Government schedule contracting offers significant advantages for both government agencies and commercial vendors. Agencies save time and money through the streamlined procurement process and pre-negotiated pricing, while contractors benefit from long-term relationships with their customers. For companies seeking to enter the Federal market, getting on a GSA schedule provides a pathway to secure business with an established, trusted, and recognized contract vehicle.
While many factors influence the value of a particular product or service, pricing is frequently the most important factor in determining an order’s winner. The ability to negotiate discounts is a major advantage of the GSA Schedule program, but businesses must use best practices and tactics when pursuing discounts. Conducting thorough market research, maximizing competition among contractors, and strategically requesting discounts at different stages of the ordering process can lead to favorable pricing.
Government Schedule Contracting: What You Need to Know
In the current environment, it is becoming increasingly difficult for small businesses to compete in the Federal marketplace. Oftentimes, these firms have little or no experience in the Government and must play the “waiting game” to obtain a GSA Schedule through the mentor-protege program.
Changing the requirement to best value would eliminate this barrier by allowing contractors to offer innovative, truly commercial offerings without being subject to burdensome and costly price reduction clause requirements. Updating the statutory language of CICA to focus on best value will modernize the Schedule program and provide procuring agencies and contracting officers with greater flexibility to evaluate non-price factors when deciding to award task or delivery orders.