After your GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract is awarded, you may be wondering how to connect with potential customers. Through a GSA Schedule contract, your customer base includes federal government agencies, state and local governments, educational institutions, and other eligible entities. If you are new to government contracts, it can be overwhelming to analyze opportunities, understand the various solicitation types, and compete against experienced contractors.
In this blog, we will provide an overview of working with federal government customers and best practices to follow for customer interaction.
In the government contracting world, it’s not uncommon for customers to move slowly. However, contractors can be proactive and engage with buyers through a few solicitation types before winning a contract. Contractors can search for the notices detailed below through SAM.gov or GSA eBuy for only GSA Schedule holders.
A Request for Information (RFI) or Sources Sought Notice (SSN) are not bids or contractual agreements. When a government customer releases an RFI or SSN, they are seeking information from contractors to potentially inform the structure of future solicitations. However, it is important to note that RFIs and SSNs do not always lead to a solicitation; they can just be used for market research purposes.
Contractors can respond to an RFI or SSN to generate awareness with a potential government customer early in the solicitation process. By providing a response, contractors’ input may positively impact the terms and conditions of a solicitation if one is released down the line.
A customer’s Request for Quote (RFQ) generally seeks contractors’ pricing, delivery, and similar information for a particular project. It’s important to understand the requirements of the solicitation and be familiar with competitors’ pricing to submit an accurate and competitive bid. Contractors should be aware that an RFQ response does not equate to a contract award. Instead, RFQs are bids to potentially win a contract and build your presence with a government customer.
Each solicitation type differs in their degree of formality and a Request for Proposal (RFP) would classify as formal. For example, an RFP is the last piece of the solicitation process and requires contractors to present how their capabilities will align with a contract’s project scope. Details are crucial in an RFP response to establish a contractor’s competitiveness and likelihood to fulfill the contract’s requirements. You should review all sections of the RFP document carefully, which outline response instructions, project deliverables, award evaluation criteria, and additional key details. Contractors should respond to SSNs or RFIs they are interested in because an RFP may be the result of those initial requests. The SSN or RFI responses can build your familiarity with the government customer and their needs.
During a federal government customer’s search for specific products or services, you may be in communication with varying points of contact. You should understand the roles that are common within the MAS environment and ensure that any communication with POCs is professional.
If your GSA Schedule contract has already been awarded, you are probably familiar with the Contracting Officer or CO position. A CO was assigned to your MAS offer after the proposal was submitted and is identified on your company’s GSA eLibrary page. Thus, this POC is key for administering, renewing, or cancelling contracts if necessary, and monitoring your contract for compliancy.
Beyond the Schedule acquisition and modification processes, a CO serves as the official buyer of supplies and services, with authority delegated by an official warrant. Government agencies releasing a solicitation will have a contracting officer listed as a POC. For example, within a contract opportunity posted on the System for Award Management (SAM) site, the CO’s contact information will be outlined under “Contact Information.” You can reach out to a CO if you have any questions regarding the opportunity; this can help build a relationship with the procuring federal government customer.
A contracting specialist (CS) helps prepare contracts, evaluate responses submitted against a solicitation, and complete market research. In addition to a CO, you may see a CS listed as a POC on a solicitation notice.
The Program Office or Program Manager (PM) informs a government customer’s project requirements and instructs the CO for the information to request from potential contractors. The program office for an entity will determine why the government customer is seeking a specific product or service.
A Contracting Officer Representative (COR) serves as a secondary role to a CO and is only granted specific authorized tasks to perform. Operating as a CO’s “eyes and ears,” a COR reviews contractors’ performance and compliance related to technical or administrative functions. However, CORs have restricted responsibilities and cannot modify or sign contracts, among other duties.
In our experience, government customers should verify they have the financial capability to support a contract opportunity or solicitation they intend to release for responses. Depending on the funds supplied for the purchase, a solicitation response should be structured competitively so you are offering a compelling solution.
In a solicitation, government customers will address specifications for their contracts, including but not limited to a Statement Of Work (SOW) or Performance Work Statement (PWS). Government documents can be lengthy, complex, and contain many acronyms, so reach out to the CO or POC if you would like clarifications on a topic.
If you are reading this blog, you likely hold or are interested in a GSA MAS to conduct business with the federal government. Similarly, government customers will need to decide which government contracting vehicle they want to pursue to procure products or services from contractors. Options include the MAS, Multi-Agency Contracts (MACs), a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA), and more. GSA also offers MAS trainings for government customers to attend.
As you engage with contract opportunities, you will be interacting directly with different federal government agencies. Consequently, you will need to understand the government customer’s specific requirements for the contract you are competing for and may win.
In your response, stress how your capabilities’ uniqueness is elevated when compared to competitors’ offerings. Because each agency’s mission and objectives can vary, we suggest customizing your solutions to their specific needs; this shows initiative and willingness to provide quality work for a customer. Contractors should also research the agency’s previous projects to analyze their expectations for service or product performance. Overall, your response should demonstrate that the solution is an effective and beneficial use of taxpayer dollars.
When providing solutions to government customer opportunities, contractors need to be compliant with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses and GSA policies. FAR 8.405 outlines the overall rules and regulations for federal agencies to adhere to when purchasing products and services through the Federal Supply Schedule program to ensure consistency and compliance.
Further, FAR 8.405-3 specifies procedures for agencies to follow when establishing Blanket Purchase Agreements. Contractors should familiarize themselves with both clauses to prepare for how government orders will be constructed and the information included. Other clauses can be relevant to your contract’s offerings, so it important to review related clauses prior to submitting responses to a customer’s solicitation.
As in the commercial world, we advise contractors to maintain organized and detailed records of any communications with agencies, COs, and other POCs to ensure timeliness in responses, professionalism, and coordination of deliverables against strict deadlines. Through a GSA MAS contract, government customers expect contractors will have the resources available to deliver projects or orders on-schedule and that comply with ethical practices. This also relates to the assessment of quality control during the Schedule acquisition process.
During contract performance, contractors should constantly check-in with the POC to understand any urgent requirements or potential issues with the project. In our experience, contractors need to problem-solve and be flexible as unanticipated issues arise; a swift and efficient response may impress the federal government customer. After a contract ends, we suggest following up with the government customer to remain on their radar for future opportunities.
Although SAM.gov, GSA eBuy, and GSA Advantage! are prominent tools to secure sales, GSA offers in-person and virtual events and larger networking opportunities to engage with key POCs and other stakeholders. For example, GSA posts upcoming events and training opportunities on their website, which helps new contractors understand terminology and current industry practices.
While your business may be experienced in capturing sales on the commercial side, the federal marketplace operates a little differently in terms of finding contract opportunities and interacting with customers. Your company’s personnel who are dedicated to locating and maintaining GSA opportunities should take time to familiarize themselves with the tools specifically designed for and available to GSA MAS contract holders, as well as conduct market research to remain competitive.
Our team of consultants can help your business manage your GSA Schedule contract during its tenure and understand the resources available to discover relevant contract opportunities with government customers.