As 2021 comes to a close, it’s time to start thinking about how to start the next year off strong. One way to increase your business success for next year is to brush up on GSA Schedule marketing. How can you make sure your products and services are visible to government customers? We put together 3 tips for you:
Research your government customers: The first thing you’ll want to do is identify your target agencies and learn everything about them from their budget to their acquisition plans, current/past contract awards, and their procurement forecasts. The more you know, the better you can argue how your solutions fit their needs.
Become familiar with GSA’s procurement platforms: GSA Advantage!, GSA eLibrary, and GSA eBuy are very valuable sites for government contractors. We suggest you learn the ins and outs of these sites and make sure your information is updated on each one.
Boost your web presence: Use your website to your advantage. You should dedicate a section of your website to government customers, addressing how your unique solutions can meet the government’s needs. On this page, you’ll also want to include a GSA approved logo, contact information, case studies/whitepapers, and links to your GSA Advantage! and GSA eLibrary pages.
Do you want to learn more about marketing your Schedule? You can check out our blog and webinar.
Couldn't make it to last month's Lunch & Learn webinar? Watch it here on demand. We cover when Joint Travel Regulations (JTR) cover you and your company when traveling for work on a GSA Schedule contract, and how you can properly follow these regulations
Learn about the GSA eBuy program, and how it functions to benefit both the government buyer and the vendor. GSA eBuy is a powerful and intuitive acquisition tool used by thousands of U.S. governmental agencies worldwide to achieve required competition, best pricing and value. GSA eBuy saves you time and money. This class will give you the basics to access this unique electronic request-for-quote tool. Register here.
This course will explore the differences and similarities between Subpart 8.4 and Parts 13 & 15 procedures, advantages and disadvantages for various situations, and help you analyze the alternatives as you develop your acquisition strategy. Register for the event here.
CRITICAL INFORMATION
CMMC 2.0
The Department of Defense (DoD) announced an update to the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) on November 4, 2021. CMMC covers the cybersecurity practices and procedures needed to protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and Federal Contract Information (FCI). CMMC 2.0 will change the cybersecurity compliance program required of defense contractors. The new requirements will lower barriers to entry for small businesses and align CMMC with other federal cybersecurity requirements.
Overview of Changes:
Third party certification no longer required for defense contractors that do not host CUI.
Number of cybersecurity levels reduced from 5 to 3
Level 1 contractors and some level 2 contractors can conduct self-assessments rather than third party assessments
Eliminates all CMMC-unique practices and maturity processes.
Allows contractors to receive contract awards even if they are not yet fully compliant and if they have an approved Plan of Action & Milestones
It’s important to note that CMMC 2.0 will not be required until the DoD finalizes and implement it, though it is recommended contractors start preparing now. For more information on CMMC 2.0, check out our blog.
QUICK TIP OF THE MONTH
Using the “COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors” Tool
After the announcement of Executive Order 14042, Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors, a Mass Modification was sent out to federal contractors and had to be accepted by November 14. To monitor the status of the Mass Mod for each entity, the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) created an interactive dashboard which lists modification status as 'Accepted,' 'Closed/Cancelled,' or 'Pending'. This program is known as the COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors, and it allows entities to be filtered by contractor name, business size, contract vehicles, and DUNS numbers in order to check their modification status.
If your status is ‘pending’ or ‘cancelled/closed,' you are not eligible for new orders. As a result, Contracting Officers are encouraged to check the Modification Status Tracker before placing orders against FAS-managed IDIQ vehicles. This is a great resource for contractors to check their modification status to ensure their contract is still eligible and ready for future orders. If you want to learn more about this tool, you can check out GSA's Interact post.
EMERGING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Seeking Innovative Business Education Providers to Help Upskill a 140K+ Federal Workforce
GSA has issued a sources sought notice for innovative business education providers that can help to modernize, educate, and upskill the financial workforce. The response date is January 17, 2022, at 12:00pm EST. More information can be found under Notice ID FEDS140K.
TEAMS-Next Information Technology and Cybersecurity Management
The Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has issued a pre-solicitation to procure IT and Cybersecurity Management advisory and assistance services to support the MDA. This opportunity is a Total Small Business Set-Aside listed under NAICS code 541330 - Engineering Services. Responses are due by January 14, 2022, at 6:00pm EST. More information can be found under Notice ID HQ085822R0002.
GSA has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for a cloud BPA against the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Program. Special Item Numbers (SINs) in this BPA will include: 518210C - Cloud and Cloud-Related IT Professional Services, 54151S - IT Professional Services, Ancillary, and Order Level Materials (OLM). The deadline to submit SIN modifications and offers for Pool 1 (Iaas and Paas) has passed, but Pools 2 (Saas) and 3 (Cloud Professional Services) currently do not have deadlines. More information can be found under Notice ID RFQ1525229.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What is the new Unique Entity ID in SAM.gov?
A: Once the DUNS number is retired on April 4, 2022, the Unique Entity ID in SAM.gov will become the new authoritative identifier used by the federal government. Right now, a DUNS number is required to do business with the government, but after April 4, the Unique Entity ID will be required. Think of these identifiers as a social security number for your business. If a company wants to do business with the government, they need to go to SAM.gov to register their company and will automatically receive their Unique Entity ID. Unlike the 9-digit DUNS, the new Unique Entity ID will be a 12-character alphanumeric code.
Q: How do I get the new Unique Entity ID if I’m already registered in SAM.gov?
A: If you have already registered in SAM.gov, you were automatically assigned a Unique Entity ID. You can find it in your entity registration record.
Q: I’m planning on registering my entity in the future—do I still need a DUNS number?
A: It depends—if you plan to register your entity before April 4, 2022, then yes, you’ll still need a DUNS number. If you register your entity on or after April 4, then you do not need a DUNS number. All you need to do is go to SAM.gov to register your company, and then you’ll automatically receive your Unique Entity ID.
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=Untitled%20design%20(17).png)
