While searching for a contracting opportunity on SAM.gov, you may have glossed over entries that are marked as Sources Sought Notices (SSNs). Maybe it's because it's not a Request for Proposal (RFP) and overall may seem like it's not worth your time because it doesn't directly end in contract award, but we suggest you take a closer look. Sources Sought Notices play a key role in federal procurement and can increase your odds of winning the opportunity.

In 2016, the General Services Administration (GSA) rolled out a program that allows Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) on GSA Schedule orders for contractors who opt in (and are eligible). As TDR has become more established in the GSA Schedules program, more and more contractors have been opting into TDR and are experiencing the benefits it provides. Now that GSA has expanded TDR to an additional 67 Special Item Numbers (SINs), I would like to help you make an informed decision regarding whether or not you should opt into TDR by providing an overview of both the benefits and potential drawbacks of switching to TDR. Let’s jump into finding how switching to TDR would affect maintenance of your GSA Schedule.

The news we’ve all been waiting for—since GSA announced they were eventually expanding the Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) pilot to all Special Item Numbers (SINs), prospective and current contractors alike were asking us when they could join the program. Now, we finally have some answers. In Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Solicitation Refresh #22, which will be released in early August, GSA plans to expand TDR to 67 new SINs. In this blog, we’ll cover the newest TDR news and what other changes GSA plans to implement in MAS Refresh #22.

Market research plays a key role in the procurement process for government agencies. To improve the market research involved in government procurement, GSA and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently launched the aptly named Procurement Co-Pilot. This new acquisition tool aims to make market research easier and more effective for acquisition professionals procuring solutions for the government.

Once they have their GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), a lot of our clients ask us how to start gaining government customers. Whether it’s through GSA eBuy, GSA Advantage!, or SAM.gov, new contractors are understandably eager to make sales through their contract. Some opportunities will be single orders if you sell through Advantage, and others will be short-lived contracts, but Best-In-Class (BIC) vehicles are also another opportunity to keep on your radar. These contracts offer pre-vetted and negotiated solutions to a variety of agencies, and there are a few offering new opportunities in the coming months. In this blog, we’ll talk about some of the most popular BICs and their status for contractors looking to join.

As a government contractor, you have likely become familiar with SAM.gov. There are a number of features in SAM, but arguably the most important is the entity registration feature. Since registering your entity in SAM.gov is required in order to do things like apply for contracts or receive grants from the federal government, this creates a database of thousands of companies. Not only that, but these registrations require resubmission every year in order to remain active. However, the process of updating SAM can be fraught with downfalls that can jeopardize your compliance status and contract opportunities.