3 Benefits of Partnering with a Reseller on a GSA Schedule

Selling to the government through your own GSA Schedule contract can be a daunting task for many businesses. There are certain prerequisites you need to meet before you can obtain a Schedule, and there are several requirements you need to follow throughout the life of your GSA Schedule contract. Although the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program is a great opportunity for companies to expand their customer-base and access a new marketplace, we understand the process may be difficult for certain companies. However, there are a few ways to sell through a GSA Schedule without having your own contract.

A common alternative to having your own prime GSA Schedule contract is subcontracting with an authorized GSA reseller. Subcontracting with a GSA reseller can be an extremely beneficial way for your company to expand its government sales strategy. This partnership can result in benefits such as speed-to-market, reduced compliance risk, and access to GSA programs created to increase business opportunity like small business set-asides.

As contract consultants and an authorized GSA reseller ourselves, we know this can be a great alternative if you want to provide your solutions to the government on a GSA Schedule but don’t want to have your own contract. If you’re considering partnering with an authorized GSA reseller, here are three of the top benefits for your company.

1. Access to the Government Marketplace 

A partnership with a GSA Schedule reseller gives you the opportunity to access GSA customers. In this government contracting partnership, the prime GSA Schedule holder works closely with government customers on your behalf, responding to government solicitation requests from several government agencies so your company can focus on what it does best.  

Not only does the reseller program give you access to one of the busiest marketplaces in the world, it also helps your company leverage the established expertise of prime GSA Schedule contractors. This partnership can bring great value to your company as you can use an authorized reseller’s government customer base, as well as their special designations, such as set-asides, to generate more sales and revenue.

2. Reduced Compliance Risk

A partnership with an authorized GSA reseller means less worry for your company. With the prime GSA contract Schedule holder absorbing most of the compliance risk, your company doesn’t have to worry about most of the regulations and requirements that come along with selling to the government.

Authorized GSA resellers are not required to disclose information from their partners such as their most favored customer, Commercial Sales Practices, discounting practices, or financial statements. Please note if your company wishes to obtain their own prime GSA Schedule, you will be required to provide the information listed above.

Partnering with a reseller can be extremely helpful for your organization as the authorized reseller will be able to provide support on any government compliance issues, allowing your company to spend more time focusing on expanding their government sales approach.

3. Speed-to-Market 

With COVID-19 as the new normal, obtaining your own prime GSA Schedule may take longer than normal due to delays. Traditionally, it takes anywhere from six to twelve months to acquire your own GSA Schedule contract. However, by choosing to partner with an authorized GSA reseller, your company can generally add your products and solutions to a resellers contract within 30 to 90 days, which means your company can start selling to the government much quicker than obtaining your own prime contract.

What Happens When You Partner with a GSA Reseller?

Depending on who you work with, scenarios and expectations may change, but we can tell you what it looks like here at Winvale. For the last 15 years, Winvale has been a trusted name in the reseller industry helping companies expand their access to the government marketplace. Winvale has successfully submitted and won bids on behalf of our partners for many different government agencies with our prime GSA Schedule.

Winvale’s Channel Distribution for Public Section Program helps our partners support all levels of government including federal, state, local and educational (as allowed by contract type) agencies and institutions. With access to Winvale’s GSA Schedule, our partners find success leveraging Winvale’s SBA Small Business designation and network of 8(a), Veteran-Owned, Woman-Owned and HUBZone partners.

While there are many benefits to a partnership with a GSA reseller both for the subcontractor and prime Schedule holder, your company should consider all options to determine if a partnership with an authorized GSA Schedule reseller makes sense for your government sales approach. If you would like more information on determining whether partnering with a reseller is right for your business, check out our blog, “Partnering with a Reseller: How to Determine if it’s the Right Choice for Your Business.”

Are You Considering Partnering with a GSA Reseller?

Winvale supports Information Technology (IT), Hardware, Software, and services companies of all sizes to accelerate their sales within the public sector. Upon successfully being awarded subcontractor status on Winvale’s GSA Schedule, your company will be assigned an Account Manager who will navigate the GSA contract process with various government agencies on your behalf. If you would like to explore partnership options with Winvale, please contact our team of experts today.