GSA Schedules

This page provides useful information to help vendors understand the federal government procurement process using GSA Schedules.

What is the GSA?
Other Considerations
Small Businesses' GSA Advocate
Web Resources

What is the GSA?

The General Services Administration (GSA) is the federal government's primary management agency. Among its many responsibilities is to serve as a procurement office for the federal agencies and more than one million federal workers. In this role, the GSA oversees the purchase of a broad array of items, including buildings, products, services, and technology.

Through one of its subsidiaries—the Federal Supply Service (FSS)—the GSA negotiates and awards contracts to private vendors through which federal offices can quicker and more easily obtain frequently used products and services. Federal agencies use these contracts to buy products and services without having to negotiate pricing or terms each time they want to place an order.

What is a GSA Schedule Contract?

Under the GSA Schedules (also referred to as Multiple Award Schedules and Federal Supply Schedules), GSA establishes long-term, government-wide contracts with commercial firms to provide specific products and services. Federal buyers currently have access to more than four million commercial services and products through these contracts. Depending on a buyer's needs, these items can be ordered directly from the contractor or through the GSA's Advantage!® online shopping and ordering system. The GSA Schedule contracts offer advantages both to the buyers and the sellers of these items:

Buyers save substantially from not having to prepare and administer a formal procurement action each time they need to purchase certain frequently needed products and services. In addition, buyers are assured they will receive the contractors' best prices, a key requirement for companies that want to sell through the GSA schedules.
Sellers who obtain a GSA Schedule contract are assured a minimum amount of sales each year. The GSA does not award contracts unless the anticipated sales are expected to exceed $25,000 in the first 24 months, and $25,000 in each subsequent year. Moreover, the contracts are typically "indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity" contracts, usually for five years and often with "Evergreen options" for quick and easy renewal. These contracts must be weighed against the GSA Industrial Funding Fee (IFF) charged to each selected vendor to support the GSA's administration activities.

How Does One Obtain a GSA Schedule Contract?

GSA Schedule contracts begin as solicitations, issued as requests for proposals (RFPs) for a specific product or service. Vendors wanting to supply the product or service submit formal proposals in response to the RFP. The GSA may require clarifications of submitted proposals, but in the end, the government may only accept or reject a company's offer—the government may not counter offer.

When the government decides to accept an offer, a contract is awarded. The selected vendor receives a contract number and is now free to accept orders for products covered by the contract. Vendors should understand that receiving a GSA Schedule contract is only the first major step in actually making sales—the second step involves marketing the company and its products/services to federal buyers that can benefit from them.

Getting Your Products on a GSA Schedule: Three Steps to Keep in Mind

Identify Products and Find Solicitations
Vendors must first identify which schedules cover their products or services. A list can be found at Schedules & Other Services & Products. Then each vendor needs to obtain the solicitation from the specific schedule of products and services they want to offer. It is important to stay current with schedule solicitations and remember deadlines.
Determining Price
The federal government wants the vendor's best price for its products/services. Therefore, vendors need to be prepared to justify the relationship between the price and quality of their products. If a vendor's price is lower than average within the industry, then the company should emphasize its lower cost to the buyers. On the other hand, if the product/service is more expensive, the vendor should be able to demonstrate how the product is superior, thereby justifying the higher price. The key phrase for pricing is "fair and reasonable." And remember, the government may only accept or reject an offered price, not negotiate for it.
After Being Awarded a Contract
The awarding of a GSA schedule contract is a notable achievement, but no guarantee that orders are forthcoming. Once a contract has been awarded, the vendor must develop a market by finding and approaching those individuals in government who need the vendor's product/service. This step involves informing these potential buyers that the vendor's product/service is on a schedule and now available to meet the agency's needs. It is important to keep price lists current and properly posted on GSA Advantage!®. Federal buyers are turning more and more to GSA Advantage! ® and e-Buy for their procurement needs. A component of GSA Advantage!®, e-Buy is an online Request for Quotation (RFQ) tool designed to facilitate the request for submission of quotations for a wide range of commercial services and products that are offered by GSA Schedule contractors who are on GSA Advantage!®

Other Considerations

Variations in Contractual Requirements

Procurement requirements vary depending on cost and quantity. Below are several examples of variations in purchasing procedures:

Micro-Purchase Threshold: Products that cost below $2,500. These products/services can be sold without a GSA schedule, which makes them an attractive option for vendors seeking government markets for lower-priced goods and services.
Maximum-Order Threshold: This threshold represents the point where it is advantageous for the ordering office to seek a price reduction. Note that the maximum order threshold does not represent a maximum dollar value per task order—instead, it represents the point at which consideration of further discounts may be made by the client/customer.
Orders that fall between the Micro-Purchase Threshold and the Maximum-Order Threshold: The government buyer must review the catalogs and pricelists of at least three Schedule contractors or consider reasonably available information by using the GSA Advantage! online shopping service.
Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs): Purchasing offices may establish BPAs under any schedule contract to fill repetitive needs for supplies or services. BPAs may be established with one or more schedule contractors.

Contract Termination

Both vendors and the government have the right to cancel contracts with thirty days notice. There are several reasons why the government may choose to cancel a contract:

Violations of contract terms and conditions

Non-compliance with contract deliverables (failure to report sales, repeated late reporting of sales, failure
to remit the Industrial Funding Fee, failure to keep the price list current, failure to load the price list to GSA Advantage!
The government no longer has a need for the products and/or services offered
Low annual sales (maintaining the contract is not profitable to the GSA.

