Why the Government Loves GSA Schedules (And It's Not Just the Feds)

By Juanita L. Walker



Hopefully, as you read this article, the worst winter of the century - with snowstorm on top of snowstorm piling up the white stuff - is a distant memory. What do blizzards have to do with GSA Schedules, you're wondering? Maryland was declared a State of Emergency and will probably need federal disaster relief when the storm and flooding damages are assessed.

Two federal funding programs are likely to be sources of support - the Disaster Recovery Purchasing Program and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009). When the government allocates disaster recovery and reinvestment funds to agencies, GSA - from the General Services Adminstration - Schedules are the preferred contract vehicles to procure recovery-related services and products. This may sound insensitive, but the blizzards of 2010 may result in opportunities for new business from federal, state and local governments - especially if you have a GSA Schedule contract.



GSA schedules are not just for the feds - state and local governments like them, too.

The John Warner National Defense Authorization Act of 2007 enabled state and local governments to purchase products and services for the use of facilitating recovery from major disasters. The Department of Homeland Security determined that all of the products and services available under GSA Schedules could potentially be used for recovery from a disaster under the Disaster Recovery Purchasing Program.

Government agencies also may procure services and products to help prepare for natural disasters before they occur. This opens up new opportunities for businesses in practically every industry. For example, after Hurricane Katrina, Disaster Recovery Purchasing was used to expeditiously procure services from an IT company to develop a database to help hurricane victims in New Orleans apply for federal benefits.

ARRA is another source of funding for agencies at all levels of government that need assistance. It provides $275 billion in contracts, grants and loans for construction and repair of roads and bridges, scientific research, the expansion of broadband and wireless service, automation of health care records and many other projects for infrastructure development and enhancement. ARRA funds may be used to help recovery efforts and also present new business opportunities across several different service and manufacturing industries.

When an agency receives funding to procure emergency-related products and services, it has different acquisition methods and vehicles from which to choose. When given a choice, the government prefers to buy products and services with a GSA Schedule contract.



Why the government loves GSA schedules for disaster recovery services and products.

GSA Schedule contracts provide a quick and easy mechanism to procure services and products when timing is critical. The procurement cycle with a GSA Schedule can be reduced to a matter of days in an emergency situation. That is because all the negotiations for the contract's terms and pricing are completed during the GSA Schedule's proposal review process - which can take anywhere from three to six months after its submission to GSA.

The GSA Schedule proposal strategy, development and negotiation can be daunting and frustrating for a small business, but can prove worthwhile once the company has the government's most preferred contract in hand. Government buyers love GSA Schedules because they allow a simpler acquisition process. The government can get much needed services and products for competitive prices from its preferred vendors without the hassle of developing a complicated Request for Proposal (RFP) document. GSA and the vendor with the GSA Schedule did all the work up front during the GSA Schedule proposal process.

For businesses wanting to develop new government business at the federal, state and local levels, obtaining a GSA Schedule contract is a priority. If a business wants to take advantage of new opportunities aligned with disaster recovery efforts, then obtaining a GSA Schedule is considered a necessity.



Juanita L. Walker is president of Walker Communications Inc. (www.walkercommunicationsinc.com), a small business advocacy firm that helps companies develop and negotiate award-winning GSA Schedule proposals. She can be reached at 410-461-3100 or jwalker@walkercommunicationsinc.com.