What Does a GSA Schedule Consultant Do? What to Expect When Hiring One

Getting a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract opens a valuable channel for selling your products and services to the federal government, but the acquisition process requires significant time, preparation, and knowledge of GSA requirements. From gathering proposal documentation to selecting the right Special Item Numbers (SINs) and preparing for negotiations, there are several steps to navigate before your contract is awarded.

For companies that don't have the internal resources or GSA experience to manage the process alone, hiring a GSA Schedule consultant can help. But what exactly does a consultant do, and what should you expect when working with one? Let's break down where a consultant can provide support throughout the GSA Schedule acquisition process and beyond.

What Is a GSA Schedule Consultant?

A GSA Schedule consultant is someone who specializes in the GSA Multiple Award Schedule Program and helps companies navigate the requirements associated with acquiring and maintaining a GSA Schedule contract. They stay up to date on changes to the MAS Solicitation (the rulebook for everything related to your contract) and other requirements that may affect prospective and current contractors.

While consultants can assist with both acquisition and post-award maintenance, we'll focus primarily on what you can expect when hiring a consultant to help you get a GSA Schedule.

What Does a GSA Schedule Consultant Help With?

A GSA Schedule consultant can guide you through several parts of the acquisition process, from determining whether your company is ready to pursue a Schedule to navigating GSA's review after your offer is submitted. Once you get your contract awarded, a consultant can help with post-award maintenance support too.

Eligibility and SIN Selection

Before preparing your GSA Schedule offer, you first need to determine whether your company meets the requirements to pursue a Schedule and where your products or services fit within the MAS Program.

A consultant can review your company's eligibility and identify potential issues before you begin the proposal process. They can also help determine which Special Item Numbers (SINs) are appropriate for the products and services you plan to offer.

Each SIN has a defined scope and may include additional technical, experience, or documentation requirements. Selecting the appropriate SINs early can help ensure your offer accurately reflects what your company intends to sell through the MAS Program.

Managing Your GSA Schedule Offer Timeline

The GSA Schedule acquisition process requires information from several areas of your business, and some documents or requirements may take longer to complete than others.

Offer preparation and submission is only one piece to the larger timeline, because once your offer is submitted, GSA controls the evaluation timeline and when an award decision is made. So, in order to move things along as best as possible, a consultant can help keep the proposal moving while your team continues managing its normal business responsibilities.

Preparing Your GSA Schedule Proposal

Preparing a GSA Schedule offer involves compiling information about your business, experience, capabilities, pricing, and proposed offerings according to GSA's required format.

A consultant can identify the documents and templates required for your offer and help prepare the different components according to the current MAS Solicitation and applicable SIN requirements.

While your company is responsible for providing accurate and current information, your consultant can help make sure that information is properly incorporated into the offer before submission.

Understanding GSA Schedule Compliance

A complete proposal also needs to comply with the current MAS Solicitation. Missing documentation, outdated information, incorrect templates, or proposing products or services outside the scope of your selected SINs can create issues during GSA's review.

A GSA Schedule consultant can review your proposal for potential compliance issues and monitor MAS Solicitation Refreshes that may change instructions, templates, or other requirements while your offer is being developed. GSA is currently on Refresh #32, with Refresh #33 is anticipated to be released sometime in October.

Staying current with these changes is particularly important during a longer acquisition process, since the requirements in place when you begin preparing an offer may change before you submit it.

Preparing Your Pricing

GSA evaluates proposed pricing to determine whether it is “fair and reasonable”, so your company will need to provide pricing information and appropriate supporting documentation as part of its offer.

A consultant can help prepare your pricing proposal, identify the necessary pricing support, and help you respond to questions or proposed changes during negotiations.

The decisions made during this stage are important because your awarded pricing and terms can affect how you compete and manage your Schedule after award.

Negotiations/Clarifications

After your offer is submitted, your order is assigned to a GSA Contract Specialist (CS) or Contracting Officer (CO) once it goes through a review with GSA’s Central Intake Desk (CID). During this period, your CO/CS may request clarifications, corrections, additional documentation, or revisions.

A consultant can help interpret these requests and prepare responses on your behalf, particularly when they affect multiple areas of your proposal or require additional documentation.

How Can a GSA Consultant Help Navigate Gray Areas?

GSA provides several resources for companies pursuing a Schedule, including the MAS Solicitation, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), and the Vendor Support Center. However, not every situation has a straightforward answer. And the instructions are not always easy to interpret.

For example, you may need to determine whether a particular product or service fits within the scope of a SIN or how a specific requirement applies to your offering. These situations can require more interpretation than simply following a template or checklist.

This is where experience can be especially valuable. A consultant who regularly works with GSA Schedule offers can help explain requirements and provide context that may not be immediately clear from reading the Solicitation alone.

While a consultant cannot make decisions on behalf of GSA, they can help you better understand these gray areas and determine how to approach them in your offer.

Even with a consultant, your company will still play an active role in the acquisition process. You'll need to provide accurate company information, review materials, answer questions, and supply additional documentation when necessary.

Your consultant should provide clear direction on what is needed and when, while managing the proposal process and helping your team work through issues that arise.

Comparing GSA Schedule Consulting Firms

It’s important to note that not all firms provide the same level of experience. Some GSA Schedule consulting firms provide comprehensive support and handle the bulk of the proposal, while others might hand you a template to complete. There are also firms out there that consistently overpromise and underdeliver, so be on the lookout for firms bragging a specific timeline or a very cheap price tag. You can learn more about the different types of GSA Schedule consulting firms in our blog.

Is a GSA Schedule Consultant Right for Your Company?

You don't need to hire a consultant to pursue a GSA Schedule. However, outside support may be valuable if your company has limited GSA experience, lacks the internal bandwidth to manage the acquisition process, or would benefit from additional guidance on more complex areas of its offer.

Before deciding, consider your team's familiarity with GSA requirements, the resources you can dedicate to preparing an offer, and where you may need outside expertise. Cost should also factor into that decision. Our GSA Schedule Consulting Cost blog takes a closer look at consulting fees and what can affect the cost of support.

Ultimately, the right approach depends on your company's resources and experience. If you have questions about obtaining a GSA Schedule or what level of consulting support your company may need, a member of the Winvale team would be happy to help.