It’s that time again--April is a reporting month for all GSA contractors. Sales reporting is an important part of managing your GSA Schedule, but can be a burden for some contractors. Whether you submit your sales monthly or quarterly, all GSA contractors must prepare their GSA sales from January to March by April 30th and remit the Industrial Funding Fee (IFF). This is all done through the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Sales Reporting Portal (SRP). If you are an “Other than Small Business,” it’s also time to submit your Individual Subcontract Reports (ISR) which are part of your Individual Small Business Subcontracting Plan requirements.
Do you know how to determine what a GSA sale is and record it in the FAS SRP? Check out our blog to learn more.
Couldn't make it to last month's webinar? Watch it here on demand. In this webinar, we aim to answer all your questions about streamlined acquisitions, including what a streamlined offer is, when it applies, and what to expect from the process.
This webinar will include an overview of contracting opportunities, the GSA Multiple Award Schedule Program, Public Buildings Service, Federal Acquisition Service, Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts (GWAC), the Forecast of Contracting Opportunities, the Small Business Administration’s Subcontracting Network (SubNet), Section 889 guidance, and more.
The General Services Administration (GSA) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) is teaming with the Small Business Administration (SBA) to offer the Money Smart training series. This training explains how to start and manage a business. Register here.
Whether you are a new or experienced contractor, you know government contracting can be nuanced and complicated. This is especially true with government contract numbers. When you receive a contract award -- whether it’s your GSA Schedule contract, a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA), or another contract vehicle -- the contract is assigned a number. A lot of contractors are unsure what the numbers mean and how to identify or differentiate them from each other. This is where Procurement Instrument Identifiers (PIIDs) come in.
In this webinar, we’ll cover PIIDs and what you need to know about the 13 alpha-numeric characters identifying each contract award. We’ll discuss:
Procurement Instrument Identifiers (PIIDs)
History and Implementation
How to read PIIDs and what they mean at the Task Order level
Government contract awards
Circumstances when a PIID can change
The importance of PIIDs for GSA and government contractors
GSA Extends the Temporary Moratorium on Certain EPA Clauses
Over a year ago in March 2022, GSA issued an acquisition letter placing a temporary moratorium on several limitations within specific GSA EPA clauses. This moratorium has now been extended through September 30th, 2023, in a supplement letter. This decision was made as the global economy and contractors continues to be affected by inflation. This means contractors are seeing more flexibility on the percentage and frequency with which they may need to raise prices to be able to compete through their GSA Schedule. For more information please click here.
QUICK TIPS
Best Practices for Invoices and IFF Reporting
When reporting your sales, it's essential to keep a steady system for your invoices, and you work closely with your accounting team to ensure accessible communication and quick access when your Contractor Assessment Visit (CAV) comes around. There are certain practices we suggest in order to stay organized, even when things get hectic. These are:
Note the applicable GSA contract number, UEI, relevant SIN, part number, and description on each invoice.
You cannot chargeabove the GSA price but you can give spot discounts. Spot discounts can be given either on a service or line item or on the order as a whole.
Make sure the GSA prompt payment and volume discounts are noted on quotes, proposals, contracts, and invoices.
Any Open Market items will need to be specifically marked as Open Market if you want to avoid overpaying the IFF.
Implementing good processes for sales tracking and reporting is an essential part of contract maintenance. By keeping ahead of these requirements, you can be well-prepared for your CAV.
EMERGING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Solicitation – Base Operations Support Services, Dugway Proving Ground, Utah
U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command-Installation Readiness Center is looking for base operations and maintenance services under NAICS code 561210 – Facilities Support Services. This solicitation has a maximum 5-year period of performance and is only for 8(a) small business set-asides. Responses are due no later than May 5, 2023. More information can be found under Notice ID: W5168W23R0002.
Pre-solicitation (Original) – Geotechnical and Environmental Services
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued a pre-solicitation announcement under NAICS code 541380. The Request for Proposal (RFP) is expected to be released on or about April 12, 2023. This contract provides for a 5-year period of performance under which the contracted laboratory will provide technically valid and legally defensible soil and rock data that meets the required specifications. Responses are due no later than May 12, 2023. More information can be found under Notice ID: W9128F23R0037.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Who Can Purchase from a GSA Schedule?
A: The General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule is a purchasing
program primarily designed for federal government agencies to procure goods and services. However, the GSA Schedules program is not just for executive agencies and other federal agencies some state and local government agencies. Certain nonprofit organizations wholly owned government corporations, firefighters, non-federal, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, and many more can also purchase from the GSA Schedule. A full list of Eligible Entities can be found here.
Q: What is Cooperative Purchasing?
A:Cooperative Purchasing is a program that allows state and local
government entities to purchase goods and services from GSA Schedule contracts. Under the program, state and local government entities can access the GSA Schedule contracts to purchase a variety of products and services under the Information Technology (IT) and Security and Protection Large Categories. To participate in the program, state and local government entities must be eligible to purchase from the GSA Schedule contracts and comply with certain procurement regulations.
Q: What is Disaster Purchasing?
A: Disaster Purchasing through the GSA provides eligible entities with a
streamlined procurement process during times of emergency, allowing them to quickly obtain the goods and services needed to respond to and recover from disasters. Under this program, state and local governments, as well as certain nonprofit organizations, can use the GSA Schedule contracts to quickly procure the goods and services needed for emergency response and recovery efforts. This includes items such as food, water, medical supplies, and construction materials, as well as services such as debris removal, infrastructure repair, and other disaster-related services.
.
Need to Talk?
CONNECT WITH US
Richmond, VA
Winvale, 3951 Westerre Parkway, Suite 250, Richmond, VA 23233, United States, (202) 296-5505
.png?upscale=true&width=1120&upscale=true&name=April%20newsletter%202023%20(1).png)
.png?upscale=true&width=520&upscale=true&name=Selling%20to%20the%20Government%20%E2%80%93%20Proposal%20%26%20GovOpp%20Best%20Practices%20(29).png)