There are also reasons why vendors may choose to cancel a GSA Schedule contract:

Change in corporate structure or ownership
Change in business direction
Low annual sales (maintaining the contract is not profitable to vendor)

Cancellations are effective 30 calendar days after the other party receives the written notice of cancellation.

Small Businesses's GSA Advocate

GSA's Office of Small Business Utilization (SBU) should be the first point of contact for small business owners interested in doing business with the federal government, including those who want to learn more about obtaining a GSA Schedule contract. The SBU advocates for small, minority, veteran, HUBZone, and women business owners, in part by making it possible for business owners to meet key contracting experts and be counseled on the procurement process. Vendors can receive assistance through any of the 11 regional SBU offices.

Web Resources

Articles
Public/Government
Sites

Articles

"Selling Using Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Contracts" by Richard White and Steve Charles. This article offers a brief introduction for companies interested in getting GSA Schedule contracts.

"Sizing Up the Federal Opportunity" by Steve Charles. This article provides an excellent introduction to the GSA Schedule contract system, with in-depth explanations of the contracting process.

The Steps to Success: How to be a Successful Contractor (PDF 2.7 MB) Download Adobe Reader. is a free, online resource for vendors who are anticipating or have been awarded a GSA Schedule contract.

"Guidelines for Marketing a GSA Schedule Contract." This article, authored by ItsSimple.biz, includes an in-depth, five-step approach for marketing a company to federal agencies that purchase through the GSA system.

"Tapping Into the Largest Market in the World" by David I. Sonde. This article examines the ways in which small businesses and entrepreneurs have greater access today to federal government GSA schedule contracts than they have had in the past.

"GSA Schedule Ordering Procedures Under Scrutiny in GAO Bid Protests" by Gerard F. Doyle. This article summarizes some recent protests by contractors to the General Accounting Office (GAO) of some GSA Schedule ordering decisions. While some bid protests are a normal side effect of any competitive bid process, others are uniquely related to the GSA Schedule contract system.

"GSA Schedule Contracts: Opportunities and Obligations." This legal article deals specifically with the GSA Federal Supply Schedule contract obligations and is intended to assist contractors understand the obligations inherent in a GSA Schedule contract.

"Should your firm try to win contracts with the federal government? Here are 7 things you can do in the next 7 days to help you decide" by Dave Alexander. This article offers immediate help to companies trying to decide whether or not to enter the federal government marketplace. The seven tips provided are intended to give companies access to specific, detailed information about the federal marketplace and how it works.

"Compete In The Government Market" by Carly Rohrer. This article offers advice for Value Added Resellers (VARS) interested in entering the GSA Schedule contract marketplace, and includes information on competing for contracts and how to work with Value Added Distributors (VADs).

Public/Government Sites:

U.S. General Services Administration

GSA Federal Supply Service. GSA Federal Supply Service (FSS) provides federal customers with the products, services, and programs to meet their supply, service, procurement, vehicle purchasing and leasing, travel and transportation, and personal property management requirements. FSS maintains the GSA Advantage! e-commerce site.

GSA Vendor Support Center. This website is vendor support center for the GSA Federal Supply Service. The site includes the latest news, contact information and web-based requested assistance, as well as FAQs on a variety of vendor-GSA related issues. Use of many of the support center's resources requires the creation of an account on the website.

Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs). There is a nationwide network of PTACs, centers that offer information and guidance for businesses interested in entering the government procurement marketplace.

FSS Center for Acquisition Excellence Virtual Campus. This site provides GSA Schedules training and seminar information, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Registration is required and is free of charge.

GSA Schedules e-Library. This site is the source for the latest information on specific GSA Schedules. Schedules e-Library contains basic ordering guidelines, complete schedule listings, and a powerful search engine.

FedBizOpps serves as the single best point-of-entry for federal government procurement opportunities over $25,000. Visit FedBizOpps regularly to identify and obtain copies of GSA Schedule solicitations. The 'Helpful Hints for Using FedBizOpps' link provides step-by-step information as to how vendors may search by GSA office, solicitation number, or keyword to locate and download appropriate Schedule solicitations.

Business Partner Network (BPN). The Business Partner Network is the single source for vendor data for the Federal Government. The BPN is a search mechanism that provides views into several key databases across Federal Agencies.

Central Contractor Registration (CCR). The CCR is the contractor information repository for conducting business with the U.S. Federal Government. The CCR collects, validates, stores and disseminates data in support of agency acquisition missions. Both current and potential government vendors are required to register in CCR in order to do be awarded contracts by the government. Vendors are required to complete a one-time registration to provide basic information relevant to procurement and financial transactions. Vendors must update or renew their registration annually to maintain an active status. Registration requires a DUNS number.

Minority Business Development Agency Contracts Page. This website offers advice and information for minority-owned companies interested in government procurement contracts.

GSA Schedules Success Stories. Read success stories from companies and government agencies about the benefits of using the GSA Schedules program.

Sites

Fedmarket.com, a private company providing government vendor/buyer resources. Considered a top government contracting resource by public and private organizations throughout North America, including the Small Business Administration (SBA) and federally funded procurement organizations, such as Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs).

Also check out Fedmarket.com's online library of free articles on selling to the federal government.

Open Ratings Past Performance Evaluation. This fedmarket.com site offers assistance on ordering evaluation reports from Open Ratings, Inc. Open Ratings reference reports are often required for getting on a GSA Schedule, as they offer proof of a potential supplier's past financial stability. Fedmarket.com also provides an Open Ratings tutorial here.

ImmixGroup is a consulting firm that offers a mix of services to help commercial technology companies do business in the public sector.

GovCon is a private firm that assists contractors with government procurements.