Government Contracting Blog

Companies that choose to pursue a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract frequently reap the rewards of a nearly endless customer list. Once GSA MAS proposals are awarded, prospective vendors become contractors to one of the largest buying agencies in the world, but success isn't necessarily instant. After going through what can be a lengthy review process to have your contract awarded, you must also take a few initial steps to ensure you are setting yourself up for success. We recently wrote about what prospective contractors would need to get on a GSA Schedule contract, but what additional steps are required once the contract has been awarded? Let’s break down these crucial first steps:

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), a new set of cybersecurity standards the Department of Defense (DoD) will be implementing on all their contracts, is included in the General Service Administration’s (GSA) $50 billion 8(a) STARS III Request for Proposal (RFP). 8(a) STARS III (Streamlined Technology Acquisition Resource for Services) is a multiple-award IDIQ contract set aside for small businesses that will give the federal government access to a wide range of information technology (IT) services-based solutions. Although STARS III isn’t a contract vehicle specific to the DoD, the DoD was one of the biggest buyers of STARS II, the predecessor to STARS III.

Who are my customers? It’s often the burning question in any commercial marketplace. You know what your products and services are, you have an idea where and how you want to market them, but who is your target audience? It’s no different when you’re selling to the government through a GSA Schedule contract. As public sector consultants, we’re asked this question a lot because a wide array of agencies purchase through the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program and the answer isn't always clear. The GSA MAS program was created for government agencies to have access to around 11 million different products and services at a volume discount, but it’s not open to just any government entity. So who can you sell to with a GSA Schedule contract?

The GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program allows federal agencies and other eligible entities to purchase products and services from commercial businesses, but what about state and local governments? State and local government entities have their own contract vehicles, but they can also purchase under the GSA MAS Program with certain stipulations. While they do not have access to everything on the GSA Schedule, they can purchase from certain categories determined under the Cooperative Purchasing Program.

On July 1, 2020, The General Services Administration (GSA) issued Refresh #3 to its MAS Solicitation 47QSMD20R0001, which may affect your Office Management or Human Capital contracts. Based on feedback from customers, GSA is changing the Special Item Numbers (SINS) in the Office Management and Human Capital large categories on the new consolidated Multiple Award Schedule (MAS). What will these changes look like and what do they mean for your contracts in the future?

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!®.