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What is a GSA Schedule?
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Posted On: Monday December 29th, 2003 at 12:00am EST
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Under the schedules program, GSA establishes long-term government-wide contracts with firms to provide authorized ordering offices with access to millions of services and products that they may order from GSA Schedule contractors. Buyers received “most favored customer pricing”, and enjoy shorter acquisition lead-times, lower administrative costs, and reduced inventories. Also, using schedules provide opportunities for buyers to meet small business goals.
There are dozens of different GSA schedule vehicles. Some of the most popular schedules among MBEs doing business wit the government are those for information technology products and services, management improvement services, environmental services, financial management services and professional engineering services.
GSA schedule contracts are technically multiple-award task order contracts awarded to large and small businesses alike by contracting officers in GSA’s Federal Supply Services (FSS). GSA schedules also are often referred to as FSS schedules or Multiple Award Schedules (MAS). There are no small business set-asides or small business preferences used to award GSA FSS schedule contracts. Rather, the solicitations essentially remain “open” and MBEs respond to them with your complete technical and cost proposal. However, pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 8.404: (1) agencies are encouraged to utilize FSS contract holders who happen to be small as often as possible; and (2) task orders issued against FSS contracts held by small businesses may be counted toward the achievement of an agency’s annual goals for prime contract awards to small businesses.
Because these task orders may be used to satisfy small business goals, there has been increased interest in placing task orders against FSS contracts held by small businesses, and there has been a corresponding increase in the number of small businesses seeking to obtain FSS schedule contracts. In fact, many entrepreneurs who have invested the time and resources to obtain various small business certifications indicate that they are finding that obtaining at least one FSS schedule contract is almost a necessary next step to doing business with the government. The FAR requires ordering agencies to review multiple sources before placing FSS orders. Particularly as the use of FSS contracts to fill service requirements has grown, some ordering agencies have sought to enhance opportunities for small businesses by obtaining technical approaches, pricing and other information needed to determine “best value” from lists of several small FSS contract holders. |
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