If you’re getting ready to put together your GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) application for the first time, you may be feeling a bit nervous. Many prospective contractors feel this way as the proposal process is daunting, especially if you’re unfamiliar with GSA. In this blog, we’ll go over some expert tips to help you get on the GSA Schedule.
Tips for Performing Background Research
One thing that many contractors skip over is doing background research before starting a GSA Schedule proposal. Having a thorough understanding of the requirements and landscape of the GSA MAS is critical to putting together a successful proposal. One of the most important things to research is the minimum requirements for getting on the GSA Schedule.
While requirements can vary based on what you plan to offer, every contractor will need at least 2 years of corporate experience, 2 years of financial statements, and examples of past performance. If you don’t meet these qualifications, you may still qualify for the Startup Springboard program, which is geared toward companies with less than 2 years of experience.
In addition to researching requirements for your own company, you should also research your potential competitors. You can use tools like SSQ+, GSA Calc, and FPDS to take a look at who else is offering similar products or services to your company. Getting a sense of your competitors’ offerings can help you ensure that your offer is unique and compelling, while still being in line with market thresholds for pricing.
As you research your industry on GSA, be aware that having no competitors at all may be more of a hinderance than a help. This may sound counterintuitive, as typically the less competition there is, the better. However, if there is no one else on the GSA who offers what you, the government may have difficulty determining if your pricing is “fair and reasonable.” This doesn't mean that you won’t be able to get awarded, but it does mean you’ll need to be extra prepared with pricing support and market research.
Tips Before Starting Your Proposal
Something that’s important to settle before beginning your GSA Schedule proposal is whether you have enough manpower to complete your proposal. Putting together a GSA Schedule proposal takes a significant amount of time and effort, and will require input from multiple areas of your company, including accounting, project management, HR, and higher-level stakeholders.
It’s also important to think ahead to who will ultimately be managing your contract. It’s a good idea to bring in individuals who will be responsible for contract maintenance and reporting early, so they can familiarize themselves with GSA rules and regulations. You may also want to consider hiring outside consultants, especially if no one at your company has experience with GSA. If you do decide to work with a GSA consulting firm, be sure to do your research to ensure you hire an experienced, reputable company.
Another thing that’s important to understand before starting your proposal is how long the process will take. Many prospective contractors underestimate the length of time it will take for a GSA Schedule proposal to be prepared, submitted, reviewed, and awarded. It can take anywhere from 6 months to a year from the time you start working on your proposal to the time your contract is awarded.
How long the process takes depends on a variety of factors, such as how long you spend putting the proposal together and how long it takes for your offer to be reviewed by the GSA. Unfortunately, with recent staffing cuts at GSA, the already lengthy review period is only getting longer. This is why it’s important to set expectations early, especially with individuals at the company like executives and stakeholders, who may not be directly involved in the process but are interested in the outcome.
Tips for Avoiding Common Pitfalls
There are several common mistakes contractors make when putting together a GSA Schedule proposal, many of which are easily avoidable with a bit of advance knowledge. The first common pitfall is inadequate pricing support. One of the most common issues we see contractors run into is a lack of invoicing support. Before submitting your offer, check to make sure that every line item is supported by an invoice. Even if your offer falls under Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) where invoices technically aren’t required, it’s a good idea to have them prepared. Contracting Officers have the authority to request additional invoices during the clarification process, and they almost always do.
This relates to another common pitfall, which is non-competitive pricing. If you haven’t researched your competitors in advance, you may be unaware that your prices are too high to be competitive. Completing market research for competitors with similar offerings will help you better adjust your own pricing, and will help you be prepared in the event that a contracting officer asks for market research to supplement your pricing support.
If you’re wondering why you need to have so much pricing support prepared, it may be helpful to understand why Contracting Officers are asking for it. Contracting Officers aren’t out to get you, even if it may feel like it. They ask for additional invoices and market research because they have to provide a written justification of why your prices are fair and reasonable. The more support they have, the more solid their justification is, and the more likely you will be able to get your contract awarded.
Still Have Questions About Getting a GSA Schedule?
We covered some helpful tips and common pitfalls of GSA in this blog, but that’s not all there is to the GSA. If you have more questions about GSA Schedule proposals, reach out to us—one of our talented consultants will be happy to help.
