Government Contracting Blog

 The process of acquiring a General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract can be an intimidating one and, like anyone setting out on a new journey, you probably have a lot of questions. 

A GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract can give your company access to a whole new marketplace. As a GSA Schedule contractor, you can sell to federal agencies, several international entities, and state and local governments under certain programs. While the GSA MAS program provides a multitude of opportunities to companies, it’s not for everyone. If you are considering whether your company should pursue a GSA MAS contract, you should first make sure that you can meet all the GSA contractor requirements. We have  helped several clients through the requirements stage so we know it can seem overwhelming at first, but don’t worry, we will walk you through what you need to know before you get a GSA Schedule contract.

As the nation battles the coronavirus pandemic, the government has stepped in and spending has risen at the federal, local, and state levels. Always one of the government’s primary procurement vehicles, the GSA Schedule contracts become especially important during national emergencies because of the Disaster Recovery purchasing which can be added to contracts.

If you’ve made the decision to pursue a GSA Schedule, the first choice you will need to make is whether to go it alone or hire a GSA consultant to help. At first, the answer might seem easy – you’ve been selling to the government for years, why would you pay someone to tell you how to do it? Unfortunately it’s not that simple and every company, regardless of size, should seriously consider hiring an outside consultant before managing the process in-house.

What is a Contractor Team Arrangement? GSA defines a GSA Schedule Contractor Team Arrangement (CTA) as an arrangement in which two or more GSA schedule contractors team together to provide a total solution to meet a customer’s needs. The Schedules CTA does not create a separate legal entity, but allows Schedule contractors to meet buyer requirements by combining the supplies and/or services from each team member’s separate Schedule contract in response to a buyer’s Request for Quote (RFQ). CTAs are different from Prime/Subcontracting Agreements - more information about that here.  It is important to note that Schedule CTA’s are different from FAR 9.6 Contractor Team Arrangements; Schedule CTAs require both participants to have a GSA Multiple Award Schedule Contract.

Along with the cancellation of a contract, Suspension and Debarment are the primary ways GSA punishes vendors who fail to comply with their contract terms. But understanding what exactly Suspension and Debarment are and how to avoid them can be complicated.