ern gsa schedule company is listed as a prequalified gsa vendor to the hundreds of local, state and...

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OPEN INsIght guIdE sERIEs 1a: gsa fOR small BusINEss, guIdE 2

hOw tO gEt ON thE gsa schEdulE

The GSA Schedule is the preferred purchasing method for most government agencies.2 Becoming an approved supplier on the GSA Schedule can be a complex process, but the opportunities in generating new government business can help make it a worthwhile effort.

To begin, you will need to determine if your business is government contract ready. Follow these eight steps to qualify.

1. Classify Your Product or Service

Before you begin working with the government, you will need a North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) number, which the government uses to categorize products and services. Find your NAICS code by going to

Getting the Most from the GSA Schedule

In our first guide in this series, GSA Schedule: A Tool to Win Government Contracts, we discussed the benefits to business owners in becoming listed in the General Services Administration (GSA) Schedules Program, which establishes long-term government-wide contracts with commercial businesses to provide access to more than 11 million products and services.

More than 14,000 businesses nationwide enjoy the benefits of being on the GSA Schedule.1 A place on the Schedule means that your specified products and services have been approved by GSA and that your company is listed as a prequalified GSA vendor to the hundreds of local, state and federal government agencies that purchase goods and services.

The keys to successfully getting on the GSA Schedule are following instructions, learning to target government agencies’ needs and preparing a marketing plan. This guide can help you with the process, including:

•HowtoGetontheGSASchedule,pg. 1•GSAScheduleProcess,pg. 3•GSASelectionCriteria,pg. 4•You’veBeenAcceptedintotheGSASchedule—

Now What?, pg. 4•HowtoSubmitOffers,pg. 5•NegotiatingPricingforYourGSASchedule

Contract, pg. 6•HelpImproveYourChancesofSuccess,pg. 7•CardmemberProfile:SusanDavis,Susan

DavisInternational,pg. 8 •GSAEventandTrainingResources,pg. 9•Worksheet:StepsInvolvedinGettingonthe

GSA Schedule, pg. 11•GlossaryofKeyTerms,pg. 15

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mBm PROductIONs INtERNatIONalSteve SulkinMember Since: 1988

Learn more about Government Contracting at www.openforum.com/governmentcontracts.

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www.census.gov/eos/www/naics and selecting the code that best describes your products or services. Various government agencies and organizations use NAICS as a basis for their procurement programs, requiring that a NAICS code be provided for each good or service to be procured.

2.ObtainaD-U-N-SNumber®

YouneedaDataUniversalNumberingSystemNumber(D-U-N-S)todobusinesswiththe government. This is a business identification number, used much the same way as individuals use a Social Security number. You can receive a D-U-N-SNumberforfreebycontactingtheprivateorganizationDun&Bradstreet®at866-705-5711 or http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

3.ObtainaCAGECode

This is a free five-digit code that identifies companies seeking to do business with the government. Go to this link on Forms.gov, the government’s official hub for federal forms, www.forms.gov/bgfPortal/docDetails.do?dId=11327.

4.RegisteratCentralContractor Registration(CCR)

This site (www.ccr.gov) is the primary source for government agencies to learn about prospective vendors. It lets agencies search based on each vendor’s abilities, size, ownership and other parameters. In most cases, you need to be registeredintheCCRtowinacontractfromagovernment agency. It also can be used for setting up your invoices to be paid electronically once you are conducting business with the government.

5.DetermineIfYourBusinessQualifiesforSmallBusinessCertificationand/orDesignation

The government sets aside money with the intent for contracts to go to certain businesses. This includes: majority-owned and run by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals; those whose primary locations are in disadvantaged urban or rural communities; majority-owned by women;

GSA Schedule Process

Follow these steps to apply for inclusion in the GSA Schedules Program:

Identify the correct GSA Schedule

DownloadtheGSASchedulesolicitationfromFedBizOpps

Complete the online registration

Submit your “Past Performance” report

Complete and sign the Schedule solicitation

Wait for a GSA Schedule contracting officer to review your proposal

Negotiate with the contracting officer

Submit a final proposal revision

Await acceptance or rejection from the contracting officer

ReceiveyourGSASchedulecontractnumber

UploadpricingtoGSAAdvantage!

