The GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program provides commercial businesses with the opportunity to sell a wide range of products and services to the government; but you may be wondering where to begin in the offer process. To classify the potential products and services to be offered, the federal government established 12 Large Categories. A popular Large Category contractors can sell through is the GSA Professional Services Category, or Large Category H.
This Large Category targets contractors focused on offering services, like legal support, rather than specific products. For example, businesses selling services from marketing to non-IT engineering can offer their teams’ specialized skills to federal agencies through the Professional Services Category. Additionally, this category provides the opportunity for businesses to sell their training services or courses through a GSA Schedule contract. Since the MAS solicitation can appear complex, this blog will break down the Professional Services Category and address potential MAS opportunities for your business.
Choosing Your Professional Services SINs
GSA organizes the scope of each Large Category through subcategories and Special Item numbers (SINs). SINs help contractors connect their products or services with relevant clients.
Here’s a sampling of the Professional Services subcategories and SINs are listed below. The full list can be found on GSA eLibrary:
Subcategory: Business Administrative Services
- Management and Financial Consulting, Acquisition and Grants Management Support, and Business Program and Project Management Services (SIN 541611)
- Business Information Services (BIS) (SIN 561450)
Subcategory: Environmental Services
- Environmental Consulting Services (SIN 541620)
- Hazardous Waste Disposal Services (SIN 562112)
- Environmental Remediation Services (SIN 562910REM)
Subcategory: Financial Services
- Financial Advising, Loan Servicing and Asset Management Services (SIN 522310)
- Auditing Services (SIN 541211)
- Payroll Services (SIN 541214)
- Budget and Financial Management Services (SIN 541219)
Subcategory: Identity Protection Services
- Data Breach Response and Identity Protection (SIN 541990IPS)
- Risk Assessment and Mitigation Services (SIN 541990RISK)
Subcategory: Language Services
- Translation and Interpretation Services (SIN 541930)
- Linguistic Training and Education (SIN 611630)
Subcategory: Legal Services
- Professional Legal Services (SIN 541110)
Subcategory: Logistical Services
- Deployment, Distribution and Transportation Logistics Services (SIN 541614)
- Supply and Value Chain Management (SIN 541614SVC)
Subcategory: Marketing and Public Relations
- Video/Film Production (SIN 512110)
- Graphic Design Services (SIN 541430)
- Marketing Consulting Services (SIN 541613)
- Public Relations Services (SIN 541820)
- Marketing Research and Analysis (SIN 541910)
- Commercial Photography Services (SIN 541922)
- Conference, Meeting, Event and Trade Show Planning Services (SIN 561920)
Subcategory: Technical and Engineering Services (non-IT)
- Engineering Services (SIN 541330ENG)
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Services (SIN 541370GIS)
- Engineering System Design and Integration Services (SIN 541420)
Subcategory: Training
- Professional and Management Development Training (SIN 611430)
- Flight Training (SIN 611512)
- Educational Support Services (SIN 611710)
You can select a subcategory and SIN that aligns with your company’s services. For example, if your company offers non-IT Engineering Services (SIN 541330ENG) through this Large Category; this SIN has currently earned about $565 million in total sales for this Fiscal Year, indicating profit opportunities for engineering firms.
However, there are additional restrictions to note when providing professional services to federal clients through select SINs, which we will address later in this blog.
Financial Opportunities within GSA Professional Services Category
The MAS program follows the government’s Fiscal Year, which runs from October 1 to September 30 each year. Thus, the number of sales going through the professional services category for the 2024 Fiscal Year (FY 2024) so far, is just over $5 billion. For your reference, FY 2022 and FY 2023 sales totals were about $9 billion and $9.6 billion, respectively.
While this fiscal year’s sales are lower than the previous two fiscal years currently, the year isn’t over yet, and contractors are experiencing government Q4 spending tendencies. In Q4, government agencies tend to increase their spending to maintain their current budget allocations for the subsequent fiscal year. Consequently, government spending this quarter can increase the sales potential for the Professional Services Category this year.
