Archive for GSA Schedules

GSA Schedules: The Good, Bad, and Ugly

July 31, 2014 Federal Contracting, GSA Schedules, Proposal Writing No comments

Newcomers to the federal market usually have no idea of the advantages and disadvantages of holding a GSA Schedule contract. For newcomers schedules are essential to success in federal contracting.

The Good

  • Schedules are always open for a company to submit a proposal, unlike other multiple award contracts.
  • Schedules are available for almost all commercial products and services.
  • Schedules reduce competition to almost nothing if used correctly with a federal sales program.
  • Schedules can be used by any federal agency to place orders.

The Bad

  • You have to invest dollars in submitting a proposal.
  • You have to invest dollars in a federal sales program and use schedules to close a deal.
  • You have to comply with a number of red tape requirements to keep your schedule in compliance with the contract.

The Ugly

  • Preparing a proposal for a schedule is nearly impossible without schedule experience.
  • GSA requires a rats nest of red tape and pricing information (100 pages or more) to prove to federal auditors and the public that you are worthy of a schedule award.
  • GSA is becoming pickier by the day about who they award to because they already have many thousands of companies holding schedule.

The most affordable and best way to be assured a GSA schedule award to use Fedmarket’s GSA at Your Office service.

Richard White, author of The Shortest Path to Federal Dollars:GSA Schedules, has 18 years of GSA experience. Mr. White will visit your office for a full day after he assists you by telephone and email in developing the documents necessary for the proposal.

Call (888) 661 – 4094, Ext. 2 for more information.

OASIS: More Amendments and an Extension, Yes or No?

September 8, 2013 Federal Contracting, GSA Schedules No comments

Currently it appears that GSA is not going to amend the OASIS Small and Large Business Solicitations again or extend the due date of 9/17/13.

Multi-disciplined professional services companies cannot afford to pass up the large revenue potential of OASIS. OASIS is one of a kind and offers great flexibility for federal contracting officers. Historically contracting officers have experienced trouble procuring multi-disciplined professional services through a multiple award contract and have been forced to use expensive and time consuming public bids.

Small businesses are questioning their project experience qualifications because the experience criteria in the solicitation is stringent. Small businesses on the edge should consider bidding because:

  • GSA may have trouble qualifying enough small businesses to be politically correct with Congress and the small business community.
  • The solicitation scoring scheme encourages bidders to submit qualifications that partially meet the solicitation criteria.
  • Proposal writing is largely mechanical using Fedmarket’s OASIS model proposal template with its compliant file structure, file names, and required forms. Technical content is not required and the bulk of the proposal effort involves assembling proof of project experience. Project experience criteria in the solicitation require the bidder to show contract size, work scope, the NAICS code(s) for the contract and proof of performance from (1) contractual documents, (2) federal performance databases, or (3) a questionnaire completed by the federal customer.

It’s all about your score across a wide range of criteria and the number of bidders that qualify for each of the seven pools.

Questions about OASIS call 888 661 4094, Ext.2.