Source: GSA web site, Getting on Schedule

or majority-owned by service-disabled veterans. Visit the Small Business Administration (SBA) site (www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/gcbd/index.html) to determine if your business qualifies.

6.SubmitanOnlineRepresentationsandCertificationsApplication(ORCA)

VisittheORCAsite(http://orca.bpn.gov) to record all of your company’s required representations andcertificationsasreferencedinstep5sotheycanbe accessed by government purchasing agencies.

7.ObtainaPastPerformanceReport

Before applying for a GSA Schedule contract, you will need to submit a past performance form to aprivatecontractornamedOpenRatings,whichisownedbyDun&Bradstreet.

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GSA contracted this company to provide an objective evaluation of vendors’ previous performances by polling a series of customers. ContactOpenRatings(customerservice: 727-329-1184oremail:[email protected]) andprovidethemwithyourD-U-N-SNumber; 4 to 20 customer contacts, including email addresses; anda$125fee.OpenRatingsrecommendsproviding20 references to help ensure that your report can be completed in a timely manner. Also make sure you include customers who will give you a good referenceandtellthemthatOpenRatingswill be contacting them.

8.DevelopaMarketStrategyandCapabilitiesStatement Targeted to Government Sales

Getting on the GSA Schedule is not a guarantee of sales. You still need to find government agencies that need your products or services. Start by defining your business goals, approach, market differentiators and available resources for pursuing government business.

gsa schEdulE PROcEss

Onceyouhavealltheinformationintheprevious section in order, you can follow the steps to apply for inclusion in the GSA Schedules Program:

•IdentifytheGSAScheduleforthecorrectproduct or service.

•DownloadthecorrespondingGSASchedulesolicitationfromtheFedBizOppssite

(www.fbo.gov).FedBizOppslistscontractingopportunitiesover$25,000,thoughnotallopportunities are part of the GSA Schedule.

•Completetheonlineregistrationandsubmityour “Past Performance” report.

•Prepare,completeandsigntheSchedulesolicitation.

•GSASchedulecontractingofficerswillthenreview and evaluate your prices, discounts, terms and conditions.

•TheGSASchedulecontractingofficerwillcontact you to negotiate your offer to obtain the best value for the government.

•Completenegotiationsandsubmitafinalproposal revision.

•TheGSASchedulecontractingofficercanchoose to accept or reject your offer.

•Ifaccepted,youwillreceiveaGSASchedulecontract number and a copy of your awarded contract. According to Federal Acquisition Regulation(FAR),anycompanywitharejected offer may request a debriefing immediately upon notification to determine why the offer was not acceptable for award by GSA.3 If rejected, you are also allowed to appeal your contract and resubmit.

•Onceaccepted,gotoGSAAdvantage!® (www.gsaadvantage.gov) to upload your pricing and company information where agencies can find it in this online shopping and ordering system.

GSA Expectations

GSA expects businesses on the GSA Schedule to:

•Exceed$25,000ingovernmentsaleswithin the first two years after the contract is awarded.

•Attainannualsalesof$25,000eachyearafter that.


cORPORatE cOmmuNIty OutsOuRcINgElizabeth FeichterMember Since: 2006

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gsa sElEctION cRItERIa

When reviewing your contract offer, Federal AcquisitionRegulationsrequirethatGSASchedulecontracting officers consider three attributes of your business to ensure that it conforms to all solicitation requirements4:

Responsibility

•Viableproductorservice•Historyofsatisfactoryperformance•Financialresourcesandstability

Responsiveness

•Demonstratedthatalldocumentswerereadintheir entirety

•AllpartsoftheGSAScheduleproposalwerefilled in completely

FairandReasonablePricing

•Provided“mostfavoredcustomerpricing”;i.e.,same or better pricing than what the vendor offers its preferred customers

yOu’vE BEEN accEPtEd INtO thE gsa schEdulE — NOw what?

