Getting a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract is an exciting opportunity that can open a lot of doors for your business. After doing your research, perhaps you have decided this is the best step for your company to enter the public sector. But where do you start? Before you get a contract, you have to submit a GSA Schedule proposal, and before submitting your proposal, it’s important to have all the necessary materials ready to prevent any delays in the process of review and clarifications.
A good proposal can be broken into three parts: the administrative section, the technical section, and the pricing section. In this first blog of our 3-part series on "How to Prepare Your GSA Schedule Proposal," we will be going over the administrative section, its purpose, and necessary information.
What is the Administrative Section of the GSA Schedule Proposal?
The administrative section is the first section of your proposal and serves as an introduction to your company. Just like the word "administrative" would suggest, this section includes all the admin-related information such as address, contact information, business registration records. With that said, it’s important the Contracting Officer, the individual reviewing your proposal, has a good first impression of your business. This section also establishes the main Points of Contact (POCs) for the proposal which can be individuals within your company and other external players, such as consultants.
These individuals are able to negotiate on behalf of the company and contract once the time for negotiations comes. In addition to establishing your reputation as a business, it demonstrates to your Contracting Officer the research and preparation that has gone into your proposal, proving your dedication to obtaining a contract.
What Do You Need to Include in the Administrative Section of the GSA Schedule Proposal?
There are multiple documents required for a competitive proposal, and several of them are within the administrative section. Depending on your offerings and the size of your business, there may be additional documents required, but this section remains fairly standard.
SAM Registration and Your Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)
A copy of your company’s System for Award Management (SAM) certificate and Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) report. A SAM registration is required for your business in order to do business with the government, and it’s required to be updated every year. This registration ensures federal compliance with a number of requirements. For instance, your FAR report can be received from this system and details representations and certification required with SAM.
Once you are registered in SAM, you also receive a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), which replaced the DUNS number and is required to get any sort of government contract. Registering with SAM or making sure your preexisting registration can take a little while, so we suggest you start this process early.
Financial Information
GSA requires you to submit Profits & Losses sheets from two most recent years, unless you are submitting through the Startup Springboard Program, and then you can use alternative information to fulfill this requirement.
Once assigned, your Contracting Officer will review these statements to assess the financial stability of your business. Given the large demands of the federal market, it’s important to be in the “positive” to demonstrate your company can handle to workload that comes with being a contractor.
Other Necessary Documents for the Administrative Section
- Organizational Chart: The chart should demonstrate clear lines of authority within your company. It also gives greater insight into your company and the internal staff available.
- Employee Handbook and Statement on Overtime Policy: As part of the administrative section, GSA requires a copy of your employee handbook. With this document, GSA is able to review internal policies and processes within you company. In addition, they ask for a separate statement on your company’s overtime policy. This can be pulled verbatim from your employee handbook, if applicable.
- Readiness Assessment: Every contractor must complete a Readiness Assessment, which is a document that helps ensure you're ready to submit an offer under the right GSA Large Category, Subcategory, and Special Item Number (SIN).
- Statement on Subcontracting: Depending on the size of your business, you may be required to submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan. A statement is required as to whether or not this is applicable to your business.
- Statement on Production Points: The purpose of this document is to outline all production points for your company. If you are a business with multiple production places for your products, you would make note of that here.
- Other Statements: The administrative section requires statements on other various matters related to the proposal. These can vary depending on your offerings and other details on your proposal. This can include material on Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, exceptions to Representations and Certifications, etc.
As mentioned above, offers can differ depending on what products and/or services you intend to offer. To understand exactly what documents you need to submit, we suggest you reference the MAS Large Category attachments.
Creating A Competitive GSA Schedule Proposal
Leaving a good impression with your Contracting Officer is crucial in the GSA proposal review process. This can be done by creating a strong administrative section with all the necessary information. These documents allow you to establish your credibility as a business, proving that you can be competitive on the federal market.
After the administrative section, you will need to complete the technical and pricing sections, before you submit your proposal in GSA eOffer. These sections list your corporate experience, federal offerings, and past performances. If you want to learn more about the process of getting GSA Schedule, check out our blog on the acquisition process from start to finish. If you have any questions or need more guidance on the administrative section, our team of consultants are more than happy to assist.
