To be a successful government contractor, you need to stay up to date on all of the changes that arise in the General Services Administration (GSA). If you’ve been following our blog, you will know that keeping up with all of those changes is no small task! From the new look of GSA eBuy to the consolidation of the Multiple Award Schedule program, GSA is continually trying to make contracting easier for the general public, but that means you need to know how to properly adapt to these developments. As government contract consultants, Winvale has been keeping a close eye on what our clients need to do to stay informed. The most recent update is the new solicitation refresh for the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program. Here are the main points contractors should know about the changes.

For the first time in a long time, GSA has updated the look for the eBuy Contractor Portal. The changes went live this past Sunday, May 31st and are now available for contractors to view once logged into the system. At first glance, the login screen does not look much different than before, but the major change in the eBuy experience comes after logging in with your GSA MAS Contract number and password.

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.

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.

[This article was last updated on November 17, 2020] The General Services Administration (GSA) has stringent standards when it comes to the Country of Origin (COO) of products and services procured through Federal Supply Schedules (FSS). All GSA products and services must maintain Trade Agreements Act (TAA) compliance per Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Clause 52.225-5. According to this clause, GSA contractors may only sell products and services which originate or are substantially transformed in TAA-compliant countries. However, in times of crisis, there are sometimes exceptions. In an effort to support the US government’s fight against COVID-19, GSA is temporarily allowing the procurement of non-TAA compliant products under FSS contracts. This exception is the result of GSA Senior Procurement Executive (SPE) Memo 2020-11.