GSA Advantage | GSA Contract Approval | GSA Schedule Consulting

What are the categories for Small Business Administration small and disadvantaged businesses?

faq
8(a) = Qualified firm owned and operated by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals HUBZone = Qualified small businesses located in distressed areas SB = Small Business SDB = Small Disadvantaged Business SDVOB = Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses WOB = Women-Owned Small Business VOB = Veteran-Owned Small Business

What is the percentage of companies that don’t get GSA contract approval?

faq
It is more common for a company that develops their application in house to get rejected. GSA Access Group tries to weed out candidates before submitting if we feel they will not be successful. This means we spend our time on the high quality candidates with a good chance of GSA Schedule approval. Our record is 100% approval. If we do not accept you, we refund your money.

What is GSA Advantage?

faq

GSA wants to do business with you. So they make it easy. GSA Advantage! is the web site where government agencies go to find services provided by GSA schedule contract holders. After signing up, you receive emails for every request for your services schedule. Check out www.gsaadvantage.gov .

The site operates as an ecommerce site for the Government. Typically smaller purchases are made through the site while requests for quotes are processed through e-Buy.

What is e-Buy?

faq

GSA's latest e-Business innovation, e-Buy, is an electronic Request for Quote (RFQ) / Request for Proposal (RFP) system designed to allow government buyers to request information, find sources, and prepare RFQs/RFPs, online, for millions of services and products offered through GSA's Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) and GSA Technology Contracts. Government buyers can use e-Buy to obtain quotes or proposals for services, large quantity purchases, big ticket items, and purchases with complex requirements.

Likewise, GSA Schedule holders can respond directly through e-Buy.

What is a GSA Schedule Contract?

faq

The GSA Schedule Contract is a formal agreement between your company and the federal government. Government agencies use the information in the GSA Schedule (Contract) to make purchases from your company. A GSA Schedule lets the buyer know that you have been vetted and gone through a rigorous approval process.

GSA Schedules have posted prices on GSAAdvantage! for small purchases and use e-Buy for more involved purchase contracts.

GSA Schedules have multiple Specific Item Numbers known as SINs. Each SIN is a specific subset of the Schedule. It is common for companies to have multiple SINs.

The federal government has a lot of initials for its forms and programs. What are the definitions?

faq

GSA General Services Administration
CCR Central Contractor Registration
Cage Code Contractor identification code
ORCA Online Representations and Certifications Application
FPR Final Proposal Revision
BAFO Best And Final Offer
P-Card Government’s Visa or MasterCard
HUB zone Historically Underutilized Business Zone
FAR Federal Acquisition Regulations
DUNS Data Universal Numbering System
DILS Defense Logistics Information Services
COTS Commercial Off The Shelf
GWAC Governmentwide Acquisition Contract

If Company A is an OEM. It sells a component to a manufacturing we call Company B. Company B sells the final assembled product with the Company A component. Is Company A eligible for our GSA contract help?

faq
In this case Company A must sell their component part as a finished item to the end user on a regular basis. As example is a hard disk drive. Consumers buy them directly from the OEM as well as getting them as a component in a finished computer.

How is the DUNS used?
faq

This unique nine-digit numbering system identifies every individual business. You can obtain yours online at www.smallbusiness.dnb.com.

How is the “Cage Code” used?

faq
The DILS assigns and maintains a Cage Code Master File number for each contractor. The code is for a wide variety of purposes including automated bidders lists and identification of disbarred bidders.

How do I market to the GSA?

faq

GSA provides a training program teaching you how to get business from the government agencies. It is a requirement for being a GSA contractor. GSA provides you with marketing support including free mailing lists, free advertising in GSA's magazine, listing in GSA Advantage!, workshops, e-Buy, and exposure to multiple government procurement sites. Complete information is available at www.gsa.gov.

We highly recommend a Marketing Action Plan from our marketing consultants. They have over 20 years of experience guiding clients to the right agency.

Your company will need literature and web site specific to handling Government contract requirements. Our team can help you achieve marketing compliance.

How do Government agencies know about GSA Schedule?

faq

GSA Schedules have a very high awareness among procurement officers. It is highly unlikely one does not know what it is. Procurement officers like to get contracts filled fast. Giving contracts to GSA Schedule holders is faster and eliminates the Government bidding process.

GSA has an ongoing extensive marketing campaign to make Federal agencies aware of the GSA Schedule program. The GSA has trade shows, webinars and other marketing directed at buyers within the Government.

GSA is pushing use of GSAAdvantage! and e-Buy to streamline the purchasing process.

Do companies get a GSA Schedule but not get business?

faq

Having a GSA Schedule contract does not guarantee federal contract sales. If a company takes the GSA marketing program and applies the tactics, they highly increase their probability of gaining significant business. GSA Schedules are extremely competitive. The average GSA schedule contract was worth $2 million last year. We provide marketing plans and strongly advise clients new to Government contracting to focus on one agency.

Since we carefully evaluate the right GSA schedule for your company we have a very good rate of return for our clients. The Government requires that you do at least $25,000 in your first two years and $100,000 over the course of five years to renew your Schedule. Before applying for a Schedule you should speak to your GSA Access Group consultant regarding the risks and benefits of becoming a GSA Schedule contractor.

Free Download

Government Contract Opportunity Report

See GSA budget categories
Find marketing services
Management proposal support