Government Contracting Blog

Hurricane season is approaching quickly, and if you've been watching any news related to the weather, you've seen how this season is predicted to be active and full of storms. On top of the recent unexpected earthquakes and tornadoes ripping through the mid-west, the government is going to be busy preparing and picking up the fallout from these natural disasters. In order to acquire the goods and services that are necessary to rebuild in a quick and efficient manner, many government agencies are purchasing items from commercial businesses through the General Services Administration (GSA) Disaster Recovery Purchasing Program. This program is an essential part of ensuring the government’s response to disasters is successful, cost-effective, and timely.

Government agencies often require a steady supply of goods and services, ranging from office supplies to electronic parts. However, they may not always know the exact quantity or timing of these needs. This is where Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) come into play.

One of the most essential parts of maintaining your GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract is ensuring your pricing is up to date. GSA contracts can last for up to 20 years, so it’s likely that your commercial rates will increase during the life of your contract. As a GSA contractor, you have the ability and the right to increase your GSA rates alongside your commercial rates. However, the process of requesting a price increase can be complicated, as GSA has restrictions on when you can raise your rates and how much of an increase you can request.

If your company is the manufacturer of the products you sell, it’s fairly straightforward to propose those products with your GSA schedule offer, or to add them onto your current GSA Schedule via an Addition Modification. However, if you are a reseller and are offering products that you do not manufacture, then you will need a Letter of Supply. Getting a Letter of Supply completed as soon as possible is an important step in successfully acquiring or maintaining your GSA Schedule.

If you’ve done any research into GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contracts, you’ll see one key phrase used a lot: “Contract compliance.” But what does it mean? Contracts in any sphere can be complicated, and government contracts are especially difficult, as government buyers and sellers have to abide by procurement regulations established in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Any business that holds a GSA contract or is looking to acquire one needs to be aware of the terms and conditions that are applicable to their company. Failing to be compliant with those terms and conditions can have serious consequences for your GSA contract.

As a contractor for the General Services Administration (GSA), you know that a key part of contract compliance is regularly reporting your sales and paying the Industrial Funding Fee (IFF). Whether you report on a monthly or quarterly basis, it’s essential you have a consistent and accurate invoicing process so you can be certain you are reporting the correct sales. To ensure that contractors are compliant with their sales reporting process, GSA will conduct Contractor Assessments on a semi-regular basis. During these assessments, an Industrial Operations Analyst (IOA) will analyze your sales practices and reporting history to ensure you are compliant with GSA terms and conditions.