Effective November 2, 2011, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) was amended to allow federal buyers who want to purchase through GSA Schedule contracts to set aside opportunities for small businesses. This new interim rule may represent a real bonanza for small businesses for the following reasons:

1. Multiple award schedule (MAS) contracts, and particularly GSA Schedules, are becoming the preferred way for federal buyers to purchase products and services.
2. As discussed previously and for a host of reasons, GSA Schedule contracts may be the only way for small businesses to participate in the federal IDIQ market.
3. Before the new rule, GSA schedule task orders were not, with limited exceptions, set aside for small businesses.
4. Under the new rule, the set asides can be for the various classes of small business preference programs including 8(a), service disabled veterans, HUBZone, and women-owned small businesses.

GSA Schedule task orders have not typically been set aside for small businesses because the program is designed to allow buyers to make buys quickly and set asides limit sources and the number of bidders. Since there are currently a sufficient number of small businesses holding GSA Schedule contracts, set asides can now be put in place.  For example, the management consulting GSA Schedule division currently has approximately 1,730 contractors holding contracts and more than half of them are small businesses.

If you are a small business, ask your prospective federal customer to set aside the project you are discussing for small businesses. 

Call Fedmarket's sales staff at 888-661-4094, Ext. 2 if you have questions concerning these or any other products or services Fedmarket offers.

Regards,
Richard White
President
Fedmarket
rwhite@fedmarket.com
301-908-0546 (cell)