OnceyouareontheGSASchedule,it’stimeto promote your status to agencies that might be in need of your goods or services:

Create and Share Your Price List

When awarded a GSA Schedule contract, you need to prepare a Federal Supply Schedule Price List. Distributethepricelisttogovernmentagenciesinyour area that may need your products or services. The GSA site (www.gsa.gov/schedules) has more information on ordering from the Federal Supply Schedules program. GSA’s Federal Supply Schedules are large contracts through which federal customers can acquire more than 4 million products and servicesdirectlyfrommorethan8,000commercialsuppliers. More than 1 million of these products and servicescanbeorderedusingtheGSAAdvantage!online ordering system.

UseGSALogosonAllMarketingMaterials

Incorporate the GSA Schedule logo and your contract information into all print materials. To download a logo, go to www.gsa.gov/logos. The web site includes instructions on where and how the logo can be used. The GSA Vendor Support Center may alsoemailyouaPDForacceptedlogoformat.

HighlightYourGSAStatusonYourWebSite

Add the logo to your web site and to your email signature. Consider including content on your site geared directly to agencies. Link from your company’s site to your company’s product listing ontheGSAAdvantage!site(www.gsaadvantage.gov).

ParticipateinGSAOutreachActivities

AttendeventssuchastheGSAExpo (www.expo.gsa.gov).Morethan9,000federal,state and local government employees attend the Expotolearnabouttheprocurementprocessandnetwork with government contractors. For more information, email [email protected].

GSA has certain expectations for businesses on the GSA Schedule. They are expected to exceed $25,000ingovernmentsaleswithinthefirsttwoyearsafterthecontractisawardedand$25,000annually thereafter.5 Additionally, businesses on the Schedule must report their sales to GSA and remit an IndustrialFundingFee(IFF)representing0.75%of

stat aNalysIs cORPORatIONSurendra Kumar, Ph.D.Member Since: 1988

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the sales back to GSA.6 Because GSA is not publicly funded, the IFF helps cover GSA’s cost of operating the Federal Supply Schedules program. Contractors must report contract sales to GSA within 30 days after each reporting quarter. If no sales occur on a contract during that time, the contractor still must file a sales report by entering zeroes.

hOw tO suBmIt OffERs

To become a GSA Schedule contractor, a business must first submit an offer in response to the applicable GSA Schedule solicitation. According to the GSA web site, this can be done electronically or by mail.7

ElectronicSubmissions

eOffer(www.eoffer.gsa.gov) is a secure federal government web-based application you can use to prepare and submit contract proposals electronically. eOffercanbeusedtoproposeavarietyofproductsand services, such as training aids, human resources, photo equipment and furnishings. A full list of products and services can be found on the site.

TheeOffersiteoffersthefollowingbenefits:

•Secureelectronicsignatures.You can sign documents electronically and create a legally binding contract.

•Streamlinesubmissionprocess. The site enables transmission of data to the appropriate contracting offices.

•Collaborativeenvironment. The site fosters collaboration among your team members who are working together on a proposal.

AccordingtotheeOffersite,followthesesixstepstosubmitanelectronicproposalthrougheOffer:

1. Validate your site.GototheeOffersitesoitcan check that your computer has a valid digital authentication certificate. If not, you will need to purchase a digital certificate from one of GSA’s industrypartners.Dependingonthevendor,thiscostsbetween$90and$119. Onceyourdigitalcertificate is verified, click the sign-in button.

2. Complete information. Fill in all sections of the eOfferandaddsupportingdocuments,suchaspricelistsandyourD-U-N-SNumber.(Note:Oncethe offer is submitted electronically, it is “locked” in the system until GSA completes its review. The only information that may be changed before the completion of the review is the company point of contact and/or authorized negotiator.)

3. Submit offer and negotiate.Oncetheproposalhasbeen assigned and reviewed by a GSA contracting official, they will contact you to begin negotiations.

4. Wait for notification. After the negotiation process is completed, the GSA contracting official will create the contract package (all the files that will make up the final contract) and notify you.

5.Signthecontract.GotoeOfferandsignthecontract package. An email notification is generated for the GSA contracting officer to sign the documents.

