How do I Manage a GSA Schedule Contract?
Becoming a GSA Schedule Contract holder is not a guarantee of sales. In order to be successful in the federal marketplace, you must market your company’s offerings amidst a competitive pool of existing contractors and continue to manage your contract throughout its lifespan. GSA Schedule Contracts are issued with a five-year base period, with the potential of three five-year options.
First Steps as a GSA Schedule Contractor
Preparing an offer is not the only time there are administrative tasks to complete. New GSA Schedule contractors must also complete important contract administration tasks when building a customer base.
They include:
- Register with the Vendor Support Center. This site provides training, publications, and resources for helping contractors achieve success.
- Begin with the “New Contractor Orientation Webcast” and “The Steps to Success” guide, which can be found under the Vendor Support Center Publications tab.
- Refer to the Training for Vendors page and to Events for Vendors With Government Contracts.
- New contractors are required to upload their current approved pricelist to GSA Advantage!®, GSA’s online shopping and ordering system, within six months of contract award.
How do I Market My GSA Schedule Contract to the Government?
The success of your Schedules contract will require active promotion of your business to potential customers. The way in which you market is up to you. If you are a small business, a good place to look for opportunities is agencies’ web pages entitled, “Forecast of Opportunities.” Each agency’s Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization specialist (SDBU) posts this information early in each fiscal year.
Who Can I Sell my GSA Schedule Contract Services/Products To?
Your customer base includes organizations eligible to Use GSA Sources of Supply and Services [PDF, 648K], such as executive, military, and other federal agencies. Through Cooperative Purchasing and Disaster Purchasing, state and local governments can also use Schedules.
GSA Contract Sales Strategies
In addition to the myriad of resources available on the web, these are a few strategies that will help maximize your business opportunities.
- Optimize your web presence by placing the GSA logo on your website and providing a link to your online pricelist.
- Include your company web address on your pricelist.
- Train your personnel about your GSA Schedules contract – how it should be used, and how to best promote your business to potential government customers.
- Small Business Goals: If your company is a small, disadvantaged, women-owned, HUBZone, veteran-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, or economically disadvantaged women-owned business, know that all federal agencies set Small Business Goals, which aim to put a percentage of procurement dollars toward these business categories. Additionally, ordering activity contracting officers may, at their discretion, set aside orders or BPAs for small businesses. Learn more about how to participate through GSA’s Office of Small Business Utilization.
- Contractor Team Arrangements (CTAs): If the scope of your contract cannot meet all of a customer’s requirements, you may work with another Schedule contractor.
How Do I Maintain My GSA Schedule Contract?
In order for your Schedule contract to be maintained by GSA, your company must accrue at least $25,000 of GSA reportable sales during the first 24 months of your contract, and maintain an additional $25,000 in sales each year thereafter.
There are a few additional responsibilities for properly maintaining your Schedules contract. Contracts may be cancelled, or options not exercised, if you do not meet contract requirements.
Some of these include:
- Report sales and remit the Industrial Funding Fee (IFF) to GSA. Sales reports and the IFF (currently 0.75 percent of total sales) are both due 30 days after the end of each quarter.
- Participate in Contractor Assistance Visits (CAVs). These are site visits by GSA’s Industrial Operations Analysts (IOA) that occur at least twice during a five-year contract period. CAVs are not audits and are intended to assist and educate contractors to get the most from their contract.
- Keep registrations and certifications up to date. These include the System for Award Management (SAM) and other certifications made when your company responded to a Schedules solicitation. Remember that most certifications will require an annual update..
How do I Modify My GSA Schedule Contract?
During the life of your contract, it may be necessary to request modifications to its terms and conditions. Modifications may include adding or deleting a product or service SIN, reducing/increasing your price, or making administrative changes
What Are My GSA Schedule Contract Policy Obligations?
The following is a brief overview of many of the significant policies and obligations pertaining to your contract.
- What Qualifies as a GSA Schedule Sale? If the product or service falls within the description of the SINs on your contract and the customer is an eligible ordering activity, the sale is a Schedules sale although in some cases, the ordering activity may indicate exceptions to this. You must have a tracking system and methodology in place that allows you the ability to differentiate between Schedules and non-Schedules sales – correct sales reporting is a contract requirement.
- Price Reductions. The prices negotiated on your Schedule contract will be based on a customer or class of customer with which you currently conduct business. This customer will be known as your Basis of Award. You must maintain your approved Basis of Award discount relationship that has been established in your contract, as a minimum. This means that, with a few exceptions, if you lower your prices to that customer (or class of customer), you are obligated to make the same reduction for your Schedules contract. It does not mean that if you offer additional price breaks for orders under your Schedule contract that identical breaks must be provided to all ordering activities under all circumstances.
- Trade Agreements Act (TAA). The federal government maintains a list of countries with which it has trade agreements. If a country does not have a trade agreement with the United States, then you may not provide these products or services on your GSA Schedules contract. The TAA states that all products purchased by the government must be manufactured or “substantially transformed” in the United States or in one of these listed countries. The TAA pertains to all Schedules contract sales.