So, your company wants to become a GSA Multiple Award Schedule contractor. But how do you go about doing this? The first step is to respond to a GSA MAS Solicitation with a successful proposal.
When a government customer is looking to purchase a product or service, they will evaluate all their options by issuing a GSA MAS Solicitation to allow small businesses to submit competitive proposals. The Solicitation contains all the information that the vendor companies need to know before bidding for a GSA contract. Potential vendors will respond to the Solicitation by filling out a GSA Schedule application, which is more of a business proposal than a standard application form. As the GSA MAS Solicitation is an open-ended process, vendors who want to be GSA certified can submit their application at any time.
There are several types of Solicitation. The three common ones include:
1. A ‘request for information’ (RFI). When the buyer is looking for general information or some solutions on how to solve their problem, they will issue an RFI.
2. A ‘request for proposal’ (RFP). This is issued when the agency knows what they need but are not sure how to obtain it. It allows them to evaluate many factors and ask detailed questions about vendors’ companies and what they offer.
3. A ‘request for quote’ (RFQ). An RFQ is issued when the buyer already knows exactly which product or service they are looking for, but wants to find out more about the pricing.
If your submission to the Solicitation is successful, then you will then be included on the GSA list, i.e. a list of businesses that have been awarded a GSA MAS contract to supply agency customers.
What is included in the GSA MAS Solicitation?
As we’ve mentioned, the GSA MAS proposal is not a simple application form. It is a 135-page document which includes:
· Instructions on how to prepare your proposal
· GSA’s assessment criteria
· Products and services that GSA MAS holders can offer
· Terms and conditions of the contract
· Administrative requirements
· Procedural requirements for fulfilling GSA orders
It is important to carefully review each of the Solicitation documents before submitting your proposal. Depending on what kind of product or service you offer, there can be other documents issued alongside the Solicitation, such as Large Category-specific documents, technical review guidelines, price proposal templates, and pricing justification.
How to find the GSA MAS Solicitation
1. Visit the sam.gov website, the official site for registering to do business with the U.S. Government. You can register your business for free on the site.
2. Search ‘47QSMD20R0001’ to display all the Multiple Award Schedule Solicitations. Here you can filter by keywords and federal organisations, to find a Solicitation that suits you.
3. Click on the contract opportunity to learn about award details, contract value and contract information.
4. Click the ‘Download All Attachments/Links’ button to access documents related to the Solicitation.
Creating a GSA MAS proposal
As you’ll see, the amount of documentation required to register your contract with GSA and write your proposal makes this a complex process. With such a time-consuming task, you want to get it right the first time! At Price Reporter we have nearly 15 years’ experience doing business with GSA, and can help you to compile all of the required documentation and submit the completed package for government review. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.