Government Contracting Blog

Once contractors acquire a GSA Schedule, they gain access to one of the largest buyers of goods and services in the world—the U.S. government. Since the U.S. government is one of the largest consumers, they want to receive the best values and prices available from contractors. This is where your Commercial Sales Practices (CSP) come in.

During my time at Winvale, I’ve gotten some very confused looks when I mention I work with government contracts. Friends sometimes assume that I work on top-secret contracts I can’t tell them about or that I simply push papers all day. And to be honest—neither of those are true. Our specialty is helping our clients with all things General Services Administration (GSA). Working with GSA can be like learning a new language with all of the acronyms, and working with a GSA Schedule consultant is like having an interpreter there to help you better understand what’s going on.

Selling your products or services to the federal government can be intimidating and it can often be difficult to get your foot in the door. Thankfully as a GSA Schedule contractor, you have several tools and opportunities available to you, especially if you are a small business.

Every government contractor’s main objective is simple – win. But how? How does a compliant, well-qualified company successfully win a contract in such a competitive marketplace? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t as straightforward as some would like it to be. However, one of the biggest pieces of the puzzle is clear, and that's pricing. 

The General Services Administration (GSA) is the great facilitator behind a large margin of government spending. GSA is how the government gets its products and services—from pens used at the Department of State to Information Technology (IT) services at the Department of Labor, GSA makes government acquisition much easier for government agencies and saves those agencies a great deal of bureaucratic work. But how does the GSA stay afloat? Surprisingly, not by using your tax dollars.

Selling to the government through your own GSA Schedule contract can be a daunting task for many businesses. There are certain prerequisites you need to meet before you can obtain a Schedule, and there are several requirements you need to follow throughout the life of your GSA Schedule contract. Although the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program is a great opportunity for companies to expand their customer-base and access a new marketplace, we understand the process may be difficult for certain companies. However, there are a few ways to sell through a GSA Schedule without having your own contract.