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GSA and SBA have both told me that I need to get on GSA’s FSS Schedule and that I can do it all by myself. Is that true?

CCS offers the following from our Chief Problem Solver, Tom Reid:

The short answer is yes, but standing alone that can be a very misleading answer. More and more procurements are being done under GSA schedules. It is generally a simpler process for contracting officers and as a result contracts can often be awarded much more quickly. But is it really true to say that you “need” a GSA schedule? That depends on your long-term business plans and the resources available to you to manage a schedule.

While everything you need is theoretically available to you on the GSA website, www.gsa.gov, it will take time to search through those pages and determine which schedules are available to you, which GSA office handles those solicitations, and what the requirements of each solicitation are. You will then need to put together a comprehensive proposal, including detailed pricing, a reference check (submitted and paid for separately), and technical qualifications, and then negotiate with the contracting officer.

It is true that you can do it on your own, however, many contractors seek the assistance of someone who has done it before. Estimates for the total cost of obtaining a schedule contract range from $10,000 to $25,000 to complete the process, depending on which schedule you are seeking, how much you do in-house, and how proficient your in-house talent is in gathering the data and dealing with GSA. It also depends on how complete and well documented your initial submission is, and how attentive your contracting officer is to your proposal. These folks are usually quite busy!

There are also a great many requirements after award that some FSS Schedule holders find surprising. Your pricing from the schedule becomes public knowledge, you have to enter your catalog data into GSA Advantage and keep it current, you have to respond to the changes periodically issued by GSA, and if you do not maintain at least $25,000 of business on your schedule each year, GSA may cancel the contract. And contrary to popular belief, the work doesn’t just “flow in the door” once you get a schedule. You must still market your capabilities and be prepared to respond to RFQ’s on very short notice.

NOTE: CCS is not authorized to practice law or accounting. This information should not be relied on in any particular facts you may have without checking with a properly licensed professional.