Government Contracting Blog

If you’ve submitted a Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) offer before, you know that waiting for GSA to process and review your offer can feel like the hardest part. In the last few months, GSA has made some changes to how it reviews MAS offers, with the goal of streamlining the process for contractors and Contracting Specialists alike.

A key part of winning business in any market is drafting a strong and effective proposal. They may not all look the same, or are sometimes called by different names across industries, but the goal is always to win the reader over. But how exactly do you accomplish that? Requests for Proposals (RFPs) are a key part of your government contract, and while there's an entire rulebook on how to reply to them (the Federal Acquisition Regulation), there are some unspoken rules contractors should follow.

Are you a furniture manufacturer or Value-Added Reseller (VAR) of furniture products who wants to expand your business opportunities within the federal government? Competing on the open market can be a great way to secure stand-alone bids. However, many of the solicitations that federal buyers release, go through contracting vehicles designed to streamline the procurement process. The Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program administered by General Services Administration (GSA) is the most prominent of these vehicles when it comes to furniture and furnishings. GSA MAS offers federal customers shorter procurement lead times and lower administrative costs than establishing a new contract.

With the Schedule Input Program (SIP) being obsolete, contractors are needing to become familiar with GSA’s FAS Catalog Platform (FCP). The FCP is a web-based application designed for MAS contractors to manage both product and service catalog data through a more streamlined reporting process. The General Services Administration (GSA) has been requiring Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contractors to complete baseline modifications to transition contracts from SIP to the FCP. However, before using FCP functions as a new contractor on the FCP, you will need to update your Seller Profile before beginning the baseline modification. In this blog, we will be reviewing what the Seller Profile is in the FCP and how to navigate it to begin your contract’s transition to the FCP.

In today’s fast-paced world, technology has streamlined the way we access information, products, and services. The new push for the most recent technology has also been felt by the General Services Administration (GSA). For contractors who are planning on utilizing the GSA Schedules for their business, the GSA Startup Springboard Program may be for you. Through GSA’s Startup Springboard Program, federal agencies gain faster access to IT products and services, while prospective contractors can submit a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) offer even with less than two years of business experience.

As a GSA Schedule contractor, you are part of a bustling government marketplace that includes federal as well as state and local buyers. While you are a part of a very popular and unique contracting vehicle, competition still exists. How do you stand out from your competitors? Now that we are a year into the Trump Administration, priorities, budgets, and consequently buyer habits, have changed. In this blog, we’ll discuss 8 strategies you can use to set your business apart.