Capturing government business can be difficult, even after you’ve acquired a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract. As a MAS contractor, you may not be qualified for certain opportunities based on the scope of your offerings. One solution to this challenge is to work with other contractors. Among other partnering options, Contractor Teaming Arrangements (CTAs) can help MAS contractors increase their odds of success in the federal marketplace. In this blog, we’ll discuss what you need to do to form a MAS Contractor Teaming Arrangement, including how to put together a CTA agreement.
In a MAS Contractor Teaming Arrangement, two or more contractors with their own GSA Schedules agree to work together to compete for and meet Schedule orders. The contractors themselves decide the terms of their CTA agreement. Unlike entering a Joint Venture, forming a CTA does not create a separate legal entity. MAS CTAs are distinct from the CTAs described in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Clause 9.6, as they are specific to the Multiple Award Schedule.
MAS CTAs enable contractors with complementary offerings to compete for government orders that they may not qualify for independently. For example, if an order calls for multiple Special Item Numbers (SINs), CTA members can combine their awarded SINs to meet that requirement.
CTAs allow small businesses in particular to become more competitive in the federal marketplace, as they can share responsibilities and combine skillsets with another contractor. CTA members can also benefit from a reduced risk of nonperformance on contracts, since each contractor can focus on their individual strengths.
Forming a MAS CTA starts with finding at least one other GSA Schedule holder whose capabilities complement yours. In addition to utilizing your own network, you can connect with potential CTA members at industry days and matchmaking events, such as those hosted by GSA and the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. GSA eLibrary is also a great place to quickly find other MAS contractors with certain Special Item Numbers.
Once you’ve found other Schedule contractors to join your CTA, it’s time to figure out which member will be the CTA lead. It’s up to the CTA itself to decide the CTA lead’s responsibilities, but the lead is generally responsible for submitting the CTA agreement, invoicing products or services ordered through the agreement, and modifying the agreement as necessary. Keep in mind that when CTAs compete for a small business set-aside contract, the CTA lead and all CTA members should meet the socioeconomic status specified.
Now that your team is assembled, it’s time to put together a written agreement outlining the terms of your MAS CTA. The members of your MAS CTA are responsible for negotiating and drafting your MAS CTA agreement.
You’ll want to decide first which type of MAS CTA agreement to form. MAS contractors can choose from two types of agreements: order-level agreements and contract-level agreements. We’ll explain each below, so you can determine which is better suited to your business needs.
MAS order-level CTA agreements are specific to a certain order or Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA). Contractors establish these agreements to fulfill specific requirements outlined in the order/BPA. This is the most common type of MAS CTA agreement.
After drafting an order-level agreement, the CTA members would submit it with their response to the government requirement. Unless the ordering activity states otherwise, contractors can propose an order-level CTA agreement to provide a total solution.
MAS contract-level CTA agreements are incorporated at the MAS contract level. MAS contractors establish these CTAs based on anticipated partnering necessary to meet recurring requirements, rather than for a specific requirement. Contractors participating in a contract-level CTA agreement can also establish supplemental order-level CTA agreements as needed to fulfill specific requirements.
After drafting a contract-level agreement, the CTA members would submit it to the MAS contracting officer to be incorporated into the CTA lead’s MAS contract. Government buyers can place orders or issue BPAs from the established team for the duration of their CTA agreement.
Both types of CTA agreements should cover how CTA members will allocate responsibilities and handle financial and legal matters as a team. Luckily, you don’t need to draft an agreement from scratch – GSA provides contractors with a MAS CTA agreement template. You can adjust the language as needed but should address the minimum elements listed below:
Addressing each of the elements above is the best way to craft a successful MAS CTA agreement. For MAS contract-level CTA agreements, the CTA lead’s Contracting Officer will evaluate your CTA agreement and will look for each of these elements. As described earlier, a contract-level CTA agreement becomes effective once the Contracting Officer approves and incorporates it into the CTA lead’s MAS contract.
For MAS order-level CTA agreements, the government buyer at the order level will not formally approve your CTA agreement itself. However, they’ll review the agreement along with your response to the requirement. The agreement elements listed above are what the government buyer will typically want to know when evaluating your potential as a contractor.
Forming a CTA may seem daunting, but there are resources to support you during the process. For more information about CTAs, we suggest visiting GSA’s page on CTAs and our recent blog on CTA FAQs. These sources explain how CPARS reporting, FPDS reporting, and other aspects of contracting work in the context of CTAs.
If you have further questions about forming CTAs, your GSA Schedule, or other partnership opportunities, Winvale is here to help.