6.Downloaddocuments.After the contracting officer signs the documents, a notification is emailed to both you and the contracting officer. You can then gointotheeOffersiteanddownloadeverything.

Paper Submissions

If you prefer, you can submit a hard copy of your proposal. To do this, submit one original and one copy of the entire offer, as well as two copies of aMultipleAwardSchedule(MAS)ExpressProgramVendor Checklist, which GSA uses to complete

GSA’s Purchasing Power

Infiscalyear2009,$62billioninproducts and services was purchased through GSA business lines or procurement vehicles managed by GSA.

GSA’s information technology division, the largest in the program, reports that sales totaled$16.4billioninfiscalyear2009.


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itsinitialreviewofvendorqualifications.Onthechecklist, indicate:

•Yes,NoorNotApplicableforallitems•AllofferedSpecialItemNumbers(these

numbers identify GSA products/services)•Thattherearenoexceptionstothetermsand

conditions of the offer

GSApreferseOffersubmissionsoverpaperbecause they are less cumbersome and easier to process, and usually receive a faster response.8 However,somecategoriesdon’tyetoffertheeOfferoption, so you will need to use the paper submission in these cases.

Oncesubmitted,ittakesonetotwomonthsfor the contracting officer to begin reviewing your

contract. If the contracting officer has questions, he or she will email or fax those to you. After all questions are answered, the contracting officer will conduct a final negotiations call to determine your best and final offer and go over terms and conditions. The contracting officer then issues a Final Proposal Revision(FPR)letter,whichcontainsthefinaltermsand conditions. The letter is then signed by a company representative and sent back to the GSA contracting officer, who then awards the GSA contract. n1GSA web site, eLibrary 2GSA web site, Getting on Schedule 3Federal Acquisition Regulation 15.5 4Federal Acquisition Regulation 9 5Federal Acquisition Service Policy6GSA web site, FAQs7GSA web site, Getting on Schedule 8GSA web site, FAQs

Negotiating Pricing for Your GSA Schedule Contract

DeterminingapricethatisreasonabletoGSASchedulecontractingofficersandstillprofitable for your company can seem confusing. According to the GSA Acquisition Manual (GSAM) (https://www.acquisition.gov/gsam/gsam.html), a GSA Schedule contracting officer considers the following factors when negotiating prices:

•Aggregatevolumeofanticipatedpurchases•Purchaseofaminimumquantityorapatternofhistoricpurchases•Discountsandconcessionstypicallyofferedtocommercialcustomers•Lengthofthecontractperiod•Add-ons,suchaswarrantiesortrainingservices,includedinthepurchaseprice•Orderinganddeliverypractices

GSA determines whether prices are fair by comparing the prices and discounts that you offer the government with the prices and discounts that you offer to commercial customers. Though the government will seek to obtain the best price, it recognizes that there may be legitimate reasons why the best price is not achieved.

According to the manual, you may still be awarded a contract containing pricing that is less favorable than the best price if the following conditions exist:

•Thepricesofferedtothegovernmentarefairandreasonable,eventhoughcomparablediscountswere not negotiated.

•Theawardisotherwiseinthebestinterestofthegovernment.

It’s possible to negotiate price increases at a later date based on relevant economic factors.

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A GSA Schedule contract can help increase your contracting opportunities with government agencies. Sales under the program are increasing because purchasing from a Schedule vendor can be quicker and more cost-effective. Buyers report that pre-negotiated pricing, the efficiency of the process and reduction in paperwork are factors to the program’s success.

Infiscalyear2009,$62billioninproductsandservices was purchased through GSA business lines or procurement vehicles managed by GSA.1 That number could increase since Congress is currently debating whether to expand the GSA program and allow state and local governments to buy from the GSA Schedule to prepare for a disaster.2 State and local agencies are currently eligible to participate in cooperative purchasing, disaster recovery purchasing andthe1122Program.Section1122ofthe1994NationalDefenseAuthorizationActestablishedtheauthority for states and units of local government to purchase law enforcement equipment through federal procurement channels.

