If you’re interested in selling to the government through a GSA Schedule contract, you might be wondering how government agencies will find your products and services and what the buying process will look like. If a government buyer wants to purchase a product, they can’t just hop onto one of the mega online retailers to find what they need because there are several requirements that need to be met. Instead, they use government online shopping and ordering sites like GSA Advantage!.

If you are a vendor and looking to do business with the government, how do you get started? One way is to pay close attention to budding opportunities. When a Request for Information (RFI) is released, it’s an indication that the government is conducting market research. RFIs are a great opportunity for you to get your foot in the door before a potential Request for Proposal (RFP) is shaped, and to make sure government agencies are familiar with your name and capabilities. In this blog, we’ll cover why the government issues RFIs, what RFIs can look like, and how they are useful for contractors.

The federal government is continually searching for ways to make the procurement process more efficient. One way this is accomplished is through GSA Schedule flexibilities. GSA offers several Schedule flexibilities that make it far more convenient for buyers and sellers to interact with one another. These flexibilities simplify the acquisition process, further streamline the ordering process, reduce administrative work, and potentially even expand business opportunities for sellers. These tools can be beneficial to both buyers and sellers when used appropriately to minimize repetitive efforts, reduce costs, and maximize profits and priorities. Examples of GSA Schedule flexibilities include Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) and Contractor Team Arrangements (CTAs), which offer distinct differences. In this blog, we’ll be covering what BPAs and CTAs are and how contractors can use them to their advantage.

Getting on the GSA Schedule is a great place to start selling to government entities, not only federal agencies, but also state and local entities. Many assume that the GSA Schedule is specific to federal buyers but in reality, the list of entities who can purchase via the GSA Schedule expands beyond that. GSA maintains a list of eligible entities that includes state and local agencies, educational institutions, and tribal governments. While your GSA Schedule invites access to many opportunities, many states have their own contracting vehicles and purchasing cooperatives that they prefer, and some are connected to the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS). In this blog, we'll explore different ways you can sell to state and local entities.

There are plenty of advantages to being certified as a small business. First off, the Small Business Administration (SBA) encourages government agencies to purchase from small businesses whenever possible, and the federal government maintains set-asides or sole-source contracts specifically for small businesses to give them a fair chance to win government contracts. These set-asides limit competition and increase odds by making a contract open to small businesses exclusively. So, if you qualify as a small business and want to become a government contractor, you’ll need to register. In this blog, we’ll cover how to qualify, what options are available to you, and how to register as a small business contractor.

The sheer amount of acronyms throughout the GSA Schedule acquisition process can have the potential to throw you into a lot of standstills if you keep having to stop to search for what each stands for. It certainly doesn't help when they all start to sound the same. Some of them may even appear next to each other or sound all too similar with prime examples of these being RFI (Request for Information) and RFP (Request for Proposal).