Government Contracting Blog

Maintain compliance by keeping up to date with TAA policies! The 2016 Presidential election was filled with a lot of “America first” rhetoric. Within the Trump Administration, that language is continued and there will very likely be an increased importance of American made products purchased through the GSA. With that in mind, reviewing the Trade Agreements Act (TAA) and what it means for GSA spending is important for contractors and buyers alike. The Trade Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. & 2501-2581) of 1979 was enacted to foster fair and open international trade, but more importantly, it implemented the requirement that the U.S. Government may acquire only U.S. – made or designated – end products.

As government contractors, it is imperative to handle protected health information and personal identifiable information because cyber threats are constantly increasing! Things just got a whole lot trickier for companies that handle Protected Health Information and Personal Identifiable Information (PII). Over the last 18 months, the Government has been cracking down and handing out stiff fines for those who breach government protocols, but a recent court decision solidified the severity of things.

The GSA is announcing a consolidation for Schedule 84! During the month of May, the General Services Administration (GSA) announced that a Special Item Number (SIN) consolidation for Schedule 84 would be considered. The GSA would like to implement the changes to the SINs in the first quarter of fiscal year 2018. Are you wondering what this means for the future of Schedule 84 holders? Here are 4 important questions to consider:

FedMall will change the way government agencies procure their goods! Federal Mall (FedMall) has gone live, as of June 19th! The idea behind FedMall is to improve upon EMALL, which was created by the Department of Defense (DoD). It will sell Commercial Off-The-Shelf items (COTS) and will replace the DOD EMALL. Here are some things to be aware of as you’re transitioning from DoD EMALL to FedMall.

SIN 132-56 is a streamlined way for the Government to find your Services. By the end of 2017, the Health IT government marketplace will be valued at $31.3 billion. This 7.4 % growth subsequently means that there is an increase in customer requests for Health IT Solutions. In June of 2016, the General Services Administration (GSA) rolled out a new addition to Schedule 70s new Health IT Special Item Number (SIN) 132-56. Here’s what you need to know about this SIN, its benefits and selling on this schedule. Since the introduction of the new SIN, 197 contractors have been added to this category.

At your 20 year mark? Say goodbye to a tedious proposal process! Congratulations on your successful partnership with the Government, under the GSA’s Federal Supply Schedules (FSS). Not all contractors make it to the 20-year mark with their GSA Schedules Contract and even less will extend the partnership past that. You’ve gotten this far, let’s talk about the process in detail, and what you can cut from your streamlined proposal. GSA allows for the award of overlapping or continuous contracts. These are identical contracts but with different periods of performance. Historically successful FSS contractors can acquire an overlapping contract to ensure contract continuity through what the GSA calls, a “streamlined process.” This applies to contractors that submit an offer for a new contract under the same schedule. Streamlined Offers are shortened by pulling a few of the most time-consuming things together. This includes the Open Ratings Report which can take up to 3 weeks for the surveys to complete and Past Project Write-ups.