The task of preparing proposals for submittal to the General Services Administration (GSA) has always been a difficult one for those unfamiliar with government contracting. Many companies abandon the effort to obtain a GSA Schedule contract after unsuccessfully attempting to decipher GSA's Request for Proposals (RFP's) or solicitations. To make matters worse, GSA has recently added a new level of obstacles as a result of their "Get it Right" campaign.

GSA frequently releases amendments or modifications to GSA Schedule solicitations. Such amendments, called "refreshes," often serve to obfuscate an already confusing matter. Under the "Get It Right" campaign, proposals are evaluated more stringently and rigidly than previously and the evaluation process is more subjective. One could say that the process has become less vendor-friendly. At present, there seems to be a trend by GSA to demand pricing from vendors that is lower than the lowest price offered to a company's best customer. In fact, GSA's contracting officers seem to be unwilling to follow the federal regulations concerning what is deemed to be "fair and reasonable pricing."

Prior to the Get it Right campaign, GSA would request, through proposal refinement letters, that vendors provide needed information or clarification of what has been submitted. There seems to be a trend now towards sending proposal rejection letters rather than refinement letters. This development is troubling, to say the least. We have therefore thought it prudent to summarize for our readers problems that might cause refinement letters or outright proposal rejections. The list is as follows:

1. When most favored customer pricing is not offered to GSA (the lowest price offered to any customer)
2. If the discount offered of the company's commercial prices is too low
3. If your commercial pricing is not substantiated by invoices
4. If the products or services offered to GSA have not been sold to commercial or government customers (e.g., a newly-developed product that you have just put out on the market)
5. If you haven't fully explained your company's discounting practices
6. When corporate experience descriptions, the products offered or the labor categories offered do not match the scope of work described in the solicitation
7. If the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes shown in vendor's Central Contractor Registration (CCR) record don't match those listed in the Request for Proposal
8. When the vendor's Online Representations and Certifications (ORCA) record don't match the representations and certifications made in the GSA offer
9. When it has been determined that the vendor has not had sufficient sales for the products or services offered
10. If the vendor isn't paying the appropriate Service Contract Act wage rates

In summary, GSA is making life difficult for companies seeking GSA schedule contracts. And most people in the industry do not see any relief in sight in the near term. Yet GSA schedules are the only game in town for small and medium-sized companies entering the federal market.