The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) might be getting a makeover soon. In a recent Executive Order (EO), the Trump Administration wants relevant procurement officials to review the FAR and come up with a refreshed version (FAR 2.0) within 180 days. This decision was spurred by the new administration's mission to make federal procurement processes more efficient and less costly for taxpayers. The FAR is a 2,000+ page rulebook that some officials think causes more confusion and barriers than it serves as a guide. The main actions outlined in this EO include:
The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFFP), FAR Council, and heads of relevant agencies must amend the FAR to only include necessary provisions within 180 days.
The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) must consult with the OFFP to issue a memo providing guidance related to this order.
Each federal agency to direct a senior acquisition or procurement official within 15 days of this EO publication to work with the OFFP and FAR Council.
More information on this EO can be found in our blog.
Couldn't make it to our last webinar? Watch it here on demand. This webinar reviews Winvale's recommendations for a strategic approach to your transition to the FAS Common Catalog Platform (FCP).
Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) holders are invited to join this session to learn more about the Sales Reporting Portal (SRP). The Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) SRP supports the collection of data required by FAS procurement programs including MAS, non-MAS programs such as the Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACS) and others. The FAS SRP provides a safe, secure, and user-friendly portal for you, our industry partners, to report both transactional and aggregate level data required by your FAS contracts as well as multiple payment options for remitting the fee required pursuant to your contract. During this session you will learn about the importance of reporting in SRP and get an overview of using the system.Register here.
Join the GSA Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) for an informative session to learn about valuable resources and strategies to navigate the federal procurement environment from representatives with the GSA, SBA and the APEX Accelerators.
What you’ll learn:
How to identify and pursue government contract opportunities
Understand federal procurement processes, and available resources to support business growth
Gain strategies for building valuable connections with government, prime contractors and other businesses
Engage with prime contractors and government buyers
Are you interested in learning more about Requests for Information (RFIs) and how they can benefit your business? Join the Market Research as a Service (MRAS) team for an informative webinar. This webinar will provide innovative insights on how to respond to GSA's RFIs by sharing experts' tips and tricks on how to fill out these important surveys. By participating in this session, you will better understand why GSA collects industry responses and how the data gathered shapes future purchasing decisions. Register here.
If you sell products on your GSA Schedule, keeping your customers informed with timely order updates isn’t just good business practice – it’s a key part of contract compliance. When a customer places an order through GSA Advantage!, GSA’s premier online ordering system, contractors are required to acknowledge receipt of the order, update delivery status, and provide shipping information to their customers.
One of the primary platforms for facilitating this process is the Purchase Order (PO) Portal, GSA’s web-based platform that allows contractors to access and manage their GSA Advantage orders. Understanding how to navigate the PO Portal is essential for staying in good standing with your customers and keeping your contract compliant.
In this webinar, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the PO Portal, including:
How to access the PO Portal and manage user access
Winvale is partnering with the JMU Federal Dukes to discuss the rapidly shifting federal contracting landscape and how contractors can position themselves for success. We'll discuss:
With all the staffing changes and resource reallocations put in motion by recent Executive Orders, delays are becoming much more common. While these delays aren’t ideal for anyone, its especially important for contractors whose initial 20-year contract period is nearly over to be aware of delays at the GSA. Once your initial contract ends, you have the opportunity to submit a streamlined acquisition, a simplified version of the GSA proposal available only to current contractors whose contracts are expiring.
If you plan to submit a streamlined acquisition at the conclusion of your contract term, don’t hesitate. Currently, GSA is recommending that contractors start their streamlined acquisition 24 to 36 months before the end of their current contract to avoid a lapse. Submitting your streamlined acquisition early can help you avoid gaps in your contract by allowing time for delays or other issues.
QUICK TIPS
Meeting the Minimum Sales Requirement
GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) compliance is important now more than ever. GSA has begun cracking down on contractors who are not maintaining their contract, and this includes contractors who are failing to meet the GSA minimum sales requirement. Last year, the requirement was amended so contractors need to make $1000,000 in the first option period (5 years), and $125,000 in every option period thereafter. Are you keeping up with your GSA Schedule sales? Let's dive into some tips for successfully meeting the minimum sales requirement.
Your business must have strong sales and marketing strategy that focuses not only on finding government contract opportunities, but also ensures your GSA Schedule is visible to government customers. Some ways you can boost your strategy include:
Creating a strong govcon web presence on your website: Have a separate page on your site for contract information and marketing materials.
Capabilities Statement: Creating tailored statements for each target customer that speak to their mission and your differentiators.
Capitalizing on govcon opportunities: Look into small business designations, and selling to state and local markets as well through your MAS contract.
Know where to find govcon solicitations: Use the right sites (and frequently) to get your foot in the door on opportunities.
Learn more about how you can successfully meet the minimum sales requirement in our blog.
