One of the most unique and useful parts of being a GSA Schedule contractor is access to tools and resources that allow you to conduct extensive market research, find and bid on opportunities, and sell your products directly to government customers. For example, on GSA Advantage!, you can list and sell your products to government agencies just like vendors can do on Amazon with commercial customers.

Whether your business already has experience in the government marketplace, or you are new to the process and looking to learn more about marketing your GSA Schedule, you are in the right place. When you are on the hunt for contract opportunities, the federal market can come off as vast and confusing, and it’s important you have some sort of strategy or plan in place to focus your marketing efforts. This blog will help you narrow down your target customers and help you understand how you can filter for relevant opportunities, so you can increase success with your GSA Schedule.

The federal government is actively working toward making sure small businesses have a big slice of government contracting dollars. Recently, the General Services Administration (GSA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) have signed a revised 8(a) Program Partnerships Agreement (PA) and established a final rule that will increase contracting opportunities both sole source and set aside contractors, and make it easier for government customers to use GSA Schedules to access 8(a) company solutions. 8(a) companies are a part of a small disadvantaged business program, and the government has been focused on making federal procurement more accessible for contractors under this program. Let’s discuss 8(a) Business Development, what the new partnership will mean, and other ways small businesses can utilize support from the government.

Another contract vehicle is on the horizon for government contractors—GSA has created a new services Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) to replace OASIS. Formerly named Services Multi-Agency Contract (MAC) and more recently dubbed as OASIS+, this contract vehicle will support GSA’s Federal Acquisition (FAS) Office of Professional Services and Human Capital Categories (PSHC), and will include small business set-asides. GSA has slowly been releasing draft sections, but the final Requests for Proposals (RFPs) were released in June 2023 and they are due September 13. So here’s what we know about the contract vehicle, including the reasoning behind its creation, its scope, and anticipated release dates.

A government contractor always needs to plan ahead for future opportunities, arguably more so than in the commercial marketplace due to the bureaucracy involved. Given the fact that agencies often start planning future opportunities well in advance of the anticipated award date, you may feel you are keeping well informed of relevant contracting opportunities.

We’re all aware that the federal government is one of the largest buyers in the U.S. Contractors looking to tap into the federal market through GSA Schedules are first going to need to conduct market research to see where they fit in, and will need to continue to research even after they are awarded a contract. But how can we track where all the massive spending is going? Which contracts are obtaining the most cash flows? How much money does each state spend in taxpayer dollars?