Government Contracting Blog

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), a new set of cybersecurity standards the Department of Defense (DoD) will be implementing on all their contracts, is included in the General Service Administration’s (GSA) $50 billion 8(a) STARS III Request for Proposal (RFP). 8(a) STARS III (Streamlined Technology Acquisition Resource for Services) is a multiple-award IDIQ contract set aside for small businesses that will give the federal government access to a wide range of information technology (IT) services-based solutions. Although STARS III isn’t a contract vehicle specific to the DoD, the DoD was one of the biggest buyers of STARS II, the predecessor to STARS III.

As a GSA Schedule contractor, you know there are a multitude of laws, regulations, and guidelines you need to follow to remain compliant. If you provide services through your contract, one of the laws you may have heard of is the McNamara O’Hara Service Contract Act (SCA). Enacted in 1965, the SCA’s main purpose is to protect employees performing work for contractors and subcontractors. At Winvale, we have a lot of clients asking us if the SCA impacts them as GSA Schedule contractors so let’s review the SCA, SCA exemptions and compliance, and why it’s relevant for several GSA Schedule contractors.

Our world can seem fairly daunting at the moment— high unemployment rates, increased teleworking, and near unprecedented government stimulus proposals. However, though COVID-19 has forced multiple changes worldwide, some industries are able to adapt faster than others. Government contractors have seen their business grow as the need for Coronavirus aid and relief has increased. The government is indeed buying on an extremely elevated level.  The GSA Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) Program can offer great benefits to potential contractors, but not everything is smooth sailing. To better understand the GSA Schedules Program and how it fits in with your business plan, we are going to dive into some of the pros and cons of getting on a GSA Schedule contract.

Who are my customers? It’s often the burning question in any commercial marketplace. You know what your products and services are, you have an idea where and how you want to market them, but who is your target audience? It’s no different when you’re selling to the government through a GSA Schedule contract. As public sector consultants, we’re asked this question a lot because a wide array of agencies purchase through the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program and the answer isn't always clear. The GSA MAS program was created for government agencies to have access to around 11 million different products and services at a volume discount, but it’s not open to just any government entity. So who can you sell to with a GSA Schedule contract?

The GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program allows federal agencies and other eligible entities to purchase products and services from commercial businesses, but what about state and local governments? State and local government entities have their own contract vehicles, but they can also purchase under the GSA MAS Program with certain stipulations. While they do not have access to everything on the GSA Schedule, they can purchase from certain categories determined under the Cooperative Purchasing Program.

On July 1, 2020, The General Services Administration (GSA) issued Refresh #3 to its MAS Solicitation 47QSMD20R0001, which may affect your Office Management or Human Capital contracts. Based on feedback from customers, GSA is changing the Special Item Numbers (SINS) in the Office Management and Human Capital large categories on the new consolidated Multiple Award Schedule (MAS). What will these changes look like and what do they mean for your contracts in the future?