While having a GSA Schedule gives you access to a whole new marketplace, it doesn’t automatically guarantee you government sales—you need to know where to look. Knowing what government contracting opportunities are available is an essential part of winning government awards. In the public sector, government contractors are responsible for responding to the needs of the buying agency so it’s important you know where to find these opportunities and that you are taking advantage of all the tools available to you.

Getting on the GSA Schedule is a great place to start selling to government entities, not only federal agencies, but also state and local entities. Many assume that the GSA Schedule is specific to federal buyers but in reality, the list of entities who can purchase via the GSA Schedule expands beyond that. GSA maintains a list of eligible entities that includes state and local agencies, educational institutions, and tribal governments. While your GSA Schedule invites access to many opportunities, many states have their own contracting vehicles and purchasing cooperatives that they prefer, and some are connected to the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS). In this blog, we'll explore different ways you can sell to state and local entities.

Market research is something you can expect to see throughout the life of your GSA Schedule. Market research can be used to determine ‘fair and reasonable pricing’ during the offer stage and for modifications. Market research can also be used during the procurement process for the buyer to determine the ‘best’ price for their needs. As a Schedule contract holder, it’s important for you to have a better understanding of why GSA collects market research and how this data shapes future purchasing decisions.

GSA Schedule deliveries are an essential part of maintaining not only a good relationship with buyers but also maintaining contract compliance. When creating an offer, you establish shipping/delivery terms and abiding by these terms is an essential part of compliance. In an effort to help buyers and sellers, GSA Advantage! has been sending out an order status for contract holders. This status takes shipping/delivery statuses and times and assigns a score (in percentage). GSA has recently cracked down on GSA Advantage! order status, and if this score gets below 50%, your business could be in jeopardy of being suspended by GSA Advantage!. This is just one of the many reasons it’s essential that you know your company’s delivery terms and best practices associated with them.

It’s well known that you can sell to the federal government through the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program, but you can also sell to state, local, and tribal governments under certain circumstances. Some states even have their own MAS contract vehicles that are the preferred medium of procurement. A great example of this is the California Multiple Award Schedule (CMAS), a special contract vehicle for state and local entities in California. This is a popular vehicle and is often overlooked by GSA contractors. In this blog we’ll share with you what CMAS is and how it could be beneficial for your GSA Schedule.

When a GSA contractor hears the terms CAV or Contractor Assessment Visit, it might be easy for them to panic. The idea of being evaluated by GSA may sound intimidating, but if you understand how these visits work and take the time to prepare, you won’t have to worry about your performance. While a CAV might be a sporadic occurrence, it helps to be aware of the expectations and maintain compliance for the life of your GSA Schedule contract. In this blog, we’ll review what you need to know about Contractor Assessment Visits, so you feel confident about them.