GSA Schedules; Ideal Federal Market Entry Vehicle for Small Businesses

GSA Schedules; The Ideal Federal Market Entry Vehicle for Small Businesses

Winnable for Small Businesses

GSA schedule contracts are the Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract of choice for small businesses because they are ideal market entry vehicles and are winnable by almost any small business. They are by far the easiest way for a small business to obtain an IDIQ contract for the following reasons.

They are open to small businesses and GSA will accept an application at any time.
Some GSA schedules have subcategories that are set aside for small businesses.
A company can be virtually assured of obtaining a GSA contract if it can demonstrate its capabilities, has solid financial statements, and has 2 years of experience.
GSA schedules are usually twenty-year contracts--an initial five-year contract followed by three five-year options.
You do not need government experience to obtain a schedule. In fact, commercial experience and sales are preferred because Congress authorized GSA schedules as a way to bring commercial products and services to the federal government.

Federal buyers like to purchase from GSA schedule holders because buys can be made quickly with a minimum of paperwork. GSA schedule task order buys do not require a public bid because full and open competition is deemed to have taken place at the time your GSA prices were negotiated. Schedule contracts are a salesperson's dream--they are a way to close a deal with your targeted buyer quickly, with very limited competition from competitors (as is the case with all IDIQs).

"Always Open" for a Bid

Many newcomers to the federal market don't know that GSA Schedule contracts are "always open" for a company to submit a bid. Other IDIQ contracts are open for a bid at FedBizOpps for limited period, usually around 60 days. After the closing date, the IDIQ is closed and no additional awards are made.

The "always open" feature, an experience requirement of two years in business, and proof that the product or service has been sold successfully commercially causes GSA schedules to be an ideal market-entry vehicle for newcomers to the market (and for small businesses in particular).

Call me for a free session on contracting in the federal marketplace.
Phone: 301.908.0546

GSA Schedules--A Vendor's Path to Federal Sales
Thinking about trying to sell your goods or services to the federal government, but don't know where to start? Fedmarket's complimentary white paper spells it out from A to Z. Download GSA Schedules--A Vendor's Path to Federal Sales today.

Fedmarket can help you complete your GSA Schedule proposal

GSA eLabPlus