GSA Schedule | GSA Contract | GSA contract terms

WHAT IS GSA CONTRACT?

GSA means General Services Administration. It is a federal organization that manages all and every need of any federal, state or local organization. When entering the procurement process, government employees must use GSA services (direct purchases from a vendor is prohibited). So, they head over to a government acquisition portal, GSAAdvantage.gov, where all vendors publish their GSA contracts, with products and prices.

WHAT IS A GSA CONTRACT?

GSA Contract, sometimes called GSA Schedule, is a long-term contract with the General Services Administration.

The contract is signed for 5 years and can be extended 3 times, for up to 20 years, in total.

This allows commercial companies to sell on the GSAAdvantage.gov portal and respond to bids on eBuy.Gov. A GSA contract works like a license that allows you to sell to the government; having obtained a contract opens your business up to all federal purchasing.

If you want to expand your business, the United States government is a great opportunity for growth. GSA contract terms are strict, and there is a lot of preliminary work to be done, before you can apply for a Schedule. However once a GSA contract is in place, you can sell products and services to government agencies. And that market is big.

About GSA Schedule

The main purpose of the Schedules is to allow the government to get access to many products and services at fair and reasonable prices, as well as reliable quality. Moreover, it allows small, medium and large businesses to get additional profits by cooperating with the biggest buyer in the United States.

Are You Ready For A GSA Contract?

Before you sign anything, it’s always a good idea to screen possibilities, risks and obligations, and then assess your readiness to handle them.

Here is what you should consider before pursuing a GSA Contract:

Marketing Plan. The government needs virtually everything. But your goal is to assess what exactly the government needs among those products and services that you offer. What federal agencies buy what? Where will you have to ship the product once you are awarded? What are the average prices and can you compete with them? Can you offer some additional value to make your proposal look more competitive? You need to build a thorough marketing plan with literally every step described. Yes, this is also true for the commercial market , but with the government you typically cannot afford mistakes and wild guesses.
Time and Resources. One more thing to consider is whether you have time and resources to fulfill the terms of the GSA contract. It is not an easy ride, you have to be prepared. Do you have enough personnel to manage and handle the entire GSA contracting process? Who in your company will look for new opportunities, manage compliance, communicate with GSA contracting officers? Will you create a department for that or delegate this work to existing personnel? Do you have technical possibilities to track sales and create reports for the GSA? After all, will your personnel still be able to perform their main responsibilities with due diligence?
Funding & Financial Strength. While government contracting itself can be a great financial boost, there are certain financial requirements that your business must comply with in order to become (or continue to be) a GSA contractor. First of all, there is the Minimum Sales Requirement which is $25,000 within the first 24 months, and the same amount for each year thereafter. Plus, your company must display financial stability. Also, consider this: does your company have enough financial strength to put a lot of resources into fulfilling terms of a government contract months before it eventually pays off? Sometimes, you will have to put in hundreds of thousands dollars long before your invoices are paid. Are you ready for that?
Experience. Your experience and past performance are of great importance when it comes to the GSA Schedule award. If you can reliably prove your expertise in the field of a specific GSA Schedule category and pertinent SINs, you will have a serious advantage over your competition. Note that past experience on the federal market is not required, but a good past performance record (from at least 6 clients) is a must. GSA contracting officers will conduct the market research to identify your reputation on the commercial market, and your actual experience, so providing as much evidence as you can is a huge plus.

