Requests for Proposals (RFPs) are a crucial part of your business development as a contractor, but they are not an easy task. There’s a lot that goes into an RFP response, from the early market research stages, to reading over the sections, and leading an in-depth review so your team can submit a successful response. Not only do you have to read, draft, and submit a winning response, but learn all the terminology that goes along with it.

One way that contractors can report their GSA sales is through the Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) pilot program. First rolled out in 2016, the TDR program is still evolving, and GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) is preparing to make some updates to the program this fiscal year.

At a time where our economy is dealing with inflation, supply chain issues, and global conflict, you may be wondering how to navigate this rocky and unpredictable market. The commercial market has seen dramatic shifts over the past few years, with certain industries booming and others falling flat. However, one marketplace has remained fairly steady throughout all the fluctuation--the public sector. As one of the biggest buyers in the world, the federal marketplace is always bustling, even during times of economic uncertainty.

The Army recently announced their plans to develop a software development support services contract exceeding $1 billion over a 10-year period of performance. This contract is anticipated to be a Multiple-Award, Indefinite Quantity, Indefinite Delivery (IDIQ) vehicle with the ability to rapidly award task orders for software development requirements across the Army. In late May, the Army released a Request for Information (RFI) for the New Modern Software Development IDIQ and will take into consideration responses from industry. This could be a huge opportunity for software development contractors, so let’s dive into what we know about this upcoming IDIQ so far.

Maintaining your GSA Schedule is not only a key to success as a contractor, but it’s essential to keeping your contract for up to 20 years. One fear our clients come to us with is losing their GSA Schedule—while this doesn’t happen with minor infractions, a series of missteps can add up. Losing your GSA Schedule can of course significantly impact your business, but understanding the reasons behind cancellations can help you avoid this pitfall.

In the chaos of government Q4 of the Fiscal Year, contractors are focused on responding to federal opportunities, but may be missing out on key state and local government opportunities as well. There’s a common misconception that contractors can only sell to the federal government through a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract. Along with a list of eligible national and international organizations, GSA contractors can also sell to state and local government as well as tribal governments and certain educational institutions through certain purchasing programs. Most state governments end on June 30 or September 30, meaning now's the time to be searching for these opportunities.