Obtaining a GSA Schedule contract is difficult. You must determine which Federal Supply Schedule best represents your products and services, download the GSA solicaition, prepare a GSA proposal including your proposed GSA pricing.
Qualifying for a GSA Schedule Contract
Does your firm qualify for a GSA Contract? To be considered for a schedule, a company will be evaluated against a range of criteria having to do with the Government's need for the firm's products or services, financial stability, responsiveness and past performance with other clients, ethics and responsibility, and the firm's willingness to make the Government its most favored customer.
There are many different Schedules, and some may have slightly different criteria, but consider the following before applying for a Schedule:
- Have you already sold your product or service in the commercial marketplace?
- Does the company have at least 4 customer references ?
- Have you been in business for at least 2 years?
- Can you document past sales practices through product or labor rate sheets, proposals, internal pricing policies or similar documentation?
- Is the firm financially able to support task orders should the Government approve your Schedule proposal?
- For service firms, do you have written job descriptions, quality control plans, and employment and compensation policies?
- For resellers, can you obtain a letter from manufacturers authorizing you to sell their products?
- Are your products Trade Agreement Act (TAA) compliant?
- Are you willing to make the government your most favored customer? In other words, give them your best discounts. This is required for most firms however some firms with resellers may negotiate a different deal.
- Has your firm or its principals been disbarred from doing business with the Federal government or, within the last three years, or had a criminal or civil judgment against it with regard to Federal, state, or local government contracting?
If you answered yes to all but the last question, then your firm can be awarded a schedule.
