by Gtracts | Strategy
You may be wondering “Is the Federal Government Market Right for Me?”
Yes…Maybe…No…Depends!
That’s the question that many businesses assume they know the answer and as a result, may “blindly” chase the government market to no avail. It is important to internally assess your capabilities and ask the right questions:
- How do I sell to the government?
- Who do I talk with?
- How does the government buy?
- How do I advertise my business to the government?
- Why do you want to sell to the government?
- What agencies do you have a relationship with?
- Which new agencies will you target?
- When do these agencies buy and with what contracting method?
- Who are your competitors and what agencies do they sell to?
- Where do I find agency and competitor sales history?
- What is a GSA Schedule contract, and do I need one?
- What do I include in the GSA proposal package?
- What discounts do I have to offer GSA?
- My commercial contract terms are different, will the government accept them?
- Do I have to offer GSA my lowest price?
- What GSA forms do I have to fill out, and how long does it take?
- What are the “costs” of doing business with GSA/Federal government?
- Do we have internal resources/personnel to manage the on-going contract?
- What, if any, reporting do I have to do?
- Can I use the GSA Schedule for State & Local government?
We Can Help!
We can answer your questions about selling to government entities. At Gtracts we have the expertise – 39+ years of experience and a tested process that has helped hundred’s of business owners decide about selling to the government. Whether you are new to the government marketplace, or want to maximize existing government business, we can help!
A “marketing assessment” is critical to gather the information needed to make a good business decision. Gtracts can help determine:
- Your business’s ability to compete for government contracts
- Buyers, agency personnel, and key contacts to help you move forward
- Most applicable government contracting methods
- Research about your competitor’s government sales history
A marketing assessment will give you the “picture” needed to determine how/if to move forward or improve selling your product to various government entities.
What to Do Next?
To get started, call us today 952-226-3337 to talk about your situation. The phone call is free. No high pressures sales pitches. Just a conversation about your business situation, government contracting and the information you need to decide about selling your products to government entities, or maximizing what you currently have.
by Gtracts | GSA Tips
Good News…You were awarded your GSA Schedule Contract! Now What? How do I make changes to my GSA contract? How do I comply with my GSA contract requirements? I have to report every quarter? What do I do if my price changes? How do I add products?
We Can Help!
At Gtracts we can manage your GSA contract with ongoing contract administration. We will work with your internal resources to train and mentor personnel to ensure contract compliance. If you would rather have Gtracts do the ongoing GSA contract administration we can provide that level of support as well. Let us take the lead or we can mentor your personnel so you learn what needs to be done thereby minimizing consultant fees. Our GSA on-going contract administration support includes:
GSA ON-GOING CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT:
- Create, manage and submit the approved GSA Catalog/Price List
- Input and management of Schedule Input Program (SIP) & GSA Advantage online database.
- Set up your online Industrial Funding Fee (IFF) quarterly reporting.
- Create a tracking/reporting system to comply with Price Reductions.
- Prepare/Submit/Negotiate Contract Modifications.
- Assist with post-award audit and GSA on-site Customer Assistance Visit (CAV).
What to Do Next?
To get started, call us today 952-226-3337 or click here. One of our Project Managers will contact you to discuss your business situation and specific on-going GSA Schedule needs. No pressure, no cost, no commitment. We will answer your questions, giving you the pertinent information you need, so you can determine if it makes sense to move forward, and if so, Gtracts can help!
by Gtracts | GSA Tips
How do I get a GSA Schedule contract? What do I include in the proposal package? What discounts do I have to offer? My contract terms are different, will the government accept them? Do I have to offer my lowest price? What forms do I have to fill out and where do I get them?
What you need now is more information before you commit to this business direction. What’s involved in securing a GSA Schedule contract? Here are some thoughts about the GSA proposal process.
The GSA Schedule proposal takes at a minimum of 6-12 months to complete the specific proposal requirements for the schedule. As a business you will need to disclose your commercial policies, practices and the associated terms and conditions. You will need to explain who your commercial customers are, and the pricing and special discounts/terms/delivery times that they receive. Two years of Financials must be provided and Reseller and Distributors will need to obtain a Letter of Supply from the Manufacturer. At least one employee from the contractor will need to complete the mandatory training courses, “Pathway to Success” and the “Readiness Assessment”. Products must comply with the Free Trade Agreement Act (FTAA), and for businesses classified as a Large business, a Subcontracting Plan will be required. Finally past performance/references will be
It can take up to 100+ hours to complete the schedule proposal process. There is no guarantee a submitted proposal will be awarded. If it’s not done compliantly, your proposal may be rejected thus wasting 6-12 months of effort. If your competitors have a lower price, you will not be selected as a government vendor.
While the GSA Schedule process is long and requiring business resources, this can be used to your advantage. With the red tape and other road blocks to government contracting, many of your competitors give up. They don’t take the time to research what is needed for success. “I can’t compete in the government market, it’s too hard.” The GSA process reduces the number of competitors!
Bottom line, beyond your commitment of time and business resources, the better you understand the process and the ways to succeed in the government market place, the better your chances for success.
