While searching for a contracting opportunity on SAM.gov, you may have glossed over entries that are marked as Sources Sought Notices (SSNs). Maybe it's because it's not a Request for Proposal (RFP) and overall may seem like it's not worth your time because it doesn't directly end in contract award, but we suggest you take a closer look. Sources Sought Notices play a key role in federal procurement and can increase your odds of winning the opportunity.

If you are considering joining the world of government contracting, there’s a lot of information to consume. Where do you even start? At Winvale, we talk a lot about the General Services Administration (GSA) and the MAS program because it's one of the most widely used programs among federal buyers, but government contracting is a massive industry overall. In this blog, we'll cover some of the government contracting basics so you can feel confident in figuring out your first step into the public sector.

If you’re a veteran-owned small business selling to the government or are looking to become one, there have been a few updates recently you should be aware of. One of these updates is a final rule eliminating self-certification for all Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs). Self-certification has already been removed for SDVOSBs who want to go after prime SDVOSB set-asides, but now the option is being eliminated on all fronts.

The news we’ve all been waiting for—since GSA announced they were eventually expanding the Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) pilot to all Special Item Numbers (SINs), prospective and current contractors alike were asking us when they could join the program. Now, we finally have some answers. In Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Solicitation Refresh #22, which will be released in early August, GSA plans to expand TDR to 67 new SINs. In this blog, we’ll cover the newest TDR news and what other changes GSA plans to implement in MAS Refresh #22.

Once they have their GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), a lot of our clients ask us how to start gaining government customers. Whether it’s through GSA eBuy, GSA Advantage!, or SAM.gov, new contractors are understandably eager to make sales through their contract. Some opportunities will be single orders if you sell through Advantage, and others will be short-lived contracts, but Best-In-Class (BIC) vehicles are also another opportunity to keep on your radar. These contracts offer pre-vetted and negotiated solutions to a variety of agencies, and there are a few offering new opportunities in the coming months. In this blog, we’ll talk about some of the most popular BICs and their status for contractors looking to join.

As a GSA Schedule contractor, you have several codes that signify your industry, business size, unique identification, and location. One of these essential codes is the CAGE Code. The Commercial And Government Entity Code, or CAGE Code, is a unique five-character ID used in the government as an identifier for suppliers to the federal government. You may be wondering, how is this code different from your Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) or perhaps your old DUNS Number? In this blog, we'll talk about the importance of CAGE Codes to GSA Schedule contractors and how you can get one.