If you’re a veteran-owned small business selling to the government or are looking to become one, there have been a few updates recently you should be aware of. One of these updates is a final rule eliminating self-certification for all Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs). Self-certification has already been removed for SDVOSBs who want to go after prime SDVOSB set-asides, but now the option is being eliminated on all fronts.

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.

The news we’ve all been waiting for—since GSA announced they were eventually expanding the Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) pilot to all Special Item Numbers (SINs), prospective and current contractors alike were asking us when they could join the program. Now, we finally have some answers. In Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Solicitation Refresh #22, which will be released in early August, GSA plans to expand TDR to 67 new SINs. In this blog, we’ll cover the newest TDR news and what other changes GSA plans to implement in MAS Refresh #22.

Market research plays a key role in the procurement process for government agencies. To improve the market research involved in government procurement, GSA and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently launched the aptly named Procurement Co-Pilot. This new acquisition tool aims to make market research easier and more effective for acquisition professionals procuring solutions for the government.

One of the biggest reasons contractors choose to get a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract is the easy access it provides to the world’s largest buyer of goods and services, the U.S. government. With a GSA Schedule, contractors have already pre-negotiated their terms and pricing, giving them an advantage over other contract vehicles. Because of this, government buyers often choose to purchase from GSA Schedules.

Once they have their GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), a lot of our clients ask us how to start gaining government customers. Whether it’s through GSA eBuy, GSA Advantage!, or SAM.gov, new contractors are understandably eager to make sales through their contract. Some opportunities will be single orders if you sell through Advantage, and others will be short-lived contracts, but Best-In-Class (BIC) vehicles are also another opportunity to keep on your radar. These contracts offer pre-vetted and negotiated solutions to a variety of agencies, and there are a few offering new opportunities in the coming months. In this blog, we’ll talk about some of the most popular BICs and their status for contractors looking to join.