The federal government’s fiscal year ends on Sept 30th. For a few weeks before that date, agencies make large numbers of purchases, to avoid a ‘use-it-or-lose-it’ situation – if they don’t spend their entire allocated budget by the end of the FY, they risk having the following year’s budget reduced.
A 2013 study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that spending in the last week of the fiscal year is almost 5 times higher than normal.
What can you do ahead of time, to take advantage of the end-of-the-year shopping spree?
Administrative
Only Authorized Negotiators can discuss contract issues with your Contracting Officer, and make changes to your contract. Remove the names of anyone not currently supporting your contract, and add any new Negotiators.
Remember that without a valid digital certificate, an Authorized Negotiator cannot access the eMod system. Make sure all digital certificates are still valid and renew if necessary.
Additions and Deletions
Delete any products or services you no longer carry, and add new as necessary, to be sure your contract offerings are up-to-date. Submit modification requests via the eMod system and once you have approval, upload your corrected catalog to Advantage!, GSA’s online shopping site.
Advantage
Agency buyers search Advantage to find the products and services they need. Make sure your products can be found easily, your descriptions are accurate and informative, your photographs are the best they can be, and your prices are competitive.
Keywords: make sure your product descriptions are complete and accurate. Use keywords in the description field to help your information pop-up when a buyer searches.
A picture is worth a thousand words – you can upload more than one photo for each listing, which may help a buyer make a decision
Green certification – if eligible, make sure you include the appropriate ‘green’ designation. Buyers may narrow their searches using these green icons – make sure they can find you!
Pricing – look at your competitor s pricing. Consider offering a Temporary Sale price on an item to clinch the deal! (A temporary sale price does not trigger the Price Reduction Clause)
Pricing: Any changes to your commercial prices should be reflected in your GSA prices, in accordance with the terms negotiated during your award