GSA Schedule List

00CORP The Professional Services Schedule (Pss)
03FAC Facilities Maintenance And Management
23 V Automotive Superstore
36 The Office, Imaging And Document Solution
48 Transportation, Delivery And Relocation Solutions
51 V Hardware Superstore
56 Buildings And Building Materials/industrial Services And Supplies
58 I Professional Audio/video Telemetry/tracking, Recording/reproducing And Signal Data Solutions
599 Travel Services Solutions
621 I Professional And Allied Healthcare Staffing Services
621 II Medical Laboratory Testing And Analysis Services
65 I B Pharmaceuticals And Drugs
65 II A Medical Equipment And Supplies
65 II C Dental Equipment And Supplies
65 II F Patient Mobility Devices
65 V A X-Ray Equipment And Supplies
65 VII Invitro Diagnostics, Reagents, Test Kits And Test Sets
66 Scientific Equipment And Services
66 III Clinical Analyzers, Laboratory, Cost-Per-Test
67 Photographic Equipment – Cameras, Photographic Printers And Related Supplies & Services
70 General Purpose Commercial Information Technology Equipment, Software, And Services
71 Furniture
71 II K Comprehensive Furniture Management Services (Cfms)
72 Furnishing And Floor Coverings
73 Food Service, Hospitality, Cleaning Equipment And Supplies, Chemicals And Services
736 Temporary Administrative And Professional Staffing (Taps)
738 X Human Capital Management And Administrative Support Services
75 Office Products/supplies And Services And New Products/technology
751 Leasing Of Automobiles And Light Trucks
76 Publication Media
78 Sports, Promotional, Outdoor, Recreation, Trophies And Signs (Sports)
81 I B Shipping, Packaging And Packing Supplies
84 Total Solutions For Law Enforcement, Security, Facilities Management, Fire, Rescue, Clothing, Marine Craft And Emergency/disaster Response

THE GSA MARKET PLACE

Last year, the United States Government budget for discretionary spending was over $1.1 trillion. That’s a marketplace you want to be a part of! It’s all encompassing, and it covers all kinds of categories:

IT products and services
Office and industrial supplies
Industrial supplies
Environmental products
Business management and engineering
Engineering services, and more.

The list of purchases made by the Government is vast.

With a GSA contract, you can begin publishing your catalog in government marketplaces and begin selling to all government agencies, including major buyers such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and all the branches of the U.S. Military.

By posting items on GSAAdvantage.gov, vendors receive regular orders without needing to renegotiate every order, and the number of deliveries, as well as quantities per delivery are not determined in the contract, but by each order. Having a well published online catalog will also improve vendor’s exposure to potential buyers who send RFQs, and help create additional opportunities.

WHAT IS THE GSA CONTACT LIST?

The GSA list of eligible vendors is a list of companies that currently hold GSA contracts. There’s a frequently occurring ambiguity, though, that needs to be clarified; sometimes when GSA list is mentioned, the entire list of available GSA Schedules is implied. However, since 2020 MAS Consolidation, there is just one consolidated MAS Schedule.

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES?

Price Reporter is a multiple GSA contract holder, and has successfully secured hundreds of GSA schedules contracts to its clients and we can help you get yours.

Of course, selling to the United States government isn’t without its challenges. It can be complicated and not as straightforward as in the commercial market. Some of the dilemmas that pop up are: How to get a contract, do you qualify to get a GSA contract, what’s the market potential, and can you become profitable by becoming a GSA contractor?

The main challenge is the amount of paperwork, and being able to follow complicated procedures, required to submit an application for a GSA contract. Even an expert with many years of experience takes up to three months to prepare, and submit an offer. Then, there is the process of the Government’s review, possible rejections, clarifications, resubmissions, negotiations, price agreement, final proposal revisions, and finally award and publishing

WHY PRICE REPORTER?

Price Reporter is a multiple GSA contract holder, has successfully secured hundreds of GSA schedules contracts to its clients, and can help you get yours, as well.

There are more than 4000 vendors on GSA Advantage, generating sales of more than $7 billion, annually.

Our numbers tell the story; of those, over 600 companies are managed by Price Reporter, generating more than $1 billion in sales.

Price Reporter knows how to do it right; ask our happy customers of over 14 years.

If you are interested in becoming a GSA contractor, we will perform all the necessary tasks, with the final goal of getting you a General Services Administration Schedule contract award, and getting you published on GSA Advantage.

GSA SCHEDULING

Getting a GSA Schedule is only the beginning of a potentially very lucrative business, if done right.

After acquiring a contract, Price Reporter GSA experts will ensure that your catalog stays updated and compliant, prices are competitive, and you have the greatest chance to maximize your Government sales.

GSA services – Price Reporter knows how to do it right, ask our happy customers of over 14 years.

Would you like to learn more about securing business with the United States Government?

Contact us today at 201.567.6646 or provide a few details below and we can schedule a free, one-hour consultation.