What is a GSA Schedule?
That is the best question that anyone could possibly ask! First of all, a GSA Schedule is NOT a list or a number. A GSA Schedule is a contract between YOU and the Government period. It is the easiest contracting vehicle to obtain, use and administer for any company that has commercially available products and/or services. YOUR contract is only usable by YOU and anyone YOU authorize to sell from it.
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 GSAs Federal Supply Services (FSS).
A GSA schedule is an unfunded, five-year contract listing the prices the federal government has agreed to pay for a vendor’s commercial products and services. The contract may be renewed for three five-year periods resulting in a 20-year contract if all renewals are executed. A GSA schedule contract is an official federal contract but it is not funded and it does not have products or services to deliver immediately. Funding occurs when an order is signed by a federal agency. There are 62 categories of commercial products and services that vendors may apply for a GSA contract under. Known as schedules, these categories cover everything from industrial products, vehicles, computers and office products, to most categories of professional services. Today, GSA schedules are the favored purchasing mechanism for most federal buyers and an ideal sales and closing vehicle for vendors. Large federal contractors can have GSA schedule sales exceeding $ 100 million annually. To be an approved suppl
Under the GSA Schedules (also referred to as Multiple Award Schedules and Federal Supply Schedules) Program, GSA establishes long-term governmentwide contracts with commercial firms to provide access to over 10 million commercial supplies and services that can be ordered directly from GSA Schedule contractors or through the GSA Advantage!® online shopping and ordering system. The GSA Schedules Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) provide a variety of information regarding the GSA Schedules Program and the use of GSA Schedule contracts.
