One of the basic requirements to a successful acquisition is having an access point into the federal marketplace. As a GSA Schedule contractor, you not only have a major access point through the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), but you have an advantage over other government contractors. The federal government likes to choose GSA contractors for their solutions because they are pre-vetted, and the prices are guaranteed the best value.
While the federal government often prefers to purchase through the GSA MAS program, opportunities will not necessarily fall into your lap. You’ll need to be proactive about finding federal opportunities and winning business through a well thought out capture strategy and proposal which we'll walk you through below.
How to Find Federal Opportunities for Your GSA Schedule
The key to finding federal opportunities for your GSA Schedule is knowing what tools are available to you and how to use them. In the federal contracting space, you have several programs and platforms to track opportunities like beta.Sam.gov, GSA eBuy, and Acquisition Gateway. You’ll want to pay special attention to Requests for Information (RFIs) and Sources Sought notices on these sites because these can drive future Requests for Proposals (RFPs).
You can also sign up for certain industry subscriptions that track acquisitions and attend trade shows/GSA events whether in person or virtually to network, find partners, and locate customers.
In addition to knowing what tools are out there, you’ll want to make sure you assemble the right team to follow these opportunities and capture government business. When searching for someone to add to your business development or sales team, you should consider people who are well connected or knowledgeable about the market. You’ll also want someone who knows your solutions well and can talk about them to government customers, not just commercial customers.
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