Last Updated September 16, 2022 It’s finally here—GSA has unpaused the final Request for Proposal (RFP) for Polaris and released solicitations for all 4 pools. Polaris is a multiple-award small business IDIQ contract that will provide the federal government with IT services and IT service-based solutions with an emphasis on emerging technologies.

As a small business government contractor, you have the opportunity to certify under certain socioeconomic groups such as Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs) or Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs). These certifications allow you access to specialized contractor assistance programs and unique contracting opportunities set-aside specifically for small businesses. However, unlike the other small business contracting programs such as Women-Owned Small Business or 8(a) that are verified and certified through the Small Business Administration (SBA), the VOSB and SDVOSB certification went through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Starting January 2023, VOSB and SDVOSB certifications will be moved to the SBA. If you’re a Veteran-owned contractor or plan to become one soon, this is an important blog for you.

First established in 1984, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) acts as one of two bodies of regulation used by the General Services Administration (GSA). This is the rulebook for every policy or procedure you could ever come across and, more importantly, the policies and procedures you will need to know as a contractor. Knowing and understanding these regulations is key to becoming and remaining a compliant, successful GSA Schedule contractor. In this blog, we have picked out the most common, need-to-know clauses to keep you and your business on track and prepared.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has several contracting assistance programs to help small businesses win a fair share of the federal government's dollars. These types of programs allow for small businesses with a GSA Schedule to be more competitive in the world of government contracting. One of these programs is the Economically Disadvantaged Women Owned Small Business (EDWOSB). With this business designation, your company has greater access to specific contracting opportunities and programs that are designed to help you succeed in the federal marketplace. We’ll cover what a EDWOSB is and if your company qualifies so you can take advantage of these contracting assistance programs.

While going through the GSA Schedule offer process there are several documents to submit and the requirements can vary depending on what solutions you plan to offer, if you’re offering products or services, and if you’re a small or large business, but one thing is for certain—no GSA Schedule offer can be completed without registering in the System for Award Management (SAM). SAM is an official U.S. government website where you can register your entity, search for contract opportunities, and run reports, making it a key website for GSA contractors.

Becoming a government contractor can be daunting for small businesses without enough experience to meet the complex requirements. However, subcontracting is one way small businesses can get their hands on federal government dollars and gain performance experience in the industry. To help government agencies meet their small business spending budgets each fiscal year, large or often referred to as Other than Small Businesses (OTSBs) are required to make a Subcontracting Plan. This plan outlines how an OTSB intends to accomplish its subcontracting goals. As a result, small businesses have a chance to test their ability to perform in the federal marketplace by subcontracting with companies that have a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS). This blog is an overview of GSA subcontracting and explains how small businesses can use subcontracting as a steppingstone toward getting their own GSA contract.