Although the large corporations tend to take over the headlines for capturing government contracting opportunities, small businesses have plenty of opportunities to go after in the federal marketplace. Even if you see a Request for Quote (RFQ) that your company may not be able to handle on its own, you shouldn’t necessarily discredit it right away. There are several ways in which small businesses can partner with large or other small businesses to expand their offerings and increase their competitiveness. As a GSA Schedule contractor, there are 4 main ways you can team up with another business. They are: subcontracting, Joint Ventures, partnering with a reseller, and Contractor Team Arrangements (CTA). Let’s dive into each partnership and find out which one could work best for you.

Once you receive your GSA Schedule, it’s important to consider the maintenance and compliance required to successfully manage your contract. While you’ve overcome the significant hurdle of getting your GSA Schedule awarded, you are not off the hook for the remainder of your contract. There are steps you need to take to ensure your contract complies with GSA regulations and requirements. If you fail to adhere to some of the regulations, you could risk getting your contract cancelled. To avoid contract cancellation and to maximize contract success, we put together a blog of some important rules you should keep in mind throughout the life of your GSA Schedule.

It’s never too early to start preparing for next year—as 2021 comes to a close, GSA is planning their strategic moves for 2022 and outlining what changes will be made to the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program. In early December, we attended the Southwest Supply and Acquisition Center’s Industry Days, which is a yearly event devoted to providing contractors and industry partners developments on GSA. This year’s events gave insight to all the important updates that are expected to happen within the next year or two. What are some of these updates and how will it impact your business tactics? Here are some of the biggest takeaways.

As a contractor for the General Services Administration (GSA), you know that a key part of contract compliance is regularly reporting your sales and paying the Industrial Funding Fee (IFF). Whether you report on a monthly or quarterly basis, it’s essential you have a consistent and accurate invoicing process so you can be certain you are reporting the correct sales. To ensure that contractors are compliant with their sales reporting process, GSA will conduct Contractor Assessments on a semi-regular basis. During these assessments, an Industrial Operations Analyst (IOA) will analyze your sales practices and reporting history to ensure you are compliant with GSA terms and conditions.

Once you get your GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract, you can have it for up to 20 years. It’s a rewarding contract vehicle, but it’s a long-term commitment, meaning you’ll need to frequently update your GSA Schedule to grow with your business and to keep up with GSA regulations. GSA requires regular contract maintenance, involving contract updates, reporting, modifications, and adhering to new GSA regulations.

When it comes to federal procurement, the government has a distinct order in which government agencies can purchase goods and services. For example, offerings through the AbilityOne Program, a program that provides employment opportunities for people who are blind or who have significant disabilities, must be considered for purchase before GSA Schedule contracts and other federal contracts.