Maximize Your Savings with GSA Advantage: Key Features & Benefits

Are you ready to streamline your procurement processes, provide pre-negotiated pricing, and offer access to federal, state, and local government buyers who are ready to buy? What if there were a system that simplified the buying process for pre-approved vendors so they could easily get their products on the market, targeted to the aforementioned audience?

There is. It’s called GSA Advantage, and it is an invaluable tool for making government purchases easier, faster, and it also ensures compliance for both parties because all vendors are pre-screened and approved through access to the GSA schedule.  

What is GSA Advantage?

GSA Advantage is a federal and government e-commerce store where businesses can sell their products and services to federal agencies, as well as state and local governments. It is an e-commerce store that is open to the public for viewing, but only approved agencies can place orders from it. Moreover, only pre-approved vendors are allowed to list on the website for sale.

From the government's perspective, it provides a security blanket, allowing purchase card holders to press the buy button without worrying about whether the vendors are approved, as the contracting approval process is lengthy. 

A critical GSA compliance item is met when contractors upload their approved price list within six months of contract award. GSA Advantage provides easy access to thousands of GSA Schedule contractors and millions of products and services for all contracting and procurement officers. They can even browse it on any smartphone, as no secure login is required for browsing. 

Benefits of Using GSA Advantage

GSA Advantage is a great resource that anyone wanting to sell to the federal government should consider. Being on the GSA schedule is mandatory for anyone seeking to sell their products and services to the federal market. This includes a wide range of items, from commercial off-the-shelf products used for various purposes (such as trash cans, lawn mowers, and shelves).

Online Marketplace:
GSA Advantage is an online platform that allows government agencies to browse, compare, and purchase products and services from various contractors. 

Access to Suppliers:
It provides access to a vast network of contractors holding GSA Schedule contracts, offering a diverse range of goods and services. 

Cooperative Purchasing:
State and local governments can leverage GSA Advantage under the Cooperative Purchasing Program and Disaster Purchasing Program. The legal precedent for cooperative purchasing is laid out in Section 833 of the John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007 and the Federal Supply Schedules Usage Act of 2010. Make sure to read our article on this very topic here.

Streamlined Procurement:
It aims to simplify the procurement process for government agencies by offering a centralized purchasing and order management platform. 

E-commerce features:
GSA Advantage allows users to search, compare, and place orders electronically. 

GSA Schedule Contract: A Key to Government Contracts

Alright, so what is the GSA Schedule exactly? A GSA Schedule Contract is a license that allows you to sell to government entities on GSA Advantage and other GSA selling tools (namely GSA eBuy).

Once your company gets approved, you can upload your complete list of products and services to GSA Advantage and make them available for purchase. The GSA Schedule contract allows you to include direct links to your website in your ads, promoting your organization and products. You can sell a wide range of items, from disaster relief supplies to warfighting tools, law enforcement equipment such as flashlights and handcuffs, boots, office furniture, and various supplies. You name it, and the GSA ordering system has it. 

This contract enables you to sell your products and services to federal entities through GSA Advantage and other GSA selling tools. Again, you can also sell to select state, local, and tribal agencies approved for GSA Advantage purchases. 

How to Get a GSA Schedule Contract

For a small business, this all sounds great. But how do you get your products from your shelves to the GSA Advantage website, or available on GSA eBuy? The first step in accessing the ordering system is obtaining a GSA Schedule. 

To be eligible for a GSA Schedule Contract, you must satisfy specific criteria, including providing or demonstrating certain capabilities. For this part of the process, you do need a proven track record of successfully selling to government buyers. Remember, the idea here is to pre-vet reliable vendors, and the government is looking for the lowest risk in the equation. 

Your business submits an offer, which will undergo a lengthy approval process, typically taking 6 to 12 months. Yes, this is accurate. It will take at least six months to get through the approval process. 

Even with contractor status, it is up to you to market your products and services effectively to increase sales. A GSA Schedule Contract does not guarantee sales, and you must stay competitive among thousands of other sellers. All it means is that your business is an approved vendor. You will routinely see several vendors listing the same item, and we can almost guarantee that the highest-priced vendor is not generating many sales unless they fall under a preferred vendor category (more on that later). 

Searching and Purchasing on GSA Advantage

GSA Advantage is a straightforward way to access items on federal supply schedules. Other methods of getting on supply schedules are time-intensive and typically involve fulfilling a specific need at a particular time. This is suitable for making decisions on expensive items, such as airplanes and aircraft engine upgrades. But it is completely inefficient for toilet paper and garbage bags. 

Federal buyers can search using keywords, national stock numbers, contract numbers, and vendor names to compare features, prices, delivery options, and place orders electronically. If you already have contacts in the federal government who have worked with you for federal government contracts in the past, they can search your vendor name specifically.  

Contractors should describe each product in their electronic catalog using generic terminology and keywords that potential customers would use in searches. Is it time-intensive? Yes, but it's also the best way to differentiate yourself from your competition. 

For vendors, use a search engine-friendly approach to optimize your product descriptions for GSA Advantage. The website, at its core, is an e-commerce platform with a built-in search engine, and this is where most vendors are missing out. They are getting on the GSA schedule and listing items with the stock manufacturer’s description, and that’s it (we have seen enough examples to know this is standard practice). 

Then they can’t figure out why they get beaten out by other vendors with the same descriptions but lower prices. The GSA Schedule contract is the first step in a series of steps. 

Greenwood Aerospace: Trusted Partner

Greenwood Aerospace is an experienced procurement professional with over forty years of experience in the space industry. We provide a bunch of services, which include:

  • Government Procurement
  • Aerospace Parts Procurement, Storage & Distribution
  • Military & Defense Contractor Logistics
  • Kitting and Logistics
  • Long-Term Stocking Arrangements (BPA’s, IDIQ’s)
  • Fixed-Wing Aircraft Acquisition, Leasing, and Support
  • Facility Support Services

Greenwood Aerospace is a U.S. Department of State ITAR-registered company, enabling us to partner with large defense contractors on various military initiatives involving the export of ITAR-controlled items.

  • UEI: KVSUYYSJS174
  • DUNS: 604006874
  • Cage Code: 2Y735
  • ITAR DDTC Export Compliant
  • AS9120B QMS Certified
  • NAICS: 488190, 336413, 332722, 336411, 336413, 481212, 532411

Ready to work with us? Reach out to us by email (contact@governmentprocurement.com), phone (580) 762-2580. Also, you can start an online quote here if you know what you need and are ready to get started.