Government Contracting Blog

As the need for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) continues to mount across the country, new players are stepping forward in the government contracting space to provide the public sector the proper protective gear they need as employees slowly begin to return to their offices. In times of national crisis like this, it is absolutely essential that the right companies are able to provide the right products and services to the public sector. However, as many of our regular blog-readers may be aware, selling to the government is not always as straightforward as it may seem. Contractors who are working with the government must be aware of the nuances of each deal and the compliance aspects that companies who sell primarily to commercial customers may not be familiar with.

Each year, the government awards billions of dollars in federal contracts to businesses to meet the needs of government agencies. But how do you enter these opportunities? If you are considering joining the world of government contracting, there’s a lot of information to know. Sometimes it can be confusing to figure out where to start. At Winvale, we talk a lot about the General Services Administration (GSA) and the Multiple Award Schedules (MAS), but government contracting is a wide net. Here are some government contracting 101 basics you should know:

As a GSA contractor, or just a government contractor in general, odds are that you have come across subcontracting requirements and processes. GSA’s requirements are set forth in order to help government agencies meet their small business spending budgets each fiscal year, whether directly or indirectly. Within the scope of subcontracting, there are many intricacies, but Winvale is here to provide you a streamlined guide to the basics of GSA subcontracting.

The answer, put simply, is yes. Yes, you can participate in government contracting bids without a GSA Schedule. But it may not be the best way to secure government contract opportunities. Open market sales to the federal government take longer and are more expensive than sales through a contracting vehicle.

Selling to the government can seem like a daunting task for any government contractor, but focusing on several key tips and strategies can bring some structure to your public sector efforts and help your company excel in the government marketplace. Building your government sales practice is one of the greatest challenges your company may face, and before you can capitalize on the opportunities that exist for your company, you should have a go-to-market strategy in place. We have covered how to find and win government contract opportunities, but today we we’ll focus on how to successfully sell to the government.

A lot of businesses are looking to the federal government and the public sector to keep their businesses profitable during an economically uncertain time. Thankfully, the U.S. government is taking steps to try to help out Economically Disadvantaged Businesses through methods like those outlined in the OMB Memorandum. The federal government is also prepared for times of emergencies and has put statutes and clauses in place that specifically address small business set-asides and sole-source opportunities in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the Stafford Act. If you and your company are economically disadvantaged due to the effects of the Coronavirus, let’s review how set asides, sole source opportunities, and the updates to the MAS program can help your business.