GSA Contracts Training

Presenter Felix Zapata, Director of Operations

What is a GSA Contract The technical definition of a GSA Schedule Contract is a government wide, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) multiple award schedule (MAS) contract.   Government wide – Can be used across agencies.  Can be used by any federal agency from DOD and DHS, to FEMA and the Department of Energy Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity – Open ended, No set amount.  While the term of the contract is fixed, the deliverables are not.  During the term the Contract, any federal customer can order an unlimited amount of products or services Multiple Award Schedule – More than one company can receive the contract.  A company can apply to obtain a GSA Schedule Contract at any time and there is no cap on the number of companies that can be awarded a contract.

More - - Definition Completing the GSA certification process means that a Contractor has been awarded a GSA Schedule Contract. This contract is not tied to any actual purchases, it is simply an established contract vehicle, or a “License to Hunt.” This long-term contract with the General Services Administration’s allows federal agencies to purchase from a pre-approved company

Benefits Over $34 Billion in Annual Sales Legitimizes a Contractor as a trusted source It Reduces the Pool of Competition Completed many parts of a Purchase Order already, which cuts-down the paperwork It Can Be Used by All Federal Agencies and in Some Cases, State & Local Gov Buyers Contractors with GSA certification enjoy access to online GSA systems

Company Qualifications For the most part companies must meet the following criteria: Financial Stability At Least 2 Years in business for products; 3 yrs for services Gross sales at least $100k - $150k Past Performance; Minimum of 6 customers references & at least 3 completed projects/contracts with in the past 2 years Products Commercially Available Products Compliant with the Trade Agreements Act. End product must be manufactured or substantially altered within the U.S. or a “designated country” per TDA

Client Preparation Process Obtain a D-U-N-S number ($0 - $299) Register in SAM (System for Award Management) Identify appropriate SIN (Special Item Number) to list your products & services within chosen schedule Provide detailed information on company background, completed contracts, marketing efforts, and quality control procedures Provide profit & loss statements & balance sheets for the last two years Submit pricing/description of products/services for each SIN (including discounts) Complete the mandatory “Pathway to Success Education Seminar” (https://vsc.gsa.gov/RA/research.cfm) Complete the mandatory “Readiness Assessment” self-evaluation (https://vsc.gsa.gov/RA/ReadinessAssessment.pdf) Order Customer Reference Report (Past Performance Evaluation) from Duns & Bradstreet prior to mailing package to the GSA (cost $215.00) Register and purchase “Digital Certificates” for each negotiator ($119.00 ea. / 2yrs and must be notarized $0 - $10)

Supporting Documents Pathways to Success Training Certificate Readiness Assessment Agent Authorization Letter (If Applicable) Completed Offer Response Document Completed SAM Profile (With FAR Report) Online Representations and Certifications Application Completed Open Ratings Evaluation and Order Form (reference must be within the last 2 years)   Commercial Sales Practice Format Complete Small Business Subcontracting Plan (If Applicable)   Summary of Offer Cancellation/Reject Notices (If Applicable) Other GSA Contracts (If Applicable) Other Pending GSA Offers (If Applicable) Balance Sheets for 2 most recent years Profit and Loss Statements for 2 most recent years Corporate Experience Narrative Project Experiences Narrative(2 projects per SIN, no more than two years from receipt of the GSA offer, each project may not exceed 4 pages per project) Quality Control Strategies Narrative Identify Pricing Structure Pricing Narrative Training Course Pricing (If Applicable) Domestic/Overseas Rates (If Applicable) Customer/Contractor Rates (If Applicable) Commercial Pricelist/Standard Rate Sheet (If Applicable) Economic Price Adjustments Labor Category Descriptions (If Applicable) Estimated Sales Rationale Pricing Fair and Reasonable Narrative Supporting Documentation for Labor Categories/Services Offered (i.e. invoices proving previous experience) Professional Compensation Plan Uncompensated Overtime Policy Service Contract Act Statement/Matrix Evidence of Security Clearance (If Applicable) List of agencies, bureaus, or contracting offices which you have targeted to sell your product or service, if any.

