Government Contracting Blog

If you are a GSA Schedule contract holder, you are likely familiar with the OLM SIN. OLM, which stands for Order Level Materials, is an additional GSA Special Item Number (SIN) that most current contractors likely added during a modification. Similarly, some GSA contractors may be familiar with the acronym ODC, or Other Direct Costs. But what exactly are OLMs and ODCs, and how do they fit into the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program?

A GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) provides prospective contractors with unique access government buyers that they wouldn’t have otherwise. A GSA Schedule holder can offer products and services to government agencies such as the Department of Defense, executive and federal agencies, state and local agencies under certain conditions, and countless others. However, the greatest benefit of a GSA Schedule may be the ease that it allows contractors to have when negotiating terms, conditions, and price with potential buyers.

While GSA Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) provide contractors with ample opportunities to provide products and services to an array of government buyers, there can also be times a contractor may not able to solely satisfy a buyer’s needs with their offerings. Thankfully, there’s an answer for GSA contractors who want to combine their expertise to create one total solution. In these situations, contractors can enter a GSA Schedule Contractor Team Arrangement (CTA).

If you’re a new GSA contractor or new to reporting your GSA sales, you may be wondering what TDR is, and how it can fit into your contract. Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) is a GSA Schedule pilot program for reporting sales that was first rolled out in 2016. TDR is a way for GSA and its partner agencies to collect transaction-level data on solutions purchased through the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program. Ultimately, the purpose is to equip the government’s acquisition workforce with the information needed to make data-driven decisions that save taxpayer dollars. TDR also allows contractors to opt out of Commercial Sales Practices (CSP) and reporting, which could be a benefit for your company.

If you’re new to the world of federal contracting, chances are you have come across several foreign terms like GSA Multiple Award Schedule, and the definitions are not always self explanatory. The government has its own jargon we call "government speak" and it can be a little daunting at first to learn the terms and acronyms associated with selling to the government, but as consultants, it’s our job to help our clients understand. Federal contracts like the GSA Multiple Award Schedule provide plentiful opportunities for businesses and organizations to expand their public sector sales presence, but in order to reap the benefits of selling in the government landscape, it’s important for companies to understand the basics of government contracting first. In this article, we'll break down the GSA Multiple Award Schedule, highlight the benefits, and tell you how you can get on the GSA Schedule.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has several contracting assistance programs to help small businesses win a fair share of the federal government's dollars. These types of programs allow for small businesses with a GSA Schedule to be more competitive in the world of government contracting. One of these programs is the Economically Disadvantaged Women Owned Small Business (EDWOSB). With this business designation, your company has greater access to specific contracting opportunities and programs that are designed to help you succeed in the federal marketplace. We’ll cover what a EDWOSB is and if your company qualifies so you can take advantage of these contracting assistance programs.