We Can Help!
At Gtracts we can take you through the numerous steps of getting a GSA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contract. Whether you need help writing the initial proposal, participating in fact-finding, contract negotiations, modifying an existing contract, or providing on-going contract administration, we can lead the effort by providing:
PROPOSAL GENERATION AND SUBMISSION:
- Identify appropriate/applicable GSA Schedule solicitation and documentation
- Complete all applicable registrations/verifications/forms
- Gather all supporting details to justify product/service offering
- Prepare and submit complete and compliant GSA proposal package
FACT-FINDING / NEGOTIATIONS / CONTRACT AWARD:
- Respond to GSA clarification questions and prepare counter proposals/offers.
- Lead contract negotiations to assure your position is deemed “fair and reasonable” for both the government and YOU!
- Prepare and submit your “Final Proposal Revision” leading to your GSA CONTRACT AWARD and GSA CONTRACT NUMBER!
What to Do Next?
To get started, call us today 952-226-3337 or click here. One of our Project Managers will contact you to discuss your business situation and specific GSA Schedule needs. No pressure, no cost, no commitment. We will answer your questions, giving you the pertinent information you need, so you can determine if it makes sense to move forward, and if so, Gtracts can help!
by Gtracts | Acquisition Information
The New Federal Acquisition Gateway Process…You have heard the feds are moving towards a new procurement process. What will this do to the governmentcontracting process now and for the future?
To understand the new Federal Acquisition Gateway process, put yourself in the position of a federal purchasing manager who has just been given the responsibility to purchase a new computer system for his/her agency. Under the current federal process, this person would need to research a variety of computer systems. From the options they search on the GSA Schedules, they would need to select the best option for the best price. The quality of their decision would be largely depend upon their expertise with computer systems. This process can be long and filled with many potential mistakes.
Now take that same purchasing manager who is given the task of buying a new computer system under the new federal Acquisition Gateway procurement program. The manager would go to the category of IT and the Hallway called computers. In that Hallway or gateway he/she would find a list of government-wide contracts currently available. They could learn how the different contracts have been implemented and their performance history. They could also get expert advice from knowledgeable contract manager who had experience in this category.
The manager’s job was just made easier. The Federal buying managers will have a single place to cost comparison shop across all government agencies. They will be able to see the full range of the prices and contracts–including and beyond GSA Schedules-from which to make their purchases. The results are faster, with better pricing and smarter buying decisions.
This form of category contract management has been used successfully in the private sector for years. The federal government expects to have 17 Hallways available by mid-2015 and over 24 in the next three years. Acquisition gateways and category purchases will revolutionize the federal procurement process.
What does this mean for you? When federal customers start to use this tool, will they find your products and services in the Hallways? You must find a way to get your products included in this new process. The Hallways will be the future for federal buying.
To learn more about this revolutionary change in federal procurement process, give me a call. We can have a conversation on how get your business in front of the new federal buyers.
For more information on these federal changes see the article by Arron Boyd.
by Gtracts | Acquisition Information
GSA Acquisition Rule Captures Transactional Data, Drives Savings and Eliminates Burdensome Reporting
New Access to Data and Analysis will Help Government Save Millions
Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) Rule…WASHINGTON – The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has issued a final Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) rule that will reduce unnecessary burdens on contractors and small businesses and potentially save millions of dollars for the American taxpayer. The rule will publish in the Federal Register on June 23, 2016 and will be implemented through a pilot program across GSA contract vehicles.
As one of the most transformational changes to GSA’s Federal Supply Schedules Program in more than two decades, the TDR rule allows GSA to remove some of the complex and burdensome tracking and disclosure requirements imposed on federal contractors — the Commercial Sales Practices (CSP) disclosures and Price Reductions Clause (PRC) basis of award tracking requirement. GSA estimates that the collection of transactional-level procurement data, combined with the elimination of the CSP and PRC tracking requirement, will result in an estimated net burden reduction of $29 million a year across the Schedules Program and its other government-wide vehicles.
Simultaneously, this rule asks contractors to electronically report key procurement data; including prices paid, quantity, standard part number and product description for all purchases through GSA contract vehicles. The information collected through the TDR will help contracting officers make smarter purchasing decisions and provide data to assist in negotiating future contracts.
This rule also supports the government’s shift towards category management by centrally collecting and analyzing information on what federal agencies are buying and how much they are paying. This new transparency helps the government leverage its vast buying power and drives competition. Moreover, the rule builds on already-established best practices across the government, including GSA’s governmentwide strategically-sourced contract for office supplies that generated $370 million in savings when it applied this practice. Adding transparency drives better outcomes, greater competition, and will help reduce price variability, which has been known to run 300 percent or more, from one company to another, for the exact same item.
The transactional data reporting requirement will be applied to any new GSA government-wide acquisition contract, where transactional data is not already collected through other methods. For GSA’s Federal Supply Schedules, the requirement will be introduced in phases, beginning with a pilot for select products and services.
Click here for more details about the new rule.
