A huge opportunity is coming up for small business GSA contractors—in response to recent Executive Orders surrounding sustainability and the climate crisis, GSA’s Public Buildings Service (PBS) has issued a pre-solicitation for Governmentwide Multiple Award Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts. These general construction contracts with design-build capabilities will support the installation of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) at federal government agency locations across the U.S.

Competing in the federal market can be difficult, especially if you don’t have the right tools and knowledge to properly market your GSA contract. As a small business, there are so many opportunities in the federal marketplace, but it’s up to you to know where to find them. You may know your industry commercially, but it’s crucial that you understand the government side of marketing.

So, you’ve found yourself awarded with a government contract vehicle, such as a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), and would like to respond to a government Request for Proposal, otherwise known as an RFP. What happens next? For those interested in responding to government contract opportunities, you should know that RFPs are often the most common type of opportunity you will come across. However, before responding to an RFP, it’s important to understand a few vital components that go into shaping a successful response package.

In the wave of modernizing sites like SAM.gov, the Vendor Support Center (VSC) and GSA Interact, GSA is transitioning from the DUNS number to a new Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Starting April 4, 2022, the new Unique Entity ID will the be official governmentwide identifier used for federal awards. This means the third-party DUNS number will be retired, and you will need a Unique Entity ID found in the System for Award Management (SAM) to do business with the government. This change is part of an effort to streamline systems within GSA. So, how can you prepare for this? Here are some tips to make sure the transition goes smoothly for you and your business.

The word “contract” may sound binding by nature, but since you can have your GSA Schedule for up to 20 years, it’s bound to change. Whether it’s your prices, the products and services you offer, or your company address, you’ll inevitably need to make changes. This can be done through GSA Schedule modifications. Modifications are an important part of managing your GSA Schedule and are required to keep your contract current, complete, and accurate.

GSA Advantage!, an online shopping platform for government buyers, acts much like Amazon. A government buyer can hop onto the site, type in a keyword for what they need or browse by several categories, and electronically purchase products in just a few clicks. But what happens next? We talk a lot about how important it is as a GSA contractor to maximize your product listings on GSA Advantage! and keep it updated, but once a buyer chooses one of your items, it’s just as important to know how to handle the backend of the orders.