Tips on Drafting Your GSA Schedule Proposal
Although the GSA proposal process may be daunting, implementing a few tips can help you craft a successful MAS offer:
1. Before starting your offer, it’s important to research the requirements for getting on the GSA Schedule. While requirements may vary based on your offering, every contractor will need at least 2 years of corporate experience, 2 years of financial statements, and examples of past performance. That said, if your company has less than 2 years of experience, you may still qualify for the Startup Springboard program.
2. It's important to give yourself enough time to put together a GSA offer. Normally, offers can take anywhere from 6 months to a year from the time you start working on your proposal to the time your contract is awarded. Right now, starting soon is especially important, since GSA is going through a period of transition as they navigate all the new business and responsibilities from other agencies. While this is good news for MAS contractors who will see increased business flowing through GSA, potential offerors should make sure they start their offer preparation as early as possible, given the potentially longer review times.
3. Contractors should ensure they can support their proposed products or services with pricing support such as invoices. The stronger the pricing support, the more likely that Contracting Officers will deem your pricing fair and reasonable and award your offer.
For other tips and pitfalls related to preparing a GSA Schedule Offer, check out our blog.
EMERGING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS) Software
The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) has issued a sources sought notice under NAICS Code 541512 (Computer Systems Design Services) to gather information from potential vendors for the procurement and implementation of an Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS) that includes a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) and Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) solution, space utilization, and reporting within a centralized database that best meets the AOC’s requirements. The IWMS system’s core features must include GIS compatibility, whole lifecycle cost analysis and management, work request and management, resource management and scheduling, financial and Capital planning, and robust analytics and reporting. This opportunity is for research and planning purposes only and responses are due by June 2, 2025. More information can be found under Notice ID: OCOSSN04252025.
Nuclear Command, Control, and Communication (NC3) Classified Maintenance Information System (CMIS) Request for Information (RFI)
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), Program Executive Office Combat Readiness, Rapid Sustainment Office (RSO) has released a request for information under NAICS Code 541511 (Custom Computer Programming Services) to seek information from providers who are interested in participating in the development of a Classified Maintenance Information System (CMIS) for the Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). This capability will specifically address field maintenance of Nuclear Command, Control, and Communication (NC3) assets and will be hosted at Department of Defense (DoD) Information Impact Level 6 (IL-6). This opportunity is for research purposes only and responses are due by June 13, 2025. More information can be found under Notice ID: FA8684-NC3CMIS.
OPTN Next Generation IT - Multiple Award Blanket Purchase Agreement (MA-BPA)
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Health Systems Bureau (HSB) has issued a sources sought under NAICS Code 54151 (Computer Systems Design and Related Services) to identify potential vendors that can support the modernization of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Information Technology (IT). The Multiple Award Blanket Purchase Agreement (MA-BPA) is expected to have a total usage of approximately $185 million over five years, subject to the availability of funding. Responses for quotes are due by June 26, 2025. More information can be found under Notice ID: 75P00125Q00003.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) opens its network of vendors to entities beyond just federal buyers through programs such as Cooperative Purchasing. Through this program, state and local (SLED) entities can purchase IT and Security & Protections services from GSA MAS. Here are some FAQs contractors have when utilizing Cooperative Purchasing to expand business opportunities:
Q: How Do I Make Sure I’m Eligible to Sell Through Cooperative Purchasing?
A: The first thing you’ll need to verify is that you have a GSA Schedule contract and you sell products and/or services under Large Category F (IT) and Large Category J (Security and Protection). If you can check that off, then you’ll want to make sure that you have opted into the program, which is determined at time of submission, but you can also opt in through a contract modification process. So you’ve checked that you have a GSA Schedule and that you’ve opted into the Cooperative Purchasing Program. For a more in-depth breakdown of what kinds of products and services within IT and Security & Protection are eligible, visit our blog post on the topic.
Q: Are Cooperative Purchasing Sales Subject to the Same Terms & Conditions?
A: Yes, any sales that go through this program are subject to all the pre-negotiated pricing, discounts, and conditions on your GSA Schedule contract, including the 0.75% Industrial Funding Fee (IFF).
Q: Will Changes in Federal Procurement Impact Cooperative Purchasing?
A: A couple of changes have been made in federal procurement that will likely have an impact on the Cooperative Purchasing Program. With the Trump Administration’s executive order (EO) to consolidate federal procurement under GSA, it’s expected to quadruple in size. This likely will have a downstream effect on increasing the amount of dollars that move through Cooperative Purchasing. Another change is that this administration is expected to invest more heavily in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity, which are both eligible to be purchased by state and local entities through Cooperative Purchasing, so we can expect to see increased spending there as well.
Need to Talk?
CONNECT WITH US
Richmond, VA
Winvale, 3951 Westerre Parkway, Suite 250, Richmond, VA 23233, United States, (202) 296-5505
