Business Portal

GSA Contracting

 

General Services Administration (GSA)

GSA LogoThe General Services Administration (GSA) is an independent US agency that helps manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products, services and communications for U.S. government offices, provides transportation and office space to federal employees, and develops government-wide cost-minimizing policies, and other management tasks. It establishes long-term government wide contracts with commercial firms to provide access to millions of commercial products and services at volume discount pricing.

Website: General Services Administration (GSA)

 

These can be ordered directly from:

  • GSA Schedule: is a fast, easy, and effective contracting vehicles for both customers and vendors. For GSA Schedules, GSA establishes long-term government wide contracts with commercial companies to provide access to millions of commercial products and services at volume discount pricing
  • GSAAdvantage: is the online shopping and ordering system that provides access to thousands of contractors and millions of supplies (products) and services. Anyone may browse on GSA Advantage to view and compare the variety of products and services offered.
Professional Engineering Services – Schedule 871

Most DoD contractors providing acquisition services fall under Schedule 871 “Professional Engineering Services (PES)”. PES provide a streamlined approach for federal agencies to access qualified firms in many of the engineering disciplines such as, but not limited to: mechanical, electrical, chemical, components of civil engineering, software and fire protection related to an engineered system, aerospace, nuclear, bioengineering, and marine architecture. Expertise in engineering and construction management, including fire protection, related to real property is also available. These disciplines and many more are represented in each of the categories listed below.

  • 871 1: Strategic Planning for Technology Programs/Activities
  • 871 2: Concept Development & Requirements Analysis
  • 871 3: System Design, Engineering & Integration
  • 871 4: Test & Evaluation
  • 871 5: Integrated Logistics Support
  • 871 6: Acquisition & Life Cycle Management
  • 871 7: Construction Management
  • 871 8: Ancillary Supplies and/or Services
Steps to Getting on the GSA Schedule

When commercial businesses sell goods and services to the federal government through GSA, different kinds of contracts are used for different purposes. The primary contract vehicle is the GSA Schedules, or Multiple Award Schedules, program. The steps to getting on the GSA Schedule are listed below:

  • Step 1: Verify that your company meets the minimum criteria to qualify for a GSA schedule contract. Your company must be in business at least two years and be financially stable. The products you intend to sell must be commercially available and within the regulations of the Trade Agreements Act. Additionally, GSA investigates your company’s past performance.
  • Step 2: Register for the appropriate workshops offered free by GSA. They tailor the various workshops to specific topics, including companies offering services, small businesses selling products or corporations specializing in a particular field, such as information technology.
  • Step 3: Visit the General Service Administration’s online Vendor Support Center for self-study materials to help you understand the GSA schedules program, and your obligations as a company doing business with the government.
  • Step 4: Register for the course, “How to Obtain a GSA Schedules Contract,” at your nearest Office of Small Business Utilization (SBU), if you are a small business owner. Or take the two-part class online. SBU offers the class monthly.
  • Step 5: Apply for the contract. GSA advises that the application process is lengthy.
  • Step 6: Respond to the solicitation. You must provide a response that the General Services Administration considers acceptable before it will issue a GSA Schedules contract to you. GSA looks for volume discount pricing.
GSA Contract Vehicle Types
Below is a list of the main GSA website resources: