Government Contracting Blog

On October 1st 2019, GSA will be consolidating its Multiple Award Schedules (MAS). The consolidation will combine 24 of the current schedules into 1, excluding only the 9 Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) schedules. On August 20th GSA held a webinar to explain the process of consolidation and answer vendor questions. The consolidation will consist of three phases.

The General Services Administration (GSA) was established in July 1949 by President Harry Truman to streamline the administrative work of the federal government. Today GSA provides centralized procurement for the federal government by managing the Federal Supply Schedules program, known more commonly as GSA Schedules. GSA Schedules is a purchasing vehicle that offers more than 12 million commercial supplies and services and is open for use to any federal agency within the Executive Branch. Currently there are 24 Schedules offering commercial goods and services which are managed directly by GSA. There are also another eight federal supply schedules managed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

As part of Winvale's new guest blogger series, Andrea Davis, Director of Contracts at Govplace and a Winvale client, is sharing the top 15 tips about government contracting that she's learned in her 20 years working for government contractors, in no particular order:

Selling to the government may seem daunting, but it could be the next big opportunity for your business! The government can offer a stable and reliable purchasing contract. In today’s day, it can be difficult to find reliable purchasers who will be in constant demand of your products or services. With companies going out of business, lowering demand, or simply switching their business model, it is always a safe bet to have a steady source of sales. For the past 70 years, GSA has been working to refine its systems so that the selling process is burden and stress-free, and with Winvale on your side to streamline that process, there is no reason to hold back.

Back in April of 2000, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced that Digital Signature Trust Company has received the first interim approval to operate on the Access Certificates for Electronic Services (ACES) contract. This breakthrough was phenomenal because it rapidly sped up the processes of schedule acquisition, maintenance, and compliance more broadly. The ACES contract is currently managed by the Office of Information Security in GSA's Federal Technology Service.

For General Services Administration (GSA) schedule contractors, GSA eBuy is a very powerful tool to have at your fingertips. GSA eBuy is an online procurement tool that allows for both government buyers (eligible entities) and sellers (GSA Contract holders) to come together in one easy to use electronic meeting. Using GSA eBuy, buyers can post a Request for Quote (RFQ) and set a deadline to submit a proposal. This is highly advantageous for sellers as you will be shown opportunities that are available for your companies Schedule and SIN.