What is GSA MAS: Benefits and Opportunities for Your Business
Becoming a federal contractor can be your small business's exact boost. With less than five percent of all American companies on the GSA Schedule, your level of competition might be a fraction of what it is for private-sector businesses.
A big part of the process is understanding all of the different types of contract vehicles, developing marketing objectives, and customizing strategic marketing strategies for long-term strategic planning. The GSA multiple award schedule is a tool that helps the government ensure it can cover all of its bases for goods, services, and service contracts. For the contractor, it is a method of keeping yourself front and center with the agencies you want to work with.
What is Multiple Award Schedule
The federal government uses several primary contract vehicles, each built for a different purpose. Here are the main types:
- GSA Schedules (Multiple Award Schedules):
Long-term government-wide contracts with commercial companies for a wide range of products and services at pre-negotiated prices. - Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs):
One agency manages these contracts, and all federal agencies can buy IT solutions and services from pre-vetted vendors. - Multiple Agency Contracts (MACs):
Task-order or delivery-order contracts are established by one agency for use by other agencies. - Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts:
Unlimited quantity of products and/or services over an unlimited period. - Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs):
BPAs are established under other contract vehicles like GSA Schedules to fulfill recurring needs for specific services or supplies. - Agency-specific IDIQs:
Individual agencies establish IDIQ contracts to meet their specific needs. - Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs):
These are not contracts but transaction agreements that allow for more flexible and streamlined procurement. They are often used for research and development.
Our focus is on the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), a long-term contract that provides federal agencies with access to commercial products and services at discounted prices. If your small business can supply the needs of the agency or department in question with the best price point and meet financial compliance requirements, you have a great chance of finding success with a MAS.
Greenwood Aerospace has long been committed to providing the highest-quality goods and appropriate services at the best price point.
The MAS program is managed by the General Services Administration (GSA) and offers a wide range of products and services, including professional, IT, and construction services. This is an essential distinction because, at its core, the GSA is kind of the ultimate middleman: the GSA negotiates terms, deals, and services with independent businesses to establish prices, and then it turns around and either sells or leases to other agencies.
Agencies can buy products and services from pre-approved contractors, streamlining the procurement process and reducing costs. This makes the GSA so important: everyone, including most government employees, knows that dealing with government contracts takes forever. One wrong move by the vendor of the contracting officer can derail the whole process. Months of effort, gone.
Supporting Small Businesses & Minority Owned Businesses
The MAS program also provides small businesses and minority-owned businesses with an opportunity to participate in federal contracting. One such program is HUBZone, which Greenwood Aerospace, a Native American-owned small business, utilizes. The program is designed to provide agencies with a flexible and efficient way to purchase products and services, while promoting competition and innovation among contractors.
Benefits of GSA Schedule Contract
We have written considerably on this topic: being on the GSA Schedule gives you a competitive edge because it streamlines the process. You do not have to be on the GSA Schedule to offer services and goods to the federal government, but it does make the process faster and smoother.
You have probably heard this a few times, but GSA Schedule Contracts have a streamlined procurement process. The goal is to reduce the time and cost of pursuing federal contracts because, frankly, a lot of time gets wasted on these due to all the regulations you must follow.
The great thing about the GSA Schedule is that you have access to all federal agencies, increasing your sales and revenue potential. See, when you seek out individual contracts, that is all they are: you are applying for each contract with each agency. If you win the contract, great! But when your business does not land the contract, it returns to square one. GSA Schedule Contractors also get marketing and advertising support, including listing on the GSA Advantage! Website.
How the GSA Schedule MAS Works
The GSA Schedule MAS is a multiple-award schedule, meaning multiple contractors are awarded contracts for the same products and services. This is advantageous for the federal government when it needs to ensure that it will be able to source items or services without shortfalls or interruptions.
Agencies can buy products and services from any contractor on the schedule, using various procurement methods, including blanket purchase agreements. Also, the different contractors can be put into a kind of closed competition among contractors in the MAS. Instead of competing with outside bidders and casting a wide net across the entire world via SAM.gov for independent contracts, they have a select group of specialists competing against each other throughout the contract's lifecycle.
The schedule is divided into categories and subcategories, making it easy for agencies to find what they need. Contractors on the schedule must meet strict requirements, including competitive pricing and quality standards. Also, all contractors are thoroughly vetted before getting on the GSA Schedule. Their financial records and history are all checked out extensively to ensure compliance.
The schedule is also audited and reviewed regularly to ensure that contractors meet the contract requirements. Regular continuing education is important for vendors to maintain so they stay informed about GSA rules and regulations, as well as administrative and management issues within the agency.
Professional Services Schedule Opportunities
The federal government outsources a lot of its work to private contractors and small businesses. The government is not self-sufficient; it relies entirely on contractor services to keep it going. The Professional Services Schedule has many opportunities for small companies (again, especially economically disadvantaged, veteran—and minority-owned, and so on), including strategic and organizational planning, transportation logistics services, and engineering services.
In our wheelhouse, there are many opportunities for maintenance contractors in the aviation and aerospace markets to conduct maintenance and upgrade support on basically any military airframe. All of them have contracted maintenance for something on the aircraft.
Contractors can offer administrative and management services, including facilities management systems and business process improvement. With so many millions of square feet of facilities to manage, it is common for that work to be outsourced.
Also very common are IT technical services, billing services, and other payroll-related data.
How to Get a Multiple Award Schedule Contract
Getting a Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Contract starts with understanding the GSA Schedule program and its requirements. To be considered, you must submit a proposal with pricing and technical information. This proposal must match the solicitation’s requirements, which outline quality standards and pricing guidelines set by the GSA.
The evaluation process for a MAS contract can take several months. During this time, the GSA may request additional information or clarification to evaluate your qualifications further. If your proposal is selected and a contract is awarded, you will be responsible for meeting all contract requirements. This includes maintaining competitive pricing, meeting quality standards, and complying with all contract obligations.
Marketing and Selling through the GSA Schedule
Marketing and selling through the GSA Schedule requires a well-planned approach and a thorough understanding of the program's rules. To reach federal buyers, your business must create a marketing plan highlighting your products and services and targeting specific federal agencies.
One of the most powerful tools is the GSA Advantage! The website is a central platform where agencies can view and buy your offerings. In addition to this online marketplace, you can increase visibility by participating in trade shows, industry events, and government procurement conferences. The MAS program also allows you to add services like grants management support and financial consulting to your offerings and increase your value to federal buyers.
Also, always make sure that you tap into advertising or media services to put your company on the radar of the contracting offices you are targeting; every little bit of exposure helps.
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