Government Contracting Blog

Small Businesses must utilize every possible advantage they can get to stand out and be visible to government buyers. One aspect of this has been the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) database. However, many users found the previous search engine outdated and clunky to use.

Last week, the Trump administration rolled out its long-awaited AI Action Plan, titled “Winning the Race: America’s AI Strategy.” The plan was released alongside a set of Executive Orders (EOs) that aim to reshape how the federal government regulates, buys, and uses Artificial Intelligence (AI). The plan includes three core pillars focused on accelerating AI innovation, building AI infrastructure, and removing current AI guardrails. This plan inevitably impacts government contractors, including current GSA Schedule contractors or companies looking to break into the federal market. So, what’s in the plan, and more importantly, what aspects of the plan should contractors be paying attention to? Let’s review the plan below.

As a potential GSA Schedule contractor or current offeror looking to expand your contract, you should begin with researching Special Item Numbers (SINs) that align with your commercial offerings. SINs represent the specific products or services you will offer to the government through a GSA Schedule contract. Understanding Special Item Numbers’ requirements is a crucial step when deciding which services to add to your contract through a modification or developing your contract proposal.

NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) Codes are a very important part of government contracting. Many contractors may only think of them as codes that identify their specific industry, but they can be powerful tools for determining business size and finding relevant contract opportunities. Especially now that we are in the midst of the Q4 spending spree, you can use NAICS Codes to your advantage. Read on to learn more about identifying your best contracting opportunities with NAICS Codes.

Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) has existed for several years as a pilot program, but not many contractors had to pay much attention to it. Either your Special Item Numbers (SINs) weren’t eligible, or you chose not to opt in, but either way, it wasn’t on your radar. Things are changing now. With GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Refresh #28, many contractors are now required to switch their sales reporting over to Transactional Data Reporting. GSA plans to eventually migrate all contractors over to TDR, so it’s important that everyone knows what TDR is and how to participate when the time comes. In this blog we’ll cover what TDR is, sales reporting with TDR, and how to participate in the program.

If you’re a regular reader of our blog, you’ve likely seen hundreds of articles on the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), how it works, and how to participate. But what about the VA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) Program? Most of the questions our consulting team receives are about the GSA MAS Program, but today we’ll be shining some light on the MAS Program’s not-so-little sibling: the VA FSS Program, managed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).