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How to win a GSA schedule contract and sell through the GSA Advantage
During the past five years, GSA has become the fastest growing contracting program in the Federal Government. For example, 2001 sale of Information Technology (IT) products and services under GSA have totaled $10.8 billion, for an increase of 17% over totals for 2000.
Two reasons help explain the continuing rapid growth in GSA contracting. First, the GSA leadership has aggressively sought to expand the program. Second, GSA provides a convenient answer, because it offers a contracting approach that is simple, standardized, and supported with an existing national infrastructure.
A business wanting to obtain a GSA contract has two primary options: (1) Prepare and negotiate a contract proposal themselves; or (2) obtain help from an experienced consultant firm. Our experience has shown that Option One is effective only when a company has on its staff personnel with experience in preparing GSA contract proposals. Most companies theoretically have the capability to prepare their own proposals. However, experience with GSA contract proposals enables you to anticipate structure, format, and terminology requirements.
If inexperienced personnel prepare your proposal there may be errors and omissions that cause GSA to send it back to you two or three times for rework. This recycling can cause a company to wait 6 – 9 months for a contract that could have been awarded in 2 – 3 months.
Since most GSA contracts have a continuous "open season," you can start any time, and the sooner you start, the sooner you have a contract.
Written by Russell Smith. Published by Organizational Communications, Inc. Republished with permission.
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