GSA Schedules

What is a GSA Schedule?

GSA Schedules

The most efficient and effective tool for selling to the U.S. Government is a GSA Schedule contract. A GSA Schedule is a contract where vendors sell their commercial products and services to federal agencies and those agencies have a simplified process of acquiring commonly used supplies and services in varying quantities while obtaining volume discounts. The GSA Schedule is a "license to sell" to the government and affords vendors an opportunity to diversify their customer base. The Schedule acts as an "access card" that allows a vendor expedited access to the $40 Billion market for purchases by agencies. It provides easier access to this market and agency buyers can easily find Schedule vendors. The GSA Schedule also allows vendors to showcase their commercial products and services to agency buyers in an advantageous catalog.

How do I get on the GSA Schedule?

Vendors should determine the Federal Supply Classification code that applies to their products and services (find your code here: www.dlis.dla.mil/h2). Once this information is known, you can determine the exact Schedule that includes your products and services. There are approximately 48 different Schedules that cover almost everything the government buys. You can obtain as many schedules as you need for your business.

Once you determine the appropriate Schedule for your company, find the Schedules listing at www.gsaelibrary.gov. You can then find the actual solicitation at www.fedbizopps.gov that will contain all the requirements for obtaining the contract. The vendor must provide the information requested by the solicitation in the form of a proposal. The proposal is then submitted to GSA for evaluation. The GSA will negotiate your proposal with you. Getting a schedule is not quick or easy but, once awarded, a Schedule contract can return many times your initial investment.

Why is professional help needed?

A Schedule solicitation may appear to require nothing more than to fill-in a few blanks on a form, however appearances are deceiving. The proposal must be prepared in accordance with the instructions in the solicitation but also as a foundation for successful performance after award. There are traps for the unwary, such as improper pricing and sales information that an experienced professional will avoid or mitigate. There are several contract clauses that require careful administration after award that you may not be familiar with. Untrained vendor personnel are generally not prepared to navigate the maze of government regulations, audit rights, record-keeping requirements, limited sales flexibility, internal costs to be incurred, the price reductions clause, and penalties for non-compliance with the terms of the Schedule contract. A professional consultant with knowledge of GSA regulations will guide the preparation and execution of the proposal and contract administration.

Why Contracts Unlimited?

Our staff at Contracts Unlimited has been working with GSA Schedules for 30 years. We don't use a "one size fits all" method when preparing proposals. We tailor the presentation to GSA based on each client's unique products, services, and operating systems. Every client is different, so they must be treated individually. That is what we do – represent each client as a unique business.