Government Contracting Blog

The government Fiscal Year is coming to a close on Thursday, September 30 which means time is not only running out to use up annual budgets, but the clock is ticking for Congress to approve government funds for next year. This year, there’s a very real chance that the funds may not get approved in time, causing the federal government to shut down.

On August 31, 2021, GSA proposed a rule to help GSA Schedule contractors perform on Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) orders beyond their contract term. This proposed rule would amend the GSA Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) to include an internal GSA policy of extending FSS orders for 5 years beyond the terms of an FSS contract. As a reminder, the GSA Schedule is also referred to as the Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) and the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), so this order directly affects GSA contractors. 

As a new or potential contractor, there is a lot of information you need to keep in mind to stay compliant with your GSA Schedule contract. You might have questions like: Who is my Contracting Officer and what is their contact information? When does my contract expire? Who are my competitors? This information and more is available on GSA’s eLibrary website, an excellent source for the latest GSA contract award information. A lot of contractors are unaware of how useful this site can be for their contracting success. Throughout the course of this post, we will be going over what available information can be found on the GSA eLibrary and how to find it.

You may have done your research on what a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract is, looked at the benefits and requirements, and decided you want to pursue it–but now what? One glance at the list of everything you need to submit your proposal, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Although the guide is there to help you, there’s a lot of paperwork required to create a successful GSA Schedule proposal (also known as offer), and you might have some hesitation about where to start. In this blog, we’ll help you navigate all the trainings, documents, and materials you need to start drafting your GSA Schedule offer in 5 steps.

Once you are awarded your GSA Schedule contract, it does not automatically mean you will have orders streaming in from government agencies. Knowing what government contracting opportunities are available is an essential part of being a successful contractor. To significantly increase your chances of contracting success, you should be proactive about finding opportunities that fit your solutions. The good thing is, there are several GSA resources you can use to discover business in the federal marketplace, like SAM.gov. We put together this blog to show you the step-by-step process on how you can use the site to easily search for procurement opportunities.

When you go through the GSA Schedule acquisition process, you are evaluated on many levels. From administrative and financial records, to past performance and your pricing, GSA takes a very close look at your company. This is because GSA wants to make sure you are going to be a reliable contractor and can supply the products and services you intend to offer. However, once you have made it successfully through the acquisition process and are awarded your GSA Schedule contract, the evaluations don’t necessarily evaporate.