The government provides additional resources to small businesses to help them succeed in the federal marketplace. More specifically, the Small Business Administration (SBA) publishes small business contracting goals on an annual basis. These goals aim to set-aside funding for the different set-aside types, including veteran-owned. If you are considered a small business and you are a veteran-owned company, we recommend applying for a Veteran Small Business Certification through the SBA.
Once you’re a certified Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) or a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), you’ll be able to use these certifications to your advantage by searching for relevant contracts to bid on that are only open to either small businesses or VOSBs/SDVOSBs. Certified VOSBs will have the opportunity to pursue sole source and set-aside contracts at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) under the VA’s Vets First Program. Moreover, SDVOSBs will have the opportunity to compete for federal sole-source and set-aside contracts across the federal government. If you’re looking for niche contract vehicles that apply to both small businesses and veteran owned, consider the following contract vehicles: Vets 2, Alliant 2 (both existing), and upcoming vehicles, such as Polaris, Alliant 3, and OASIS+.
While being a small veteran-owned business comes with its unique challenges, the government has made it a priority to ensure access to an abundance of programs, training, and support. To learn more about the VA’s Vets First Contracting Program and other resources offered to veteran-owned businesses, check out our blog.
Couldn't make it to last month's webinar? Watch it here on demand. In this webinar, we'll help you learn how to maintain your GSA Schedule and offer guidance for getting the most out of what the GSA Schedule has to offer.
Winvale Wins Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Phoenix Award
On October 11, Winvale was humbled and honored to receive the Phoenix Award at the Values Veterans (V3) Awards Ceremony. The V3 Phoenix Award is presented to a V3 Certified Organization with the most impactful employee testimonial and demonstrated support of going above and beyond to aid Veteran employees and military spouses to work and thrive in Virginia. We are so grateful for our veteran employees, partners, and clients, and we will continue to make it our mission to support the veteran community! You can read more in our press release here.
Join GSA for a live webinar reviewing the key elements for obtaining a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Information Technology Category (ITC) contract. Description: This virtual webinar will outline the pre-award process and provide an overview of offer preparation, including a review of the required documentation and common mistakes to avoid.
This webinar is an introduction to GSA's Facilities Maintenance and Management Schedule. In this virtual 1 hour training session you can expect: a better understanding of the facilities related solutions that are available on the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), ordering options and flexible features, helpful tips on how to use the schedule and gain access to the 600+ contractors under the MAS program.
Join GSA for a live training session on everything you need to know about keeping your GSA Information Technology Category (ITC) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract compliant.
CRITICAL INFORMATION
Using GSA eBuy to Your Advantage
As you journey into the world of government contracting, the sheer amount of complex sites alone may be overwhelming. When it comes to your GSA Schedule's development and success, GSA eBuy is crucial.
As the major hub for government opportunities, understanding its ins and outs is important to finding the right opportunities for your business. One great feature of GSA eBuy is that it only identifies relevant opportunities listed under your Special Item Numbers (SINs). In addition to narrowing down available opportunities or even utilizing it as a market research tool, you may even be notified by a government agency directly requesting your response to a solicitation and, you are also able to notify the government of your interest and intention to respond. This will save it to the "My Quotes" section of the site and set up automatic notifications for any changes made by the agency. We recommend you check eBuy almost every day to once every few days to make sure you aren't missing any worthy opportunities. For more information on how to take advantage of eBuy, check out our blog.
QUICK TIPS
Marketing Your GSA Schedule
Federal government Fiscal Year 2024 started October 1st--do you have your marketing plan in place? Maybe this past year was very successful for your company, or you could use some improvement. Either way, it's important to have a proactive plan to sell to the government. Here are 5 tips:
1. Conduct research on your government customers: Take a look at the 2024 budget for your government customers and research any new initiatives or regulations that could influence spending. We also suggest you look at their procurement forecasts and compare them to last year. Do you see any trends or upcoming opportunities?
2. Check-up on your competitors: Have your competitors changed their pricing? Do they have any new products/services, marketing materials, new improvement to their current offerings?
3. Boost Your Web Presence: Ensure you have a dedicated section to your site for government customers. Does it include your contract number, GSA approved logo, POCs, links to GSA Advantage! and eLibrary? We also suggest you include any past performance, case studies, and whitepapers.
4. Fine tune your capabilities statements: These statements are a useful resource for solicitation responses, networking events, and industry days. You can tailor each one to a particular agency and their needs. Make sure you include your core competencies, past performance, differentiators, and corporate information.
5. Stay on top of contracting opportunities: Marketing is key for customers to find you, but it's important to also be proactive about finding opportunities. Stay on top of GSA eBuy, SAM.gov, and other acquisition sites you may have subscriptions to.
The Department of the Navy (DON) CIO is seeking potential sources for a FOIA Online Platform under NAICS Code 541512 - Computer Systems Design Services. The DON’s requirement is for the purchase of COCO, Off the Shelf (OTS) commercial software that allows for the receipt and management of all FOIA requests for the DON and United States Marine Corps (USMC). This software shall be comprised of a submission portal for the general public and allow for routing to specific organizations (as identified in submission phase), storing of all submissions in a secure database as the inquiries are being investigated, and a separate, secured database for finalized requests that allow for unlimited recall of each completed file. Responses are due no later than December 5, 2023, 4:00 pm EST. More information can be found under Notice ID: N4248523RFI032.
RFI for Emergency Notification System
The Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS), the security and law enforcement arm of the U.S. Department of State (DOS), has issued a Request for information (RFI) for an Emergency Notification System (ENS) under NAICS Code 541330 - Engineering Services. An ENS is a public address system used to immediately alert personnel in the event of a perceived or actual threat. To accomplish this, the ENS sends multiple pre-recorded tones and verbal instructions throughout DOS facilities. DS is seeking commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products for this application, and the system must be scalable. Responses are due no later than December 15, 2023, 2:00 pm EST. More information can be found under Notice ID: DoS-19AQMM23XXXXX.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What is the GSA Schedule Financial Review Process, and what triggers it?
A: The GSA Schedule Financial Review Process assists GSA in determining your company’s financial stability, known in GSA terms as financial compatibility as a technical sub-factor under the Solicitation guidance. This process serves to ensure compliance, safeguard taxpayer dollars, and promote fair competition. A Financial Review can be triggered by a new offer, modification, audit, or during a Contractor Assessment Visit (CAV) which typically happens during the option periods of your Schedule Contract.
Q: What are the requirements for responding to a GSA Schedule Financial Review?
A: If selected to undergo a Financial Review, you will be contacted by a GSA Financial Analyst and required to complete a GSA Form 527, which is accompanied by an instruction letter, questionnaire, and bank reference sheet which must be completed and returned by all of your entity’s banking institutions. During this process, it is important to remain transparent and meet the assigned deadlines by GSA to ensure your Schedule contract remains in good standing.
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Richmond, VA
Winvale, 3951 Westerre Parkway, Suite 250, Richmond, VA 23233, United States, (202) 296-5505
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