Based on the previous two fiscal years’ sales totals hovering around $9 billion, it’s important to note the potential financial stability and opportunities to grow your business through the Professional Services Large Category.
What Does the Professional Services Market Size Look Like?
Businesses interested in obtaining a GSA Schedule can gather an understanding of the number of contractors currently selling through the Professional Services Category by visiting Schedule Sales Query Plus (SSQ+). This tool helps potential contractors understand the market associated with the MAS program overall and you can filter selections to view the total number of contracts, sales, and other additional information related to each Large Category and relevant SINs for your service offerings.
The number of contractors currently selling under the Professional Services Category is about 5,000 contracts. Although the total MAS contracts for all Large Categories falls just below 20,000 contracts, there is potential for your professional services to succeed within the federal marketplace. Because contractors may offer similar financial, business administrative, or other Professional Services, you want to make sure you are using proper marketing techniques and taking advantage of acquisition tools, such as GSA’s eBuy site, when you receive your GSA contract.
A Look into the Professional Services Contract Requirements
If you would like to become a GSA Schedule contractor under Professional Services, you should review the Professional Services Category attachment found through eOffer under “published solicitations” prior to drafting a proposal.
Depending on the Professional Services subcategory and SINs selected, you may need to follow special requirements during the GSA Schedule acquisition process. Although many SINs have additional actions to include during the GSA Schedule acquisition process, below are a few examples of Professional Services’ subcategories and SINs with special requirements, instructions, or features:
- SIN 562112: Hazardous waste disposal services cannot dispose of or transport radioactive materials, with a minor exception, and other identified materials. The attachment identifies an extensive list of offer instructions to follow regarding this SIN, including insurance requirements.
- SIN 541110: Offerors providing professional legal support can only provide services in locations they are licensed or approved to practice within; clients can request verification to ensure that an entity’s legal services can be performed in a specific location. When submitting a GSA Schedule proposal, offerors are required to provide documentation identifying the locations where their legal services can be practiced.
- SIN 541370GIS: Any Geographic Information System (GIS) software an offeror wants to propose in conjunction with this SIN’s GIS service scope must be proposed on a contract as a software SIN under the large category, Information Technology (IT), and not professional services.
In contrast to product contracts, service offerors will need to submit at least one past project narrative for each SIN they intend to propose on their GSA Schedule offer. These narratives help GSA understand your company’s ability and experience to provide similar services to your identified SINs.
Pay Attention to Unique Labor Requirements
When you offer a labor category through the Professional Services Category, there are unique federal requirements beyond extra SIN instructions. For example, the Service Contract Act (SCA), also known as Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS), outlines that Wage Determinations (WDs) and other benefits requirements need to be met for service contracts exceeding $2,500, with exceptions. Wage determinations require employees to be compensated based on the location where the service is being performed. Through SAM.gov, you can navigate wage determination rates and understand if your labor categories fall within this provision.
Depending on the SINs selected for a Professional Services contract, offerors will likely need to list labor categories or the position titles that will be performing a service through a GSA Schedule. However, additional complexities are associated with monitoring labor requirements. For example, you will need to list valid qualifications and descriptions for a position’s services you want to offer to GSA.
You’ve Decided that the GSA Professional Services Category is for You, What’s Next?
If you decide that you would like to provide your company’s services to the federal government through the Professional Services Large Category, check out GSA’s roadmap to get a MAS contract. This can help you understand if you would like to pursue a contract on your own or seek assistance from a consulting firm such as Winvale. From labor requirements to knowing which regulations apply to your potential SINs, the GSA Schedule acquisition process can appear daunting under the Professional Services Category. However, a GSA Schedule contract provides commercial companies with an opportunity to access a new federal marketplace with the ease of predetermined terms and conditions for up to 20 years.
If you have questions about getting a GSA Schedule, or would like to learn more about what you can offer through the MAS program, one of our consultants would be glad to assist you.