Why Many Small Businesses Like the GSA Schedules Program

GSA Schedule contracts provide a contracting vehicle for small businesses that cannot afford to obtain more than one multiple award schedule contract. Vendors like Schedule contracts for the same reasons that federal buyers do. More specifically, the program helps reduce competition, allows vendors to avoid public bids (thereby saving vast sums in proposal development costs) and allows contractors to close a deal within weeks instead of waiting months for the awarding of a public bid.

HelpImproveYourChancesof Getting on the ScheduleByLourdesMartin-Rosa

Teaming OpportunitiesIncrease

A small business GSA Schedule vendor has an opportunity to participate in the new GSA Mentor/Protégé program (www.gsa.gov/mentorprotege). This program is designed to develop small businesses so they become better positioned to contract with GSA. The Mentor/Protégé program includes contracts awarded under GSA’s Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) program.

Large businesses, identified in the GSA eLibrary (www.gsaelibrary.gsa.gov/ElibMain/home.do) as “O”(otherthansmall),arerequiredtosubmitasmall business subcontracting plan with their GSA Schedule contract for final approval. This offers an opportunity for small businesses to team with larger GSA Schedule vendors. The eLibrary includes the latest GSA contract award information. Small businesses also have the opportunity to view the largerfirms’pricesviaGSAAdvantage!sotheycanposition themselves to become attractive teaming partners pursuing federal contracts together. n1GSA FY 2009 Annual Performance Report and FY 2011 Performance Plan2U.S. Senate Bill 2868

After more than 10 years of lobbying in Washington, DC, Lourdes Martin-Rosa founded Government Business Solutions (http://govbizsolutions.com). With over 40 years of combined government management consulting experience, she and her team help companies succeed in acquiring certifications, GSA Schedules and winning government marketing techniques. Martin-Rosa also serves as advisor on Government Contracting for American Express OPEN.

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SusanDavisInternational(SDI)isamodelforsmall businesses looking to succeed in government contracting. As a vendor that has maximized its position on the GSA Schedule, this full-service public relations and strategic communications firm holds several multimillion-dollar contracts withtheDepartmentofDefenseandothergovernment agencies.

SDIwasrecentlynamedoneofthesixtop smallbusinessagenciesintheUnitedStatesbyPRNewsandwontheSTEVIECommunicationCampaignoftheYearaward(2009)undertheirgovernmentcontractwiththeDODEmployerSupportoftheGuardandReserve.SusanDavis,chairwoman of the boutique firm, shares her advice for others interested in following this path:

Market Yourself

“Many companies mistakenly believe that once they’re on the schedule, agencies will know aboutthem,”Davissays.“Youhavetomarketyourself significantly if you’re going to actually win contracts off the schedule. We developed a strong marketing outreach program in the areas of the federal government that we wanted to do business with so we stay on their radar screen.”

BuildtheRightConnections

Davisurgesbusinessownerstolearnwhotheinfluencers are in your target area. Stay in contact with them regularly so they know about the good work you do. Building these relationships and demonstrating a strong track record takes time, but it will be worth it in the end.

“Don’tjustsend a letter and set one meeting with these contacts. Publicize yourself, either through pro bono work or professional projects for other clients,” she says. “Go to conferences where government contractors are and sign up as an exhibitor if your business lends itself to that. Join associations in which your target government contractors and program officers participate.”

UnderstandtheValue

Getting on the GSA Schedule provides a window into what the government is looking for. “It’s a marketing tool that makes it easier to gain access to the right people and gives you instant credibilitywithgovernmentsources,”Davissays.

Speak Their Language

Davisandherteamsoughtadvicefromgovernment contractors about their marketing materials. “They told us to make the language simpler and to list our products in the specific languageusedingovernmentRFPs(requests for proposal) that we were going to pursue,” she says. “For example, the government refers to ‘public relations’ as ‘public awareness.’ It’s important that marketing outreach is written using government terminology in the vocabulary they’re comfortable with.”

