Government Contracting Blog

Selling to the government through your own GSA Schedule contract can be a daunting task for many businesses. There are certain prerequisites you need to meet before you can obtain a Schedule, and there are several requirements you need to follow throughout the life of your GSA Schedule contract. Although the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program is a great opportunity for companies to expand their customer-base and access a new marketplace, we understand the process may be difficult for certain companies. However, there are a few ways to sell through a GSA Schedule without having your own 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.

Selling to the government can seem like a daunting task for any government contractor, but focusing on several key tips and strategies can bring some structure to your public sector efforts and help your company excel in the government marketplace. Building your government sales practice is one of the greatest challenges your company may face, and before you can capitalize on the opportunities that exist for your company, you should have a go-to-market strategy in place. We have covered how to find and win government contract opportunities, but today we we’ll focus on how to successfully sell to the government.

Last week the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) provided guidance to federal contractors regarding payment for contractors that have been impacted by coronavirus. Contractors that have received stop work orders or other delays may now be eligible for continued payment under OMB Memorandum M-20-18 and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”). Section 3610 of the CARES Act, which we covered in a previous blog, provides further clarification under the following section of the act entitled “Federal Contractor Authority.” This section of the act states that Contracting Officers have the granted authority to continue paying contractors in order to maintain employment for contractor personnel, even if the contract is subject to a stop work order or other delay. 

On Friday, March 27th, President Trump signed a historic $2 Trillion Dollar Coronavirus aid package into law. This legislation, otherwise known as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), will provide emergency relief to several groups including individuals, small businesses, large corporations, public health facilities, state and local governments, and education institutions. The CARES Act provides the largest emergency stimulus package in United States history as a result of bipartisan legislation negotiated by Democrats and Republicans to provide an immediate response to the growing COVID-19 crisis sweeping the nation.

The first case of Coronavirus in West Virginia occurred on Tuesday, March 17th, meaning the virus has now impacted all 50 states. With the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 climbing in the United States, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday afternoon that his administration is ramping up its response to the virus through invoking the Defense Product Act. President Trump said the following in response to invoking the Defense Product Act, “It can do a lot of good things, if we need it, and we will have it all completed, signing it in just a little while.”