Conducting research can be overwhelming if you’re unaware of the tools available to you in the federal market. Luckily for contractors, GSA has several procurement tools available to help you research your competitors, your industry, and find contracting opportunities. However, it’s one thing to know there are tools that exist, and another to know what each tool is and how to use it. These are free resources and are very integral to a contractor’s success, so we suggest you use them to your advantage. Here’s what you need to know.

If your company is based outside of the U.S., you may be wondering how you can do business with the U.S. federal government. For foreign companies who plan to use a government contracting vehicle to sell to government agencies, acquiring a NATO Commercial and Government Entity Code (NCAGE Code) and registering your company in the System for Award Management (SAM) are the first two crucial steps you will need to take. In this blog we’ll cover what you need to know about NCAGE Codes, who needs one, and how to register.

It’s well known that you can sell to the federal government through the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program, but you can also sell to state, local, and tribal governments under certain circumstances. Some states even have their own MAS contract vehicles that are the preferred medium of procurement. A great example of this is the California Multiple Award Schedule (CMAS), a special contract vehicle for state and local entities in California. This is a popular vehicle and is often overlooked by GSA contractors. In this blog we’ll share with you what CMAS is and how it could be beneficial for your GSA Schedule.

Small businesses might feel in over their heads while competing for government contracts through the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program. However, to ensure that small businesses receive a portion of government contracting dollars, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has established several contracting assistance programs such as the 8(a) Business Development Program. The 8(a) Program aids small, disadvantaged businesses, and the SBA works with federal agencies to promote equitable access to contracting opportunities in the federal marketplace. In this article, we’ll define the SBA's (8a) Business Development Program, who is eligible to participate in the program, and the benefits for small, disadvantaged businesses.

For years, the federal acquisition industry has been asking for a more efficient way to make smarter purchases while saving taxpayer dollars. GSA has answered these calls for improvement with a solution—buy.gsa.gov. GSA has launched buy.gsa.gov, a new tool to help simplify the federal procurement process. This site will benefit both government agencies (buyers) and GSA contractors (vendors) as they can access streamlined market research, searchable templates, and interactive resources. While this tool is still in its testing phase, you can toggle around the site and send your feedback to GSA. Here’s what you need to know about this new tool and how it may help you navigate the procurement process.

Getting a GSA Schedule contract can be a huge endeavor in and of itself, but ultimately, it’s incredibly rewarding for your business. Having access to the federal marketplace can open your business up to a variety of opportunities and partnerships, allowing you to grow as an organization. With this in mind, acquiring a GSA contract is only the first step. In order to do well in the public sphere, there is a lot of work that come with maintaining and marketing your GSA contract. Throughout this blog, we will be going over what it takes to be a successful contractor and the different levels of compliance needed.