solutions in today's market." Contractors are eliminating products from the Federal Supply Schedules contracts to avoid selling at a loss. In the memo, Koses and Lee write that "this damage new entrants and small businesses, the same enterprises that the President's procurement equity measures are designed to aid." "To guarantee that it can continue to offer a broad choice of products, services, and solutions, GSA must be flexible in how it implements these EPA contract terms." Despite the enhanced flexibility, contracting officers must still review price increases and decide whether to accept, negotiate, or remove items from the underlying contract.

The memo, according to the GSA, is still in effect until September 30.

While contractors praised GSA's fast response, the Coalition for Government Procurement has expressed concerns about how FAS contracting officers are putting the memo into practice.

The issue with any of these memos is getting it down to the contracting officers, and then ensuring that it is implemented consistently once they are aware of it.

The fact that FAS appears to be trying to reduce consistent changes to its contracting officers is troubling, especially considering that agencies have not adequately accounted for inflation and its impact on vendors.

For example, the Defense Department forecasted a 4% increase in inflation. On April 5, senior DoD officials told Congress that the military is currently facing the effects of a greater inflation rate than expected. The Department of Defense, on the other hand, has not disclosed any calculations on reduced purchasing power.

It'll be interesting to see how large of impact inflation becomes in the coming months, especially since agencies must spend six months' worth of cash in that time.

On Schedules, price is still a consideration.

One final decision made by the GSA based on GSA schedule 2022 that may have gone unnoticed by you occurred in February and was made public in March.

GSA opted not to use its authority under Section 876 of the 2019 Defense Authorization Act to exclude price as an evaluation factor when awarding a contract for its schedules program.

GSA decided that keeping pricing at the contract level, rather than the task order level, preserves the MAS program's present value after a series of listening sessions with industry and agency clients.

"Customer agencies raised grave reservations about transferring the pricing negotiating requirement from the contract to the order level. "The majority of agencies noted that this shift will considerably diminish the value of MAS contracts," GSA wrote in a blog post on March 23 based on GSA schedule 2022. "Stakeholders in the industry were split. It was acknowledged by some that it would save time. Others were concerned about internal market research and procurement acquisition lead time (PALT) at the order level."

GSA claimed in a white paper that an integrated project team held six listening sessions with agency and industry clients and came up with a list of "benefits" and "cons," as well as dangers.

The ability to minimize the workload of GSA's contracting officers, as well as industry support for the change, are both reasons why GSA should implement 876 authority under the scheduling program.

Meanwhile, there were a large number of reasons why the 876 authorities should not be implemented. GSA schedule2022, currently ensures competitive rates at the contract level, and agencies can ask for further savings at the order level based on volume buying, and contracting officers wouldn't have to undertake a formal, negotiated procurement at the order level, as required by FAR Part 15.

Know About the Time Frame Of 5 Years GSA Schedule Contract

If you are looking forward to getting a GSA contract, there are basic areas that you need to review before submitting your offerings to the GSA. Make sure to consider these areas before investing time and money in pursuing a GSA Schedule contract. 

This blog will let you know about all the time duration which will help you understand the phases of the contract. All the years of contracts are segmented into various concerns and activities.

The GSA Schedule is a long-term governmentwide contract with commercial companies and federal contractors. Federal customers get access to millions of commercial products and services at reasonable and balanced prices.

After reading this piece of content you will be able to understand the time frames of the GSA Schedule contract vividly. So let’s understand the 5 years GSA contract.

Two years in business

You need to provide two years of financial documents, so if you have a start-up company then it is most likely you need to wait. So basically, applicants for GSA Schedule contracts need to gather enough experience and generate revenue in order to obtain GSA Schedule contracts. You must have at least two years of experience before you dive into the procurement process of contracting.

However, there is an exception! If you are going to pursue IT Schedule 70 then there is a program called ‘Start-up Springboard’. It will allow you to submit without having 2 years of experience.

Remember that GSA contracts last for 20 years. These are 5 years options with 3 renewals.

How long does it take to acquire a GSA Schedule contract?

The time duration of acquiring a GSA Schedule contract has been divided into two parts.

• Preparation for your proposal.

• The review process of your proposal by GSA and negotiation of your contract award.

It takes quite a long time to make adequate preparation. You can choose to prepare a proposal by yourself, but remember it can take anywhere from a few months to over a year. Once you are done preparing your proposal you can submit it to GSA.

Reviewing process is considered to be the second stage which will determine whether you will get a GSA Schedule contract or not. The review time may vary depending on the category of the GSA Schedule that you are pursuing. The process of reviewing may take up to three to four months. Once your proposal is accepted you can get into the 5 years GSA contract.

What is a GSA Schedule option extension?

When you are done obtaining a GSA Schedule contract, it is divided into four sections. Each section contains 5 years option period. In total the time duration of the GSA Schedule contract becomes 20 years.

Six months before starting your 5 years option period, your contracting officer will send you an email regarding a contract option extension. This type of extension is needed to renew your contract for the next 5 years. So the 5 years GSA contracts can be extended up to twenty years. 

Summary

Here is the summary of the complete timeframe of the GSA Schedule contract. Do check the list given below for a better understanding.

• Each section of the GSA contract duration is five years. That is why it is known as 5 year GSA contract. 
• You need to submit at least two years of financial documents. 
• You need to gather at least two years of experience. 
• With IT Schedule 70 you can obtain a GSA Schedule contract without gathering any experience. 
• GSA Schedule contracts last for twenty years.
• There are three renewals available to continue the contract for twenty years.
• It takes a few months to over a year to prepare a proposal for acquiring a GSA Schedule contract. 
• The reviewing process of a proposal may take three to four months though it varies depending on the category. 
• GSA Schedule contract is divided into four sections of five years. 
• With the extension option, you can continue to be engaged with the GSA contract for the next five years.

Conclusion

As we can understand that acquiring a GSA Schedule contract is a time-consuming process so it is better if you don’t waste any more time and start preparing for your goals. 5 year GSA contractis quite a long time and that is why these contracts are considered to be a stablesource of income. You can extend the period of your contract up to twenty years, so you need to stay committed for a long time.