At a time where our economy is dealing with inflation, supply chain issues, and global conflict, you may be wondering how to navigate this rocky and unpredictable market. The commercial market has seen dramatic shifts over the past few years, with certain industries booming and others falling flat. However, one marketplace has remained fairly steady throughout all the fluctuation--the public sector. As one of the biggest buyers in the world, the federal marketplace is always bustling, even during times of economic uncertainty.

Maintaining your GSA Schedule is not only a key to success as a contractor, but it’s essential to keeping your contract for up to 20 years. One fear our clients come to us with is losing their GSA Schedule—while this doesn’t happen with minor infractions, a series of missteps can add up. Losing your GSA Schedule can of course significantly impact your business, but understanding the reasons behind cancellations can help you avoid this pitfall.

In the chaos of government Q4 of the Fiscal Year, contractors are focused on responding to federal opportunities, but may be missing out on key state and local government opportunities as well. There’s a common misconception that contractors can only sell to the federal government through a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract. Along with a list of eligible national and international organizations, GSA contractors can also sell to state and local government as well as tribal governments and certain educational institutions through certain purchasing programs. Most state governments end on June 30 or September 30, meaning now's the time to be searching for these opportunities.

Navigating the General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Program can be complicated—there are a lot of confused businesses out there trying to make sense of all the requirements and regulations. It can be easy to get lost in the sea of terms and red tape, and possibly form misconceptions about the process. Unfortunately, these misconceptions about GSA Schedules can deter businesses from taking advantage of the opportunities they offer. In this article, we’ll debunk the top 5 GSA Schedule myths so you are well prepared before you enter the world of GSA.

As a GSA Schedule contractor, there are a few pre-requisites you need to meet before you can begin preparing your GSA Schedule proposal that also continue throughout the life of your contract. One of these requirements is Trade Agreements Act (TAA) compliance. In order to maintain TAA compliance with your GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract, you must agree each “final product” you sell will have been “substantially transformed” in the U.S. or in a signatory country designated by the TAA, throughout the entirety of your contract.

If you want to get on the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), the first step is putting together your proposal. Preparing an MAS offer is no easy task, and there’s plenty of pitfalls to avoid. Luckily, we here at Winvale have years of experience with creating GSA Schedule proposals, and we’ve learned a few tricks along the way. In this blog, we’ll talk about some of the Do’s and Don’ts to keep in mind when preparing a GSA Schedule proposal.