In the world of GovCon, GSA Schedule Contracts are a great source of income. Though limited in term, the deliverables are open-ended and indefinite. That means that any federal, and some state and local government, customers can order an unlimited amount of products or services from the contract holders.

Being on the GSA Schedule leads to a greatly expanded pool of potential clients, which is always a good thing if you ask us.

Other benefits of the GSA Schedule include a deep resource pool (there are more than $45 billion in annual GSA Schedule sales), a reduced pool of competition, shorter and simpler sales processes, and more.

Anyways, you probably already know all that. That’s why you’re here looking for tips on how to get a GSA Schedule Contract. Well, you’re in luck because that’s exactly what we’re about to discuss.

Get On the GSA Schedule in 4 Steps

Step 1 – Preparation

The first thing you’ll want to do is prepare all of your documents and credentials that you’ll need to be considered for a GSA Schedule Contract.

The general requirements are as follows:

You’ve been in business for at least 2 years and have a minimum annual revenue of $25,000.
Your financials are healthy.
You meet TAA (Trade Agreements Act) compliance, meaning all your products and services listed on the GSA Schedule Contract must be made or “substantially transformed” in the USA or a TAA designated country.

Also, you’ll want to be aware of your resources and have an accurate idea of your company’s capabilities given those resources.

Step 2 – Gather Application Materials

To be honest, this step is actually 3 steps. But don’t worry, they’re all relatively simple.

First, you’ll want to register on the System for Award Management (SAM). Don’t worry, it’s free.

Once that’s done, you’ll want to determine the appropriate GSA Schedule Special Item Number (ominously often referred to as SINs) for your business. For example, if your business specializes in training on hardware, software, cloud, and other applicable services, you’ll want the SIN for Training Courses, which is 611420.

And, lastly, you’ll need to download the GSA MAS Solicitation and applicable attachments.

Step 3 – Develop Your Proposal

After you’ve gathered all your materials, you’re going to have to write a proposal. Talk about what your company brings to the table, and make sure you can back up your boasts with data and numbers.

You’re also going to have to gather all the required documents based on solicitation and application attachments.

You will need to focus on compliance, compliance, and compliance.

When you have everything together, including your spectacularly well-written proposal, you’re going to want to submit it through GSA’s eOffer system.

To submit through the eOffer system, you first have to register and then begin the offer submission process. Remember that you’ll be required to provide the complete submission and documentation. Then double-check with the government that they have received your proposal.

After the submission is completed, one of the authorized negotiators identified in eOffer will reach out to you and become your primary point of contact.

Step 4 – Wait

At this point, everything’s submitted and the ball is out of your court, so to speak. So, what do you do now? Well, you wait around. Maybe treat yourself to some nice dinners and some fine wine. The GSA is doing their thing, reviewing your proposal. You might hear back from them about some clarifications they need.

If things are going well, the GSA will eventually reach out for contract negotiations. Contract negotiations are a whole thing on their own, so we’ll do another blog about that in the future. For now, be happy you made it to this point.

After negotiations are finished, the final proposal will be clarified and reviewed. After that, congratulations! You’ve gotten a GSA Contract awarded to you.

We Can Help You Get a GSA Schedule Contract

Unfortunately, those steps we’ve listed out are a lot more involved when it comes to actually getting them done. If you’re a small or mid-sized GovCon company, then you might not have a lot of bandwidth open for the entire process. Or maybe the idea of organizing everything and writing a proposal and all that back-office stuff just seems like a lot of hassle to get done correctly.

Don’t worry, that’s why we’re here. At BOOST LLC, we can help you get a GSA Schedule Contract. We’ll do the organizing and the writing for you, so you’ll have extra time to focus on the more pressing matters.

If you’re thinking about going after a GSA Schedule Contract, but you’re not exactly sure how or you just don’t have the time, contact us today and learn how we can help.

We can also help you with a lot of other back-office work, like accounting, contracts, HR, and more.