Show Your Value Add

Knowwhatexpertiseyoucanadd.Intheconference planning area, tens of thousands of businessescoulddothatwork,Davissays.“Knowingour expertise was in managing very large-scale events,

Cardmember Profile: SusanDavis, SusanDavisInternationalBoutiquePRFirmFindsGSASuccess

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we marketed these niche capabilities since far fewer companies can truly complete in that arena. While there were fewer pieces of business in that area, our chances of winning that business were far greater.”

LeverageYourExperience

It’s important to have an employee on staff who understands the government contracting rules,especiallyontheaccountingside.Hirean

employee or consultant who really understands how to perform government contract management, which is very different from private sector contract management,Davissays.

“You need someone who knows how to write successfulRFPs.Itdoesn’tmatterhowgreatyourexpertise is. To be successful, you need to understand how to respond to the exact requirements the government is asking for. n

GSA Schedule: Event and Training Resources

The government offers businesses the opportunity to sell billions of dollars worth of products and services each year.1UsetheseresourcestolearnabouteventsandtrainingcoursesrelatedtotheGSASchedule, as well as government contracting opportunities in general.

AmericanExpressOPEN®forGovernmentContracts:VictoryinProcurementSM

www.open.com/governmentcontractsThis site provides training, articles and practical advice to help businesses enter the government contracting market. It also has news about upcoming events.

AmericanExpressOPENForum® www.openforum.com/governmentcontractsOPENForumhasresources,videosandinformationtohelpguideyourbusinessinresearchingandsecuring government contracts.

Business Matchmakingwww.businessmatchmaking.com Business Matchmaking is a public/private initiative that supports procurement opportunities for small businesses in every industry. The organization produces regional face-to-face selling events, seminars and workshops, online training and collateral material, primarily for minority-, women-, veteran- and disabledveteran-ownedfirms.BusinessMatchmakingisapartnerofAmericanExpressOPEN.

CenterforAcquisitionExcellence(CAE)www.gsa.gov/caeCAEoffersafree,self-pacedcourseforvendorstitledHow to Become a Contractor — GSA Schedules Program. It describes the program, how to submit an offer, the award process and how to successfully market to GSA.

Center for IT Schedule Programs www.gsa.gov/schedule70solicitationtraining Located in Arlington, Virginia, this center provides vendor training for IT providers.

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GSA Schedule: Event and Training Resources, cont’d.

General Services Administration (GSA)www.gsa.gov/gettingonschedule Hereyou’llfindinformation,trainingopportunitiesandresourcesforpotentialGSAcontractors. Find the GSA staff directory at: http://bit.ly/v7T4r.

•ReadtheGSAguideDoing Business with GSA at www.gsa.gov/smallbizguide •ReadtheGSAguideSteps to Success — Make the Most of Your GSA Contract at

http://vsc.gsa.gov/stepstosuccess.pdf

GSAEvents www.expo.gsa.gov TheGSATrainingConference&Expoistheagency’sprimaryoutreachevent.

GSA’seOfferTraininghttp://eoffer.gsa.gov ThissiteprovidestraininghelpforsubmittingdocumentsthrougheOffer.

GSA’s Vendor Support Centerhttp://vsc.gsa.gov Through this site you can access training materials and GSA publications.

GiveMe5www.giveme5.com ApartnershipbetweenWomenImpactingPublicPolicy(WIPP)andAmericanExpressOPEN,GiveMe5adviseswomenbusinessownersonhowtoapplyforgovernmentcontracts.Theprogramincludeswebinars and events to help business owners grow their businesses through government contracting.

Small Business Administration (SBA)www.sba.gov This site provides an array of resources, including technical assistance, training, professional consulting and executive development, to help small businesses succeed in working with the government.

TeamingUSASM

www.teamingusa.com TeamingUSAhelpssmallbusinessownersfindpartnersandlearntheadvantagesofworkingtogethertowingovernmentcontracts.TeamingUSAisajointpartnershipbetweenBusinessMatchmakingandAmericanExpressOPEN.

Vendor Support Center, GSA Federal Acquisition Servicehttps://vsc.gsa.gov ThissitecoversvendortrainingwithinGSA.Formoreinformation,call877-495-4849oremail [email protected].

1GSA FY 2009 Annual Performance Report and FY 2011 Performance Plan

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GettingontheGSASchedulecanbecomplicatedandtime-consuming.Usethisworksheettoensurethatyou are well prepared for the process of competing for government contracts.

Since you’ll likely be working on the process over time, you could enter this information into a spreadsheet on your computer to keep the information accessible and updated as you proceed.

BackgROuNd INfORmatION

Verify that you have the information you need to enroll:

D-U-N-SNumber

NAICS Code

CAGECode

PREPaRatION chEcklIst

Yes No

RegisterwithCCR

RegisterwithORCA

SubmitpastperformanceformtoDun&Bradstreet

Validate small business status

Checkqualificationfor8(a)program,smalldisadvantagedbusiness,women-ownedsmall business, minority-owned small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabledveteran-ownedsmallbusinessorHUBZonesmallbusiness

Complete the GSA solicitation

Negotiate and submit your final proposal revision

ReceiveaGSAnumber

UploadpricingandcompanyinformationonGSAAdvantage!

Market your GSA number

Submit contract proposal

WorksheetGetting on the GSA Schedule

Number of employees as of (date)

Total of annual receipts for year ending

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gathER yOuR QuEstIONs

Write down questions you may have about the GSA Schedule. It’s prudent to seek advice from someone knowledgeableaboutgovernmentcontracting.GSA’sOfficeofSmallBusinessUtilization(OSBU)conducts one-on-one counseling sessions to help companies understand the procurement process.

QuestionsabouttheGSASchedulesubmissionprocess

QuestionsaboutnegotiatingwithGSA

uPcOmINg EvENts

ResearchandattendnetworkingeventsatsiteslistedintheGSAResourcessection,includingOPENForum (www.openforum.com/events), Victory in Procurement (www.open.com/governmentcontracts), Business Matchmaking (www.businessmatchmaking.com),GiveMe5(www.giveme5.com),GSAExpo(www.expo.gsa.gov)andTeamingUSA(www.teamingusa.com). Track your progress here or in an online calendar. UpcomingBusinessFairs

Event#1

Session name

Date Time

Location Registered?

Post-event follow-up


cont’d.

pg. 13


Event#2

Session name

Date Time



UpcomingMatchmakingSessions

Session#1

Session name

Date Time



Session#2

Session name

Date Time




cont’d.

pg. 14


Glossary of Key Terms

UnderstandingrelevantterminologycanassistintheprocessofgettingontheGSASchedule.Usethisglossary to better understand the acronyms, abbreviations and vocabulary associated with government contracting and the GSA Schedules Program.

8(a)BusinessDevelopmentProgram:NamedafterasectionoftheSmallBusinessAct,the8(a)program provides business development assistance to companies owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. The SBA requires businesses to document how they are socially or economically disadvantaged in their applications.

Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA): An agreement between the government and a supplier that allows for repetitive purchases during a specified period.

Contractor Team Arrangement (CTA): An agreement in which two or more contractors join together to provide a total solution to meet an agency’s needs.

eBuy: AnonlinetoolwithinGSAAdvantage!thatfacilitatesrequestsforquotesforgoodsandservicesoffered by GSA Schedule and Governmentwide Acquisition Contract contractors.

FederalAcquisitionRegulation(FAR):FARoutlinesthepoliciesforexecutiveagenciestoacquiregoodsand services.

Federal Acquisition Service (FAS): FAS establishes contracts for commercial products and services in the areas of products and services, technology, motor vehicle management, transportation, travel and procurement and online acquisition tools.

Federal Supply Schedules (FSS) Program: Large contracts through which government agencies can acquireproductsandservicesfrommorethan8,000suppliers.

General Services Administration (GSA): GSAoverseesthebusinessoftheU.S.government.GSA’s acquisition solutions supply government purchasers with products and services from commercial vendors.

Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts (GWAC): GWACs help agencies purchase IT products exclusively.

GSAAdvantage!:Anonlineshoppingserviceforgovernmentcustomers.OnceabusinessisputontheGSASchedule,itisrequiredtoaddcompanyandpricinginformationtoGSAAdvantage!