How to get GSA Certified Lengthy proposal process Initially, a document package, called an “”offer”” is prepared  Then, submitted electronically to the GSA for review GSA commonly respond with several clarification items Negotiations are then scheduled to determine final GSA Contract Pricing The final terms and conditions agreed upon in Negotiations are wrapped-up in the Final Proposal Revisions document (FPR) GSA Certification is completed = GSA Contract Award

Product and Services Including: Building Materials Computer Technology Furniture Automotive equipment Medical and pharmaceutical equipment Law enforcement equipment Office supplies Sporting Equipment Advertising and marketing Environmental Management consulting Professional engineering Staffing Training and educational Transportation and delivery 

GSA Schedules (some) 03FAC FACILITIES MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT 23V AUTOMOTIVE SUPERSTORE 36THE OFFICE, IMAGING AND DOCUMENT SOLUTION 48 – TRANSPORTATION, DELIVERY AND RELOCATION SOLUTIONS 51 V – HARDWARE SUPERSTORE 520 – FINANCIAL AND BUSINESS SOLUTIONS (FABS) 541 – ADVERTISING & INTEGRATED MARKETING SOLUTIONS (AIMS) 56 – BUILDINGS AND BUILDING MATERIALS/INDUSTRIAL SERVICES AND SUPPLIES 58I – PROFESSIONAL AUDIO/VIDEO TELEMETRY/TRACKING, RECORDING/REPRODUCING AND SIGNAL DATA SOLUTIONS 599 – TRAVEL SERVICES SOLUTIONS

520 – FINANCIAL AND BUSINESS SOLUTIONS (SINs under Schedule 520) 520 1 Program Financial Advisor $1M 523110 520 2 Transaction Specialist $1M 523110 520 3 Due Diligence and Support Services $1M 541611 520 4 Debt Collection $1M 561440 520 5 Loan Servicing & Asset Management $1M 541611 541110   541112   *SIN = Special Item Number

North American Industry Classification System

Our GSA Services Include Phone consultation, helping clients understand the GSA schedule/contract process Help identifying the appropriate schedules and Special Item Numbers (SINs) Assisting the client to gather necessary documents to develop GSA Schedule Proposals Uploading the application and supporting documentation into the GSA Federal Acquisition Service online system (eOffer/eMod)

Order Process Steps Order is placed, payment made, and terms signed Client completes and submit initial questionnaire Client registers in the System for Award Management (SAM). Determine NAICS code(s) & update in SAM profile Participate in conference call with service consultant Review company information with consultant for him/her to prepare the Readiness Assessment Provide pricing proposal for each product/service provided For employees, must submit full duty descriptions w/experience

Order Process Steps, Cont. Fill out Corporate Experience Questionnaire, P &L and balance sheets for previous 2 years and return to Service Consultant Service Consultant will download appropriate GSA Schedule and complete based on information provide Client registers and purchases “ Digital Certificates” for company’s negotiator Client completes mandatory “Pathway to Success Education Seminar” Client orders Customer Reference Report (Past Performance Evaluation) - D&B Service consultant completes proposal in eOffer & send login info to client

Order Process Steps, Cont. Client reviews electronic GSA schedule proposal when handled over by consultant and submit to GSA using his/her digital certificate A GSA Contracting Officer will be assigned and conduct an intense and thorough review (may request additional information and/or clarifications) Average processing time is 8 months to 1 year Company official/negotiator will maintain contact with GSA’s Contracting Officer After negotiations are complete, client prepares and submit a Final Proposal Revision (FPR) that synopsizes entire proposal and includes finalized pricing as negotiated Contractors will receive a Contract Award and GSA Schedule Contract Number approximately a week after submitting the Final Proposal Revision

Terms of Service - Highlights Limited to the preparation of the documents needed for the GSA Contracting Officer making a determination No approval guarantee Includes review all company’s contact information and corporate experience questionnaire for completeness Not responsible for disqualification due to incomplete or wrong information provided 90 to 180-day process (BizCentral) Mandatory seminars and certificates that the client must obtain to include with the application Support throughout the various steps of the application process up to the point of submission

Conclusion An established contract vehicle, or a “License to Hunt” Allows government agencies to purchase from a pre-approved company Mandatory seminars and certificates that the client must obtain to include with the application The process is grueling; Lengthy proposal process BizCentral can help in providing and submitting the right information