GSA Contract Number: A number assigned to an approved GSA Schedule vendor. An agency may purchase your GSA-approved products and services through this GSA Schedule contract number.

GSA Schedule: Lists the prices the government has agreed to pay for a vendor’s commercial products and services.

GSA Schedule Number:Thebreakdownofprogramcategories;forexample,“Schedule70–InformationTechnology”and“Schedule72–FurnishingsandFloorCoverings.”

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Glossary of Key Terms, cont’d.

HUBZoneSmallBusiness:AcertifiedsmallbusinesswithitsprincipalofficelocatedinaHistoricallyUnderutilizedBusinessZoneandwithatleast35%ofitsemployeesresidinginaHUBZone,asdefinedbyFederalAcquisitionRegulation.

Mentor: An individual or business that creates a program to advance strategic relationships with a less experienced business.

Minority-OwnedBusiness:Asmallbusinessthatisatleast51%ownedandoperatedbyaU.S.citizenwhoseancestryisAsian-PacificAmerican,BlackAmerican,HispanicAmerican,NativeAmerican,SubcontinentAsianAmerican,IndianTribeorNativeHawaiian,asdefinedbyFederalAcquisitionRegulation.

Multi-Agency Contracts: Contracts established by one agency for use by government agencies to obtain a variety of supplies and services.

Multiple Award Schedules (MAS): OneofGSA’slargestpurchasingvehicles.Contractsareawardedtomultiple vendors with similar products or services to enable more choices for government buyers.

Protégé: An individual or developing business who cooperates with another more experienced individual or company to improve its capabilities.

Public Buildings Service (PBS): PBS acquires space on behalf of the government through new construction andleasing.Italsoactsasacaretakerfor9,300governmentpropertiesaroundtheUnitedStates.

Service-DisabledVeteran-OwnedSmallBusiness:Asmallbusinessthatisatleast51%ownedbya qualified disabled veteran whose disability is service-related and whose management and daily business operations are controlled by a qualified service-disabled veteran, as defined by Federal AcquisitionRegulation.

Single Award Schedules (SAS): Contracts made with one supplier for a specific product at a stated price for delivery to a geographical area defined in the Schedule.

Small Business Administration (SBA): An independent government agency chartered to protect the interests of small businesses and maintain free competitive enterprise.

SmallDisadvantagedBusiness:Asmallbusinessthatisatleast51%ownedandcontrolledbyasociallyandeconomicallydisadvantagedindividual,asdefinedbyFederalAcquisitionRegulation.

Veteran-OwnedSmallBusiness:Asmallbusinessthatisatleast51%ownedbyaqualifiedveteranandwhose management and daily business operations are controlled by a qualified veteran, as defined by FederalAcquisitionRegulation.

Women-OwnedBusiness(WOB):Asmallbusinessthatisatleast51%ownedandcontrolledbyawoman,asdefinedbyFederalAcquisitionRegulation.

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vIsIt amERIcaN ExPREss OPEN: vIctORy IN PROcuREmENtsm (vIP)

Learn more about government contracting at www.open.com/governmentcontracts, a web site from AmericanExpressOPEN.Thissiteofferspracticaladvicethatcanhelpincreaseyourbusinessthroughgovernment contracting. The VIP web site features:

•Step-by-stepinsightguidestohelpidentifyandapplyforgovernmentcontracts•Upcomingeventsandwebinarsdedicatedtogovernmentcontracting•Newarticlesandresourceshighlightingsuccessstoriesandprocurementtips•Newslettersentmonthlywithupcomingevents,expertadviceandtimelyarticles

Tolearnmoreaboutourproductsandservices,call1-800-NOW-OPENorvisitusatwww.open.com

For more about growth opportunities in government contracting, visit www.open.com/governmentcontracts

FormoreOPENInsightGuides,andotherresourcestohelpyougrowyourbusiness,visitwww.openforum.com

Copyright© 2010 American Express Company. All Rights Reserved. The information contained in this document is meant for advisory purposes only. American Express accepts no liability for any